2 Peter 1:20-21 – …no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
When a big product is about to be released, or a big person is to be revealed (e.g. a new coach for a team, new candidate for an office, new CEO for a company), there is a marketing plan that rolls out in advance to prepare the way. In some ways, this is what the prophets in the Old Testament did to prepare people for the coming of the Kingdom and King Jesus.
At the time it was written, roughly 25% of the Bible was prophetic in nature, predicting future events surrounding the coming of Jesus Christ. Various scholars estimate that there are anywhere from 61 to over 300 specific Messianic Prophecies in the Old Testament. Each one is confirmation that the human authors were inspired by God the Holy Spirit. We will look at 25 of these prophecies over the next few days.
- 4000 B.C. – Jesus would have a mother but not father
- Genesis 3:15 – “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
- NOTE: No mention of an earthly father, unlike the rest of the Genesis genealogies
- Fulfillment:“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law…” (Galatians 4:4)
- 1400 B.C. – Jesus’ family line
- Genesis 12:3 – “…all peoples on earth will be blessed through you [Abraham].”
- Genesis 17:19 – God said, “…your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him…[not Ishmael]”
- Numbers 24:17 – “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” [not Esau]
- Genesis 49:10 – “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.”
- Fulfillment:“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers…” (Matthew 1:1–2)
To download the free e-book Power Under Pressure which is a study in 2 Peter for individuals, groups, and families from Pastor Mark click HERE. To listen to Pastor Mark’s 4 sermons on 2 Peter preached in the summer of 2020, visit realfaith.com. These and other resources are made possible by our ministry partners who support Real Faith as a Bible teaching ministry of Mark Driscoll Ministries to whom we say THANK YOU!