Reading through Old Testament prophecies is always a bit confusing. Unless you are a history buff, the description of the kingdoms and impending conquests blur together, and imagery of gold, bronze, mud, statues, and trees make little sense. To further complicate the matter, the prophets who recorded these visions were generally not given a time frame to accompany the things to come. They simply recorded what they were inspired by the Holy Spirit to record. Some but not all things written in the Old Testament have been fulfilled, and others are in process of being fulfilled. As a result, we find ourselves in a period of time that one of my professors wisely termed the “already-not yet”. It is a tension that we live in, a partial but not yet complete fulfillment, a shadow of what is to come. This is especially true concerning the Old Testament prophecies of the coming King, for Christ has come, and will come-He is already and not yet. And so as we look at these prophecies, we can rest in confident assurance in what has been fulfilled, and rejoice in hopeful expectation for what is to come.
Zechariah
Read Zechariah 9:9-13Zechariah 9:9-13
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
The Lord Tells about the Coming King
9 ; . Everyone in Jerusalem,
celebrate and shout!
Your king has won a victory,
and he is coming to you.
He is humble
and rides on a donkey;
he comes on the colt
of a donkey.
10 . I, the Lord, will take away
war chariots and horses
from Israel i Israel: The Hebrew text has “Ephraim,” the leading tribe of the northern kingdom of Israel, which sometimes stands for the whole kingdom. and Jerusalem.
Bows that were made for battle
will be broken.
I will bring peace to nations,
and your king will rule
from sea to sea.
His kingdom will reach
from the Euphrates River
across the earth.
The Lord Promises To Rescue Captives
11 . When I made a sacred agreement
with you, my people,
we sealed it with blood. j an agreement ... blood: The agreement at Mount Sinai .
Now some of you are captives
in waterless pits,
but I will come to your rescue
12 and offer you hope.
Return to your fortress,
because today I will reward you
with twice what you had.
13 I will use Judah as my bow
and Israel k Israel: Hebrew “Ephraim” . as my arrow.
I will take the people of Zion
as my sword
and attack the Greeks.
WP-Bible plugin. What of this passage is “already”? (hint: see also Matthew 21:5Matthew 21:5
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
5 . “Announce to the people
of Jerusalem:
‘Your king is coming to you!
He is humble
and rides on a donkey.
He comes on the colt
of a donkey.’ ”
WP-Bible plugin)
What is the “not yet”?
Matthew specifically points out that “this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet…” (21:4), demonstrating clearly that Christ is the fulfillment of these prophecies. Not only is He the fulfillment, but this aspect of the prophecy has been fulfilled. Bear with me, for I know this seems obvious and basic. Why is it important to know that Christ is the fulfillment? In all prophecies in the Old Testament, concerning a king, He is never referred to as Jesus, as Christ. Matthew directly links this specific person as being the fulfillment, and no one else, leaving no room for doubt. The fact that this aspect of the prophecy has been fulfilled is the basis for hope. It is God’s thumb-print on the situation–a sign that this is specifically and purposefully of God, not coincidence, but planned. And if He has been faithful to fulfill specific details as to what Christ would ride into Jerusalem, how much more so will He be faithful to fulfill the rest of His plan? There is confident assurance that what He has said will come to pass.
Jeremiah
Read Jeremiah 23:5-6Jeremiah 23:5-6
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
5 . Someday I will appoint
an honest king
from the family of David,
a king who will be wise
and rule with justice.
6 As long as he is king,
Israel will have peace,
and Judah will be safe.
The name of this king will be
“The Lord Gives Justice.”
WP-Bible plugin. How is Christ described here?
What are the characteristics of His reign?
Christ here is seen as fulfillment of a promise made to David–that his throne would never end. Ever. He is described as the righteous Branch–fully perfect and holy, whose reign will continue to grow and strengthen and bear fruit. Two aspects that Jeremiah highlights are His justice and righteousness. This prophecy is found in between prophetical condemnation of the shepherds and the lying prophets. When God’s own people refuse to do His will, the flock suffers, and yet the Lord is very aware and very in control. Here is a promise of hope for the flock. He sees. And with His coming reign, He will execute justice (for He alone is righteous and can rightly judge). There is hope for justice, the “not yet”. Note too the “already” aspect of this prophecy–the name attributed to Christ is “the Lord is our righteousness” (v. 6). With His death and resurrection, we already have this righteousness, this salvation and justification. And in this we can rest.
Ezekiel
Read Ezekiel 37:15-28Ezekiel 37:15-28
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
Judah and Israel Together Again
15 The Lord said:
16 Ezekiel, son of man, get a stick and write on it, “The kingdom of Judah.” Then get another stick and write on it, “The kingdom of Israel.” a Israel: The Hebrew text has “Joseph, that is, Ephraim,” the leading tribe in the northern kingdom.
17 Hold these two sticks end to end, so they look like one stick.
18 And when your people ask you what this means,
19 tell them that I, the Lord, will join together the stick of Israel and the stick of Judah. I will hold them in my hand, and they will become one.
20 Hold these two sticks where they can be seen by everyone
21 and then say:
I, the Lord God, will gather the people of Israel and bring them home from the foreign nations where they now live.
22 I will make them into one nation and let them once again live in the land of Israel. Only one king will rule them, and they will never again be divided into two nations.
23 They will no longer worship idols and do things that make them unacceptable to me. I will wash away their sin and make them clean, and I will protect them from everything that makes them unclean. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
24-25 . Their king will always come from the family of my servant King David and will care for them like a shepherd. The people of Israel will faithfully obey my laws. They and their descendants will live in the land I gave my servant Jacob, just as their ancestors did.
26 I solemnly promise to bless the people of Israel with unending peace. I will protect them and let them become a powerful nation. My temple will stand in Israel for all time,
27 ; . and I will live among my people and be their God.
28 Every nation on earth will know that my temple is in Israel and that I have chosen the Israelites to be my people.
WP-Bible plugin. Who is acting in this prophecy?
There are 2 major aspects of this prophecy, major promises–what are they?
What aspect of this prophecy gives you greatest joy?
At this time in Israel’s history the nation was divided and captivity ensued. The first major aspect of the prophecy is God’s promise of unity, a promise of restoration. In a sense this part has had some fulfillment, an “already” aspect, for even today there is one nation of Israel. However, this promise is repeated both in Jeremiah 31, and again in Mark 13:27Mark 13:27
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
27 He will send his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the earth.
WP-Bible plugin, where the Lord gathers His people from the ends of the earth and once again unites them. Israel is again one (and you and I are a part of this-we are the grafted branches-see Romans 11). The second major aspect of this prophecy is the promise that He will again dwell among His people. Through Christ there is a covenant of peace between us and God (v.24-26), His dwelling place is in our midst, with us (v. 26-27), and we are sanctified (v. 28). This final aspect of the kingly prophecy most clearly depicts the “already-not yet” in which we now live. As Christians, we are no longer enemies of God but instead His children, there is that covenant of peace through Christ, and yet while on this earth, our fellowship with Him can still be broken through sin. Our relationship is secure permanently, but with sin fellowship can still be broken. And in the same way, we are sanctified, and are being sanctified more and more each day. It is the process of becoming more like Christ, and now on this earth, we are still sinful, we still struggle. Then we will be made fully perfect. And now we have the Holy Spirit in us, God himself dwelling among us just as promised, and yet as Paul dwells on life after this earth he writes, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then i shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:121 Corinthians 13:12
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
12 Now all we can see of God
is like a cloudy picture
in a mirror.
Later we will see him
face to face.
We don't know everything,
but then we will,
just as God completely
understands us.
WP-Bible plugin). There is much “not-yet” to still hope for.
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