Christ in the Prophets
Christ in the Prophets
As we turn now from the Law to the Prophets, we need to remember that the Old Testament division known as “the Prophets” included the history books (Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings) as “the former prophets” because the authors were judged to have written prophetic or sacred history, as well as “the latter prophets” whom we call the major and minor prophets.
Many readers of the Bible have found the history of Israel extremely tedious and cannot imagine how all those dreary kings could have anything to do with Christ! When we remember, however, that Christ’s first words about “the time is fulfilled” immediately led on to “the kingdom of God has drawn near,” we have in the word “kingdom” the clue we need. Israel began as a “theocracy,” a nation under the direct rule of God. Even when the people rejected the divine rule by demanding a king like the other nations and God granted their request, they knew that ultimately he continued to be their King, for they continued to be his people, and that their kings reigned as it were as his viceroys.
Nevertheless, the rule of the kings, of both the northern kingdom Israel and the southern kingdom Judah, left much to be desired. The monarchy was spoiled externally by foreign wars, and internally by injustice and oppression. Both kingdoms also had the instability of all human institutions, as king after king acceded to the throne and reigned and died. And sometimes they shrank to tiny territories, as their land was overrun by invading armies, until in the end both capitals were taken and both nations suffered a humiliating exile. It is not surprising that God used their experience of the limitations of human government to clarify their understanding of the perfections of the future Messianic kingdom and to strengthen their longing for it.
Already God had made a covenant with King David to build him a house and through his posterity to establish his throne forever (2 Sam. 7:8–17). Now the prophets began to describe what would embody the ideals of kingship which the kings of Israel and Judah, and even David himself, so imperfectly foreshadowed. In his kingdom oppression would give place to justice, and war to peace. Further, there would be no limit to either its extent or its duration. For his dominion would stretch from sea to sea, even to the ends of the earth, and would last forever. These four characteristics of the kingdom of the Messiah—peace, justice, universality and eternity—are brought together in one of Isaiah’s most famous prophecies:
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this. (Isa. 9:6–7)
If the prophets foretold the glory of the Messiah, they foretold his sufferings also. The best-known such prophecy, obviously definitive for our Lord’s own understanding of his ministry, is that of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53. He would be “despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering” (v. 3). Above all, he would bear his people’s sins:
He was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. (Isa. 53:5–6)