Prophesies of the Messiah

Christians owe the Jews a tremendous debt. It was the Jewish people through whom God first revealed himself, and their faithful preserved God's revelation. It was from the Jewish people that the Christ (from the Greek for 'annointed' = Hebrew 'messiah') came.

In token of repayment of that debt, we provide here some of the prophecies of the Messiah from the Jewish Scriptures (RSV), in the hope that they can someday come to share fully in the greatest of almighty God's gifts, Christian faith.

Emphases added (of course).

The New Covenant does not replace the Mosaic Convenant, but fulfills it and brings it to perfection.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

31

"Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,

32

not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD.

33

But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

34

And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

Ezekiel 16:59-60

59

"Yea, thus says the Lord GOD: I will deal with you as you have done, who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant,

60

yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish with you an everlasting covenant.

61

Then you will remember your ways, and be ashamed when I take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and give them to you as daughters, but not on account of the covenant with you.

62

I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD,

63

that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I forgive you all that you have done, says the Lord GOD."

Psalms 143

2

Enter not into judgment with thy servant; for no man living is righteous before thee.

Psalm 118

21

I thank thee that thou hast answered me and hast become my salvation.

22

The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.

23

This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

Note: the builders are the leaders of the people

Isaiah 29

13

And the Lord said: "Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men learned by rote;

14

therefore, behold, I will again do marvelous things with this people, wonderful and marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hid."

Zechariah 9:9

Note: whereas the horse is used for war, the ass symbolizes peace

Isaiah 11

1

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

2

And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

2 Samuel 7

12

When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.

13

He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

14

I will be his father, and he shall be my son. When he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men;

15

but I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.

16

And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.'"

17

In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

1 Chronicles 17

11

When your days are fulfilled to go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.

12

He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne for ever.

13

I will be his father, and he shall be my son; I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you,

14

but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom for ever and his throne shall be established for ever.'"

15

In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

Isaiah 40

9

Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!"

10

Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.

11

He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

Daniel 9:20-27

20

While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy hill of my God;

21

while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice.

22

He came and he said to me, "O Daniel, I have now come out to give you wisdom and understanding.

23

At the beginning of your supplications a word went forth, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the word and understand the vision.

24

"Seventy weeks of years are decreed concerning your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.

25

Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.

26

And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off, and shall have nothing; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war; desolations are decreed.

27

And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week; and for half of the week he shall cause sacrifice and offering to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator."

Isaiah 52:8-53:12

8

Hark, your watchmen lift up their voice, together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the LORD to Zion.

9

Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem; for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.

10

The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

11

Depart, depart, go out thence, touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her, purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the LORD.

12

For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

13

Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.

14

As many were astonished at him--his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men--

15

so shall he startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they shall see, and that which they have not heard they shall understand.

1

Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

3

He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

5

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed.

6

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.

8

By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

9

And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10

Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand;

11

he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities.

12

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Notes

52:13 "exalted and lifted up": a euphemism for crucifixion
53:5-6,11-12 point to vicarious atonement: the Messiah's suffering will redeem us.
53:8 "he [was killed] for the transgression of my people": eliminates the common rabbinical interpretation that the servant represents the people of Israel: 'he' is distinct from 'my people'
53:12 says "he poured out his soul to death" yet v. 10 "he shall prolong his days"? Does this point to the Resurrection?

Psalm 22

1

To the choirmaster: according to The Hind of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?

2

O my God, I cry by day, but thou dost not answer; and by night, but find no rest.

3

Yet thou art holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

4

In thee our fathers trusted; they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

5

To thee they cried, and were saved; in thee they trusted, and were not disappointed.

6

But I am a worm, and no man; scorned by men, and despised by the people.

7

All who see me mock at me, they make mouths at me, they wag their heads;

8

"He committed his cause to the LORD; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him!"

9

Yet thou art he who took me from the womb; thou didst keep me safe upon my mother's breasts.

10

Upon thee was I cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me thou hast been my God.

11

Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is none to help.

12

Many bulls encompass me, strong bulls of Bashan surround me;

13

they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.

14

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax, it is melted within my breast;

15

my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; thou dost lay me in the dust of death.

16

Yea, dogs are round about me; a company of evildoers encircle me; they have pierced my hands and feet--

17

I can count all my bones--they stare and gloat over me;

18

they divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots.

Zechariah 12:10

Psalms 16

9

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure.

10

For thou dost not give me up to Sheol, or let thy godly one see the Pit.

Hosea 6

1

"Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn, that he may heal us; he has stricken, and he will bind us up.

2

After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.

3

Let us know, let us press on to know the LORD; his going forth is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth."

4

What shall I do with you, O E'phraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away.

5

Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light.

6

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings.

7

But at Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me.

Genesis 22:18

and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed my voice."

Micah 4:1-5

1

It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it,

2

and many nations shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

3

He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide for strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more;

4

but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.

5

For all the peoples walk each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.

Psalm 22

27

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.

28

For dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.

29

Yea, to him shall all the proud of the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and he who cannot keep himself alive.

30

Posterity shall serve him; men shall tell of the Lord to the coming generation,

31

and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, that he has wrought it.

Genesis 3:15

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

Micah 5:1-4

1

Now you are walled about with a wall; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike upon the cheek the ruler of Israel.

2

But you, O Bethlehem Eph'rathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.

3

Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in travail has brought forth; then the rest of his brethren shall return to the people of Israel.

4

And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.

Isaiah 7:14

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman [or virgin] shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Imman'u-el.

Isaiah 9:2-9

2

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.

3

Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased its joy; they rejoice before thee as with joy at the harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

4

For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as on the day of Mid'ian.

5

For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

7

Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

8

The Lord has sent a word against Jacob, and it will light upon Israel;

Psalms 69

21

They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Also of interest: Major Types of Christ, the foreshadowings of the Messiah in Hebrew Scriptures.

More resources and information available from
Remnant of Israel,
New Hope, KY 40052,
phone: 1-888-352-7153
Droginmark@aol.com.
The executive director is Mark Drogin.

Also, Association of Hebrew Catholics
"Working to preserve the identity and heritage of Israelites in the Church through a Hebrew Catholic Community juridically approved by the Holy See."
417 W Forest Ave
Ypsilanti MI 48197
Ph: (734) 480-4242, 480-8990
ahc@trincomm.org.
David Moss is the president.
Some material of theirs

A similar page of prophecies from Jews for Jesus