A Biblical Vision, Part I: Mastering the Old Testament Witness to Christ

88

A B i b l i ca l Vi s i on, Par t I : Mas ter i ng the Ol d Tes tament Wi tnes s to Chr i s t

God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

B. Implications for our understanding of the Old Testament’s witness to Christ and his Kingdom

1. Melchizedek’s order of priesthood of the Most High God is fulfilled in the person of Christ.

2. Christ is, in a final sense, the High Priest of God serving in the Tabernacle made without hands in the heavenlies.

Ps. 110 (RSV) THE LORD says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool.” The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your foes! Your people will offer themselves freely on the day you lead your host upon the holy mountains. From the womb of the morning like dew your youth will come to you. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.

3. Christ’s ministry is analogous to Melchizedek’s, especially in the sense that both Melchizedek’s and Christ’s priestly ministries are far superior to the Aaronic priesthood.

IV. David, the King of God’s People (a Type of Christ)

Messiah Jesus fulfills the Promise of God to Set an Eternal King on the Throne of David

That the Old Testament prophets made predictions about the coming of the Christ or Messiah may be understood from many Old Testament verses themselves, without recourse to the New Testament fulfillment of them. The Old Testament believers looked for the coming of a Savior from the very beginning (cf. Gen. 3.15; 49.10), even though the word Messiah [anointed one] was first used of their coming King in 1 Sam. 2.10. Hence, a study of the Old Testament to find its Messianic predictions [and its messianic pictures, mine] is a very legitimate and profitable, Christocentric approach. . . . It was Luke who recorded that Jesus twice affirmed the legitimacy of this approach (Luke 24.27, 44).

~ Norman Geisler. To Understand the Bible, Look for Jesus . p. 32.

A. Aspects of his kingship that resonate with Christ