The Old Testament Witness to Christ and His Kingdom, Mentor's Guide, MG09

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T H E O L D T E S T A M E N T W I T N E S S T O C H R I S T A N D H I S K I N G D O M

• OTMessianic prophecies also address the passion of Christ, his suffering and death, and among them mention is made of his betrayal, his false trial and verdict, his brutal treatment and death, his vicarious (substitutionary) wounding and bruising for the sins of the world, his crucifixion, his great agony on the cross, his death, and his burial. • The major OT texts quoted in the NT concerning Messiah’s resurrection are usually included in the Gospel accounts and their predictions of it, as well in the apostolic preaching in Acts, especially in Peter’s sermon at Pentecost and Paul’s preaching at Antioch. • A general outline of some of the key OT Messianic texts should include predictions of the coming glory of Messiah, including his exaltation and vindication as Yahweh’s King of glory, his terrifying judgment upon God’s enemies, his return for and regathering of his people, the majesty, beauty, and glory of creation’s transformation that will occur under his reign, and the everlasting and universal dominion that will be given to him.

I. General Observations Regarding Messianic Prophecy as it Relates to the OT Witness to Christ

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Jesus Interprets Prophecy in Terms of His Own Life and Work

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It may in fact have been one of the unique contributions of Jesus that he took key themes from OT prophecy (calls to covenant faithfulness, divine disclosure of the meaning and significance of historical events, anticipations of God’s work in history to bring about his purposes) and some of the key themes of intertestamental apocalyptic (the concept of two ages, predictions of final judgment and vindication, divine visitations by an exalted Son of man, revelations granted to special seers), saw himself as the fulfiller of both, and fused them into the concept of a kingdomwhich was already and not yet present. Luke 17.20–37, for example, gives evidence of both aspects in Jesus’ concept of the kingdom.

~ Timothy J. Geddert. “Apocalyptic Teaching.” The Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels . J. B. Green, ed. (electronic ed.) Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997. p. 24.