Prophecies of the OT Fulfilled in Jesus Christ of Nazareth: There have been described in the Old Testament 300 prophecies of the first coming of the Messiah and 500 of the second coming, all of then made hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus and fulfilled to the letter in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. George Heron, a French mathematician, calculated that the odds of one man fulfilling only 40 of those prophecies are 1 in 10 to the power of 157. That is a 1 followed by 157 zeros. Compare it to this; your odds on winning the state lottery are 14 followed by 6 zeros. Another mathematician, Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, claims the odds of being fulfilled only 60 of them by the only person who claimed to be the Son of God, and who died on a "tree" on Calvary, and who rose the 3rd day are astronomical! not just one in one trillion, but one out of ten to the 895th power. That is a one over a one followed by 895 zeros.
“THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ISAIAH" IS 9:2-7
You have heard of the four gospels, the gospel according to Matthew, The gospel according to Mark. The gospel according to Luke, The gospel according to John. Have you heard of the gospel according to Isaiah? This book was written some 750 years before Christ came into this world as a baby. You can search everywhere but you will not find predictions about anyone else who was to bring us to God. There are many religions but none of them had anything written about their leaders before they were born. All other religions were man made. Mohammad, Confucius, Buddha or any other man or being were self proclaimed by man. They have nothing written about their coming as God with man.
The elements of the gospel were foretold by Old Testament prophets. Concerning the coming of the Messiah. Concerning the establishment of His kingdom. We could call his book "The Gospel according To Isaiah." Let’s review some of the prophecies found in the book of Isaiah.
There is Good News about the man we know as Jesus. He will be born of a virgin. This was fulfilled with the birth of Jesus by Mary. He will be of the family of David. The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him. There is Good News about His ministry. He will be preceded by a forerunner. He will be anointed to preach good tidings. He will bring light to those living in Galilee. He will not advertise Himself. He will suffer in our behalf.
I would like for us to look at some of the names given to him from Isaiah from 9:6. They are listed as five, Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Another version lists Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Another version lists His names will be: Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. Another version lists: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. One man named Ellicott lists the names as Wonderful-Counselor, God-the-Mighty-One, Father of Eternity and Prince of Peace. These are names that are given for Jesus 750 years before He enters into our world. I wonder because you hear those names why we have trouble believing Jesus is God. As one reads the Gospel accounts He fulfills all of these names. Let us look at the list according to the KJV version which his five.
A. His name will be Wonderful. It is because of all that Christ accomplished He alone is worthy of the title Wonderful. PS 119:129 “Your testimonies are wonderful: therefore does my soul keep them.” 139:1-6 “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far away You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You both precede and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.” Jesus would be “wonderful” in his nature as God-Man. It is said that his teaching astonished those who heard it MT 7:28. Jesus was wonderful in His in his doings IS 25:1 “You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them.” I read this week that of all the people that Jesus healed only seven of them sought Him out. Jesus was wonderful in the circumstances of his birth, of his death, in his resurrection, and in his ascension into heaven. Jesus was wonder in all His word, works and witness to for God. Even the religious leaders of His day remarked, “They saw the wonderful things that he did.” In Acts 2:22, “Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God, by wonders.” He was wonderful in His teaching for is has exceeded the world’s greatest scholars. He is wonderful in His character for He never had to repent of sins and by His life others came to know God as their Father. He is wonderful in His life because He lived a life of purity and the only thing they could really find Him guilty of was Love in the first degree. “Wonder” would be the first response which his appearance would motivate others. Manoah asked the angel his name when he was told he would have son named Sampson. He was told the name was too wonderful for him to understand it.
B. His name shall be Counselor. If we seek Divine Counsel we will never be in darkness. Are we thankful for the Guiding Mind that puts thoughts in our minds? Are we thankful for the Guiding Heart that makes us feel good about ourselves? Are we thankful for the Guiding Hand that leads us in His ways Everlasting? In Him we have perfect wisdom. As you go out at night an view the stars and heavens you know there has to be one over us with great wisdom to keep all things in order. We might run into problems that seem to us impossible to solve, but we have a Lord who will be with us and see us through though we can not understand. He offers to lead into all truth. He has promised to never leave us alone. He is well named “Counselor.” None will ever seek his counsel in vain; much less repent of following it.
C. His name shall be the mighty God. The term El, God, had been previously applied to the Messiah only in Psalm 45:6. It denotes in Isaiah divinity in an absolute sense; it is never used an overstatement or symbolically. There is not more than one Everlasting Father, one Creator, Preserver, Protector of mankind who was absolutely eternal? If the term Father applied to our Lord, annoys us, we must remember that the distinction of Persons in the Godhead had not yet been revealed. Jesus is the mightiest among the mighty. John said of Jesus, “He that comes after me is mightier than me.” Col. 1:19 “For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ.” 2:9 “For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body.” Jesus was an uncreated might. He was mighty even from His birth. He was nothing less than God. It was said of Him, He was “very God of very God.” Thomas called him, “My Lord and my God.” Peter, “Our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” Jude, “Our only Lord God, even our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is hard for us with our limited thinking to believe His Life beyond compare, His unmatched teaching, His conquering death & resurrection, His influence that has affected all nations. Plus the fact that He was mighty God in human form. If he was only a man why are there not more men like Him?
D. His name shall be called THE EVERLASTING FATHER. PS 90:2 “Before the mountains were created, before you made the earth and the world, you are God, without beginning or end.” MAL 3:6 "I am the Lord, and I do not change.” HAB 1:12 "O LORD, are you not from everlasting?" JER 31:3 "The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." PS 103:17 ’But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him and his righteousness with their children’s children." PS 146:13 "Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made." IS 40:28-29 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Jesus said, “Before Abraham I am.” HB 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Jesus is everlasting and that makes it possible for Him to give us everlasting life. JN 6:47 "I assure you, anyone who believes in me already has everlasting life.” Everlasting means never to end ever or ever.
E. His name shall be called The Prince of Peace. A “Prince of Peace” had been long in Melchizedek, “King of Salem. Compare the song of the angels at our Lord’s birth. If the peacefulness has not yet very clearly shown itself, the reason would seem to be that our Lord’s kingdom has yet to come into the hearts of most men. PS 4:8 "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”PR 14:30 “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." IS 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you?" IS 32:17 "The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever." JN 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
Jesus became our peace with God that He may bring us to God. There have been some who have been told they need to make their peace with God. This is impossible to do because we can make peace with one who we think is our enemy. We need a peace maker to come before God who is holy and without sin. The Bible says He cannot look on sin. Without Christ we can not come to God. We come to God through Jesus and the blood He shed for us.
Have your hearts grown dull and ears hard of hearing, that the good news of the kingdom and the Lord Jesus Christ do not prompt the proper response? I hope not, and that we are all moved to proper action by these words of Jesus spoken at the beginning and end of His ministry.
