Appendix 17: Prophecies Fulfilled at the First Coming of Christ
by Dr. Henry M. Morris:
(taken from the Defender's Study Bible)
There are over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament about the First Coming of Christ, but many of these are repetitious. When the repetitious ones are deleted, we are still left with at least 108 specifically different propheciesall of which were fulfilled in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ.
There are over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament about the First Coming of Christ, but many of these are repetitious. When the repetitious ones are deleted, we are still left with at least 108 specifically different propheciesall of which were fulfilled in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ.
A. The Messiah's Lineage
Old Testament Prophecy | Prophecy | New Testament Fulfillment |
Gen. 9:26 | 1) From the Shemite Branch of Humanity | Luke 3:36 |
Gen. 12:3 | 2) Through Abraham | Matt. 1:1 |
Gen. 17:21 | 3) Through Abraham's son, Isaac | Luke 3:34 |
Gen. 28:14 | 4) Through Isaac's son, Jacob | Luke 3:34 |
Gen. 49:8 | 5) Through the tribe of Judah | Luke 3:33-34 |
Isa. 11:1 | 6) Through the family of Jesse | Luke 3:32 |
Jer. 23:5 | 7) Through the house of David | Luke 3:31-32 |
B. The Messiah's Birth and Childhood
Old Testament Prophecy | Prophecy | New Testament Fulfillment |
Gen. 49:10 | 1) Timing of birth. According to the Talmud, in about 7 a.d. the Romans removed the power of the Sanhedrin Council in Judah to pronounce the death penaltythus the sceptre (power) passed from Judah. Jesus had been born in 4 b.c. during the reign of Herod (Matt. 2:1), so “Shiloh” (a Messianic title) had come shortly before the sceptre departedjust as prophesied. Also, once the Jews were expelled from the land by the Romans, all semblance of national autonomy under Judah was gone. | |
Micah 5:2 | 2) Place of birth | Matt. 2:1 |
Isa. 9:6 | 3) Born in the flesh | Luke 2:11 |
Isa. 7:14 | 4) Born of a virgin | Luke 1:34-35 |
Isa. 7:14 | 5) Divine name | Matt. 1:21 |
Ps. 72:10-11 | 6) Presented with gifts at birth | Matt. 2:1-12 |
Jer. 31:15 | 7) Infants massacred | Matt. 2:16 |
Hosea 11:1 | 8) Sojourn in Egypt | Matt. 2:14, 15 |
Isa. 11:1; 53:3* | 9) Reside in Nazareth | Matt. 2:23 |
Isa. 53:2 | 10) Grow up in obscurity and poverty | Mark 6:3 |
Isa. 11:1 | 11) Spirit-filled and anointed from birth | Luke 2:46-47 |
*Matthew's reference is uncertain. Some believe it is derived from Isaiah 11:1 where the Messiah is referred to as a “neser”that is, a “branch” of Jesse. For another fascinating possibility, see the second footnote under Zephaniah 1:14.
C. The Messiah's Life and Minstry
Old Testament Prophecy | Prophecy | New Testament Fulfillment |
Isa. 40:3 | 1) Preceded by a prophet preparing His way | Matt. 3:1-3 |
Isa. 42:1 | 2) Receive a special anointing by the Holy Spirit | Luke 3:22 |
Gen. 3:15 | 3) Do battle with Satan | Matt. 4:1 |
Ps. 91:11 | 4) Receive the ministry of angels | Mat. 4:11 |
Isa. 9:1 | 5) Ministry centered in Galilee | Matt. 4:13 |
Isa. 42:2 | 6) Unpretentious ministry | John 6:15 |
Isa. 53:2 | 7) Power of ministry not based on personal appearance | Matt. 7:28-29 |
Ps. 40:9 | 8) Preacher | Matt. 4:17 |
Ps. 78:2 | 9) Teacher in parables | Matt. 13:34-35 |
Deut. 18:15, 18 | 10) Prophet | Matt. 21:11 |
Isa. 33:22 | 11) Judge | John 5:30 |
Isa. 11:2 | 12) Miracle worker | John 3:2 |
Ps. 109:4 | 13) Man of prayer | Luke 18:1 |
Ps. 22:9-10 | 14) Man whose reliance and trust is in God | John 5:19 |
Ps. 40:8 | 15) Man of obedience | John 4:34 |
Isa. 11:2 | 16) Man of knowledge, wisdom and understanding | Matt. 13:54 |
Isa. 11:2 | 17) Man of counsel | John 3:1, 4 |
Zech. 9:9 | 18) Humble in spirit | Phil. 2:8 |
Ps. 145:8 | 19) Patient | 1 Tim. 1:16 |
Ps. 103:17 | 20) Loving and merciful | John 15:13 |
Ps. 69:9 | 21) Zeal for God's house in Jerusalem | John 2:14-16 |
Isa. 61:1-2 | 22) Proclaim a Jubilee | Luke 4:17-21 |
Isa. 61:1 | 23) Preach the Gospel to the poor | Matt. 11:4-5 |
Isa. 61:1 | 24) Comfort the broken hearted | Matt. 11:28 |
Isa. 61:1 | 25) Proclaim liberty to captives | Luke 4:18 |
Isa. 42:3 | 26) Minister to broken lives | Luke 5:30-31 |
Isa. 53:5 | 27) Heal the sick | Matt. 8:16-17 |
Isa. 35:5-6 | 28) Heal those with special afflictions | Matt. 11:4-5 |
Ps. 69:4 | 29) Hated without cause | John 15:24-25 |
Ps. 69:7-8 | 30) Despised and rejected by His own people, the Jews | John 1:11 |
Isa. 29:13 | 31) Rejected by the Jews due to exaltation of tradition | Mark 7:6-8 |
Ps. 8:2 | 32) Praised by babes and infants | Matt. 21:15-16 |
Isa. 49:6 | 33) Offered to the Gentiles | John 1:12 |
Hosea 2:23 | 34) Accepted by the Gentiles | Acts 28:28 |
D. The Messiah's Nature
Old Testament Prophecy | Prophecy | New Testament Fulfillment |
Mic. 5:2 | 1) Eternal | John 1:1 |
Isa. 9:6 | 2) Divine | John 10:30 |
Ps. 8:5 | 3) Human | John 1:14 |
Ps. 2:7 | 4) Son of God | Matt. 3:17 |
Dan. 7:13 | 5) Son of Man | Matt. 8:20 |
Ps. 2:2 | 6) Christ, the Anointed One | Luke 2:10-11 |
Ps. 110:1 | 7) Lord | John 13:13 |
Isa. 11:2-3 | 8) God centered | John 17:4 |
Isa. 5:16 | 9) Holy | Heb. 7:26 |
Isa. 53:11 | 10) Righteous | Acts 7:52 |
Ps. 89:1-2 | 11) Faithful and true witness | Rev. 3:14 |
Isa. 42:1 | 12) Servant of God | Phil. 2:6-7 |
Ps. 23:1 | 13) Loving shepherd | John 10:11 |
Isa. 53:7 | 14) Sacrificial lamb | John 1:29 |
Isa. 53:4-6 | 15) Sin bearer | 1 Pet. 2:24 |
Isa. 53:10 | 16) Guilt offering | Heb. 9:13-14 |
Isa. 42:6 | 17) Embodiment of God's Redemptive Covenant | Acts 13:47 |
E. The Messiah's Death
Old Testament Prophecy | Prophecy | New Testament Fulfillment |
Dan. 9:25-26 | 1) Timing of death. The prophecy states that the Messiah will die 69 weeks of years (483 yrs.) after the edict is issued to rebuild Jerusalem. The edict was issued by Artaxerxes in 445 b.c., and 483 lunar years later, Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem. | |
Zech. 9:9 | 2) Triumphal entry into Jerusalem | John 12:12-15 |
Isa. 53:3, 11 | 3) Experience profound grief and agony | Matt. 26:37-38 |
Ps. 41:9 | 4) Betrayal by a friend who would eat with Him | Matt. 26:20-21 |
Zech. 11:12 | 5) Betrayal for 30 pieces of silver | Matt. 26:14-15 |
Zech. 11:13 | 6) Disposition of the betrayal money | Matt. 27:3, 5-7 |
Zech. 13:7 | 7) Forsaken by His disciples | Matt. 26:55-56 |
Ps. 35:11-12 | 8) Accused by false witnesses | Matt. 26:59 |
Isa. 53:7 | 9) Silent before His accusers; | Matt. 27:14 |
Isa. 50:6 | 10) Spat upon | Matt. 26:67 |
Mic. 5:1 | 11) Stricken | Matt. 26:67 |
Isa. 50:6 | 12) Scourged | Matt. 27:26 |
Isa. 52:14 | 13) Face beaten to a pulp | Matt. 27:30 |
Isa. 50:6 | 14) Beard plucked. There is no specific recorded fulfillment of this prophecy, but it was likely one of the tortures inflicted upon Jesus by the soldiers | |
Isa. 50:6 15) | Humiliated | Mark 15:17-19 |
Ps. 22:15 | 16) Physical exhaustion | Luke 23:26 |
Ps. 22:16 | 17) Crucified | Luke 23:33 |
Isa. 53:12 | 18) Identified with sinners | Mark 15:27 |
Ps. 22:6-8 | 19) Object of scorn and ridicule | Luke 23:35-39 |
Ps. 22:15 | 20) Experienced thirst | John 19:28 |
Ps. 69:21 | 21) Given vinegar to drink | Matt. 27:48 |
Ps. 38:11 | 22) Friends stand far away | Luke 23:49 |
Ps. 22:17 | 23) Stared at | Luke 23:35 |
Ps. 22:18 | 24) Clothing divided among persecutors | John 19:23 |
Ps. 22:18 | 25) Lots cast for robe | John 19:23-24 |
Amos 8:9 | 26) Darkness at noon | Matt. 27:45 |
Ps. 22:1 | 27) A cry of disorientation due to separation from God | Matt. 27:46 |
Ps. 109:4 | 28) Pray for persecutors | Luke 23:34 |
Ps. 22:31* | 29) Cry of victory | John 19:30 |
Ps. 31:5 | 30) Voluntary release of spirit | Luke 23:46 |
Ps. 34:20 | 31) No bones broken | John 19:32-33 |
Zech 12:10 | 32) Pierced in the side | John 19:34 |
Ps. 22:14** | 33) Death by a broken heart | John 19:34 |
Isa. 53:9 | 34) Buried in a rich man's grave | Matt. 27:57-60 |
*The Phrase, “He hath done this,” literally means, “He has finished it.”
**The separation of the blood and water is a sign of a ruptured heart.
F. The Messiah's Resurrection and Ascension
Old Testament Prophecy | Prophecy | New Testament Fulfillment |
Ps. 16:10 | 1) Resurrection | Mark 16:6 |
Ps. 68:18 | 2) Ascension | Acts 1:9 |
Ps. 110:1 | 3) Exaltation at the right hand of God | Mark 16:19 |
Ps. 110:4 | 4) Serve as a High Priest | Heb. 6:20 |
Ps. 2:1-2 | 5) Continue to be despised by the nations | xTerm 5:19 |
This listing has been adapted, with minor changes, from Lamplighter (July/August 1990; vol. xi).