Amen. Please turn to Luke 24, and I'm going to read verse 27 for our text today. Luke 24 and verse 27. The name of our study today is Old Testament Prophecies of Christ's Coming. one of the continuing series of studies we're doing on Christ, His person and work. All right, Luke 24, 27. The Lord Jesus is speaking. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself. Only an almighty and all-knowing God can infallibly predict the future. Only in God's Word do we find genuine, fulfilled prophecy. Fulfilled prophecy is an important proof of the divine inspiration of the Scriptures. The Old Testament Scriptures prophesy the coming of Christ into this world. In these scriptures, He is promised hundreds of years before He was born. In Luke 24, 27, the Lord Himself speaks of how the Old Testament, from start to finish, prophesies His coming work. Let's look at it again. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself. Acts 10, 43 is speaking of Christ when it says to Him, give all the prophets witness that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. Many, many times we read such prophecies of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament as that in Zechariah 9, 9, where the prophet said to Jerusalem, Behold, thy king cometh unto thee. And Malachi 3, 1, the Lord shall suddenly come into His temple. Someone has estimated that there are over 300 prophecies of Christ in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, there is a definite, clear, and continuous teaching that the Messiah would come and what His work would be. In this study this morning, we shall look at several of the more prominent of these prophecies of Christ in the Old Testament. First, let's note that the Old Testament scriptures prophesy that Christ would appear at a particular time in history. At least two prophecies point to the precise time in history of Messiah's coming. The first is in Genesis 49, 10. So let's turn to Genesis 49 and verse 10. Genesis 49 10 the scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come and unto him shall the gathering of the people be Now as far as I can determine this is the earliest prediction of the time when Messiah would come Jacob was on his deathbed here, and having gathered his sons around him, he uttered a prophecy of what would happen to them in the last days. The prophecy of this particular verse contains a number of references to future events, none of which Jacob could have known without supernatural revelation being given him. In this verse, the scepter speaks of reigning authority, not R-A-I-N, but R-E-I-G-N, reigning authority in a nation, the particular nation here being Judah. And a lawgiver here speaks of the ability of a nation to make laws. Shiloh is a name that means the one who brings peace, or peacemaker, or pacifier. It also means rest, and it includes in its meaning the thought of one who brings salvation. Shiloh points to the Messiah. the one who would bring rest and peace and salvation to God's people. Look at the verse again. The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Now what this prophecy was saying was that the tribe of Judah would not cease to exist as a people with a government of its own until Shiloh should come. Judah would still hold power over Israel when Messiah would come. Shiloh would be of the tribe of Judah. a ruler, a lawgiver with a name meaning peace and a personality around whom people would gather. The scepter would not depart until the peacemaker would come. Now this prophecy of the particular time in history when Shiloh would appear was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ into this world. Now let's think about history here and where this falls. The ten northern tribes of Israel never again had a national existence after the Assyrians carried them away in 722 BC, but Judah continued to exist after that. Even under the Romans, Judah retained much power their land being known as Judea in those days. The scepter of political power continued with Judah till 70 AD when all pretense of political power was taken from the Jews by the Roman invasion. The fact that the scepter would not depart and a lawgiver would exist till Shiloh would come meant that Messiah would come before the destruction of the Jewish government in Judah. And this destruction came in 70 A.D. It ended all Jewish rule for nearly 2,000 years. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of this prophecy of Shiloh. His name, His very name, according to Isaiah 9, 6, is the Prince of Peace. When the Lord Jesus is referred to in Revelation 5, 5 as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, it's an allusion to this prophecy. Jesus Christ appeared before the catastrophe in 70 AD. In this verse, Genesis 49, 10, Jacob prophesied that Jewish political power would last till Messiah should come. Therefore, the time for the coming of Messiah has already passed. The prophecy in Malachi 3, 1 that the Lord shall suddenly come into his temple could not have been fulfilled after 70 AD when the temple was destroyed for the last time. He had to come before the temple was destroyed. So the prophecy of Genesis 49-10 describes the Messiah as arriving at a particular time in history. Now I want to throw something in for you here and go back to the name Shiloh. means peacemaker, pacifier, peace, refers to Christ, the Messiah, the Prince of Peace. Up here in, just over the line in Tennessee, during the war between the states, there was the Battle of Shiloh. Lindy's, one of her ancestors was killed in that battle. The Battle of Shiloh is named that because there was a little church building on the grounds where that happened named Shiloh Church. And I've always thought that was really ironic. One of the worst battles, early battles in the war was at a place called Shiloh, peace, pacifier. Kind of ironic, isn't it? All right, Daniel 9.25 is the other Old Testament prophecy that points to the particular time of the coming of Christ in history. So let's turn to Daniel 9.25. Daniel 9.25 is I like to call it a loaded prophecy because there's so much there. Daniel 9, 25. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah, the Prince, shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks, the street shall be built again and the wall even in troublous times. Now, first of all, we're commanded in this verse to understand. I hear people say, well, I can't understand that. I don't think we ought to be too definite about it. Well, we're commanded to understand, and we ought to at least try, shouldn't we? The Holy Spirit's told us that He would help us interpret the Scripture. So I submit the weeks here referred to groups of seven years. A day speaks of a year and a week speaks of seven years. All right, is everybody still with me? Each week represents seven years. Now how do we know that? I didn't Look at Jack Van Impey's book. We learn this from reading other scriptures. We learn this from reading Genesis 29, 27, and 28, which speaks of how long Jacob served for his wives. Let's turn to Genesis 29, 27, and 28. Genesis chapter 29. verse 27 and verse 28. Now this is Jacob's father-in-law speaking about Jacob wanting to marry Rachel and he's already married Leah. Fulfill her week. And we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. See there he makes a week to be a year, to stand for a year. And Jacob did so and fulfilled her week and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. So evidently this was a customary way of reckoning time in Jacob's day. If you wanted to talk about seven years, you said her week, her seven years. Daniel 9.25, continuing with Daniel 9.25, this verse speaks of 69 weeks, if you figure that out there, or 69 groups of seven years. I took a calculator and figured that out, but I've done it two or three times. That's 483 years. 483 years. So the starting point for these 483 years is seen in Nehemiah 2, 1 through 8, where the command of Artaxerxes for the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city was given. Now verse 26 of Daniel 9 says that This 483 years would culminate in the death of Christ or what it describes as Messiah being cut off. And the verse says that this will happen before the people of the prince, I believe that's the Romans, that shall destroy the city, that's Jerusalem, and the sanctuary, that's the temple. Look at verse 26 here. And after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off and not for himself and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary." Now Messiah was cut off. That was the crucifixion of Christ. The prince that came and destroyed the city and destroyed the temple, that was the Roman prince. Because that's the only time that it happened after Daniel's prophecy. Now here's an actual timetable for the coming of the Messiah. And the Messiah did appear when these prophecies said that he would. I want you to look at a New Testament reference. Look at Galatians chapter 4 and verse 4. I believe that sums up the fact that these Old Testament prophecies give us the time, a point in history when Christ would be born. Galatians 4, 4. But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law. All right, the second point that I would like us to consider The Old Testament Scriptures prophesied that Christ would be a prophet like Moses. Christ would be a prophet like Moses. Look at Deuteronomy 18, 15. Deuteronomy chapter 18 and verse 15. Now Moses is speaking to Israel here. First, verse 15. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee, Israel, a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me, unto him ye shall hearken. Now this is a prophecy of a person who would come after Moses and would be like Moses. Moses was a Jewish prophet. This coming prophet would be like Moses. He would be of Moses' brethren. Thus he would be a Jewish prophet. A prophet, what is a prophet? Most people think a prophet's a person that foresees the future. Well, that's not really the main part of being a prophet. That is a small part. A prophet is one who speaks for God. Like Moses, this coming prophet would communicate the very words of God to God's people. Now look at verse 19 there in Deuteronomy 18. God is speaking. And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto my words, which he, the prophet, shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. It would be incumbent on those listening to Moses that day to listen and all who came after them to listen to this prophet that God would send to them and God says he would require of them if they didn't listen to him. People in New Testament times recognized this prophet of whom Moses prophesied. They recognized him as the Messiah. Turn to John 121. Here John the Baptist was asked if he was that prophet, John 121. And they asked him, what then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? What prophet? The one that's prophesied in Deuteronomy 18. that prophet?" And he answered, no. So people in the New Testament recognized this was talking, this prophet was talking about the Messiah. Philip no doubt had this prophecy in Deuteronomy in mind. In John 1 45, look down the page at verse 45 there, Philip find that Nathanael and saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. They knew that was talking about the Messiah. Both Peter and Stephen asserted that Jesus Christ is this prophet. Look at Acts 3, 22 and 23. Acts 3, 22 and 23. Peter is preaching Christ here. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me. Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you, and it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people. So Peter knew and he preached that that was talking about Christ, that prophet. Now look at Acts 737 where we find Stephen's reference to this prophet. Acts 737. Stephen is rehearsing the history of Israel here and preaching Christ while doing so. This is that Moses which said unto the children of Israel, a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me, him shall ye hear. So Stephen recognized that Christ was that prophet. Jesus Christ is the one who speaks for God. revealing all of God's will to us, God's will especially concerning salvation from sin. Now turn to Matthew 17, 5. Matthew chapter 17 and verse 5. This is dealing with the transfiguration of Christ. And at this transfiguration, God the Father said this about Jesus Christ, this is my beloved son, hear ye him. He is the one who speaks the word of God, listen to him. Remember what the prophecy said, listen to this prophet. Next, the Old Testament prophesies that Christ would be born of a virgin and would be God in the flesh. Turn to Isaiah 714, that familiar passage that we read at least once a year, Isaiah 714, prophesies that Christ would be born of a virgin. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel. This prophecy is very significant. Was made 700 years before Christ was actually born. Matthew 121 through 23. tells us that Isaiah 714 was indeed a prophecy of the birth of Christ. Turn to Matthew 1, verse 21. It's amazing how the New Testament interprets the Old Testament. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet. It's talking about Isaiah, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us. Now then, if you reject Matthew's interpretation of Isaiah 714 in favor of the liberal so-called scholars today who deny Isaiah 714, that is to repudiate the inspired writings of Matthew in the New Testament. I mean, it repudiates the Old Testament inspired writings, too. But, you know, they claimed, well, we accept the words of Jesus. Well, here it says, His birth is a fulfillment of Isaiah 7, verse 14. Jesus Christ was different from every other person ever born into this world. All others fell in Adam. and thus they have natures that are ruined by sin. We can say tainted by sin. For the Lord Jesus to be born without the taint of sin, He needed to be born differently from all other men. This prophecy in Isaiah 7, 14 asserts the deity of the Messiah. The verse says that this virgin-born child would be named Immanuel, or God with us. Jesus Christ is Immanuel, God with us. God Himself manifests in the flesh. Jesus Christ is a man because He was born of a human mother. He is God because God is His Father. The virgin birth was essential to His being Emmanuel, God with us, because a holy God could never be united with a sinful human nature. Isaiah 9-6 goes on to prophesy that this coming Christ would be God in the flesh. Let's turn to Isaiah 9-6. Chapter 9 of Isaiah, verse 6, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince Now here the coming Messiah is given the names of Deity such as the Mighty God and the Everlasting Father or literally the Father of Eternity. This verse speaks of both natures, His human nature and His divine nature. A child is born, that speaks of His human nature A son is given. That speaks of His divine nature. The fact that it says a son is given speaks of the eternal sonship of Christ. The fact that He is eternally the Son of God by eternal generation. Now as a human child, he was born, but as the eternal son of God who already and eternally existed, he was given. God was not born, God was given. John 3.16 points this out when it says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. He had to be in existence in order for God to give him. Galatians 4.4 has a similar message, but when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son made of a woman. The birth of Jesus Christ was a complete identity of deity with humanity. This was the birth of God in human flesh, even though God cannot be born. That's the only way I can figure to say it. The wonder of all wonders is that in Jesus Christ, God became flesh and dwelled among us. Someone else has said the stammering words of this child were the words of the one who spoke all things into existence. The chubby hand that reached out to the Virgin Mary was the hand that holds this universe in its control. Those little arms that wrapped around his mother's neck were the everlasting arms that are underneath all things. Next, the Old Testament scriptures prophesy that Christ would be born at a particular place. look at Micah 5, 2. All these, of course, are Old Testament prophecies that we're looking at. Micah chapter 5, verse 2. Notice the place names here. though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been of old from everlasting." Now, here is the place of the Messiah's birth and it is revealed 700 years before Messiah was born. This prophecy is so clear that it was commonly known in Bible times that Christ would be born in this town. The scribes and chief priests, when asked by Herod where Christ would be born, quickly told him in Matthew 1, 4 through 6 that it would be at Bethlehem. Even those wicked scribes and Pharisees knew that prophecy, where the Lord would be born. This prophecy was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ, whom Matthew 2, 1 plainly says was born, quote, in Bethlehem, unquote. Being born in the small town of Bethlehem, His birth would be lowly and simple. You know, you think of great men being born in big cities, university towns, places where important people are. He was born lowly and simple and simply in the little town of Bethlehem. It was in an inconspicuous place because he was taking the form of a servant. Out of this small, inferior place, the prophecy says, is to go forth the one who is the God-man, the ruler of Israel. was the type of this. You know, Arthur W. Pink has a great big two-volume set of books on the life of David, and he points out, I don't know how many types of Christ can be seen in David. Well, David was a type of this particular thing. He came from the humble Bethlehem, a lowly shepherd of lambs, but he rose to be the shepherd of his people. Again, this verse asserts that Christ existed before his physical birth at Bethlehem. Look at the verse again, Micah 5, 2. But thou, Bethlehem, Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in Israel, here's the phrase, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. And this last phrase here can literally be translated, the places from which he goes forth are the days of eternity. That's a literal translation. So Christ came to this earth from dwelling in eternity. This prophecy, therefore, shows both Christ's deity and His humanity. His goings forth from everlasting reveals His eternal existence and thus His deity. There shall come forth, that is to be ruler in Israel, speaks of His human nature that was born. I'm hurrying trying to get through here. The Old Testament scriptures prophesied that Christ would have a great overall purpose in coming into this world. Let's turn to Daniel 9, 24 to 26. 70 weeks are determined upon thy people and upon the holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah, the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks, the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times, and after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself. So the great overall purpose for which Christ the Messiah would come into this world was to die on the cross for sinners. He was born to die. This prophecy in Daniel 9 lists four critical things that would be involved in the meaning of Christ's death. And this is really a survey of Christ's redemptive work. The first thing is to finish the transgression. Charles Spurgeon said that this means that in his death, transgression might reach its highest development and sign its own condemnation. The crucifixion of Christ was indeed the greatest crime, the most heinous sin ever committed. Sin reached its climax. in His death. Next, the prophecy says that the purpose of Christ coming to die was to make an end of sins. Sins with an S. Messiah would come to proclaim such a free, rich, and gracious pardon that when men receive it, sin virtually ceases to be. The man who is in Christ is delivered from all sin as far as its punishment is concerned. He's delivered so far from it, He's delivered to the point that He can boldly ask, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Then the third purpose of Christ coming to die, according to this prophecy, was to make reconciliation for iniquity. He came to end the strife between God and man by a great reconciliation. That is, he made peace between the two. In the blood atonement of Christ, God and man meet at a chosen meeting place. It is at the blood-sprinkled mercy seat where man may speak to God without fear. and god can speak to man without wrath by honoring the law in his life and in his death christ has made this glorious reconciliation you know god is angry with the wicked everyday and he hates all workers of iniquity but christ has reconciled god and man that is his people The fourth purpose in Christ's coming to die, according to this prophecy, was to bring in everlasting righteousness. I believe righteousness is one of, if not the favorite of my themes in all the Word of God, righteousness. In His life of perfect obedience to God's law and in dying on the cross, Jesus Christ accomplished or He brought in the righteousness that God will accept on behalf of sinners. This righteousness, when applied to believing sinners, makes them beautiful and accepted in the eyes of the Holy God. And this righteousness is an everlasting righteousness that can never be taken away from those who have it imputed or credited to their accounts. It will always be their beauty in the eyes of God. That's something to meditate on. The purpose for Christ coming into this world is summed up then in the prophecy in Daniel 9. So in conclusion then, the prophecies of the Old Testament outlined with precision the main elements in the coming of Christ the first time. He was born at a particular time in history, just before the destruction of the Jewish nation in 70 AD, and just as the prophecies had predicted. He was a prophet like Moses, a Jew who spoke and still speaks the words of God to men. He was born of a virgin at Bethlehem, was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and crucified at Calvary. And in his death there, he accomplished all of his prophesied purpose. Every one of the above Old Testament prophecies was literally fulfilled in Jesus Christ when He was born into this world 2,300 years ago. Christ coming into this world to die for sinners is the central theme of the Word of God. It is promised in the Old Testament. It is fulfilled in the New. The Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah point undeniably to Jesus Christ. A man's eternal destiny depends on his trusting this Christ. John 3.36 says, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. And he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. So I would ask you in closing this morning, are you trusting in this Christ today for the righteousness that a sinner must have to be acceptable to God. I urge you to do so if you have not. Next time, the Lord willing, we'll consider Christ the Lamb of God in John 129. Christ the Lamb of God in John 129. Let's stand together for our closing prayer. Brother Royce, would you please lead us as we pray? Our gracious Heavenly Father, we come before you once again thanking you for this time that we have to come to open up thy word and to study a portion of it. We do thank you for further justice, for the message that you have brought, and help us, Father, may have some understanding.