In the Old Testament, there are many incidents, which the later New Testament writers applied to Christ.
For example:
1. The Birth of The Christ.
In the history of Israel, this prophecy (Isaiah 9) was given at the time the Assyrian army was poised to attack Israel.
About Isaiah 9 the KJV Bible commentary, writes, This chapter opens with ... the coming of the child Immanuel who, though He is not named as such in this chapter, is obviously the Child that is to be born and shall rule upon the throne of David. In the interpretation of this passage, three basic positions have historically been taken by commentators: (1) That Immanuel is the Messiah; (2) that He is a Person living in the prophet’s own day; and (3) that He is somehow both.
It appears very obvious that Isaiah meant a child in his own time frame, if, for no other reason, than because in the preceding and following chapters he writes about events that were current in his day.
Why would he suddenly, and without notice, speak of an event that will happen about seven hundred years later, and then, without saying so, revert back to his own time? However, that bit of historical fact does not keep Matthew and Luke from applying Isaiah's prophecy to Christ. Matthew 4:14-15 and Luke 1:79.
Isaiah chapter 9, deserves a post of its own, and I will try to get to that soon.
2. Christ on David's throne.
the Child that is to be born ... shall rule upon the throne of David. Through deceit, on Rebbecca's part, Isaac blessed Jacob in place of his first-born, Esau. This was such an important issue that Esau, a grown man and a wild hunter, wept bitter tears. (Heb. 12:17 TLB.) when he realized what had happened.
Later, when it was time for Jacob to bless his grandsons, Manasseh and Ephraim, Joseph placed his sons, in front of Jacob, in such a way that Jacob's right hand would be on Manasseh's head, (to receive the major blessing), and his left hand on Ephraim's head (for the lesser blessing). Jacob, however, crossed his arms and placed his right hand on the head of Ephraim, Joseph's younger son, and Ephraim received the greater blessing. Is it possible that these two events were portents of a much later event in the life of Christ?
Notice this:
In Jeremiah 31:9 Jehovah says, Ephraim is My firstborn. Historically, this is not true. Manasseh was born before Ephraim was, and, adding to the genealogical problem, Joseph's sons were far from the first of Jacob's grandsons. How could Jeremiah than have Jehovah say, Ephraim is My firstborn?
We remember that Joshua was of the tribe of Ephraim. We also know that Joshua is the Hebrew name for the Greek name, Jesus. Perhaps the Lord was saying that Ephraim, the ancestor of Joshua represents Jesus since Jesus Christ is Jehovah's firstborn; that he (Jesus) might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. Rom. 8:29.
Jesus Christ, is of the line of David, and David, of course, was born before Christ was, so actually, David should inherit the throne, but he does not, rather it is Christ that inherits that throne. Was this reversal already foreshadowed in the aforementioned actions of Isaac and Jacob? According to genealogy David should have inherited the throne which Christ has inherited.
3. The Old Testament Tabernacle.
The tabernacle for the Israelites was meticulously built according to blueprints. Much of it was decorated with gold. There was a curtain which separated the holy place from the most holy place. There was another curtain which kept all non-Israelites out of the tabernacle proper.
The writer of the Book of Hebrews makes much of the comparison between the Israelite tabernacle and the new mode of worship brought by Christ. He wrote, Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who ... is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. Heb. 8:1-6.
In the Book of Matthew, we read that when Christ died the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. Mat. 27:51. That was the veil that kept the gentiles out of the actual tabernacle. Now those of us who are not Jews also have the opportunity to enter the holy place. This, however, is not the same holy place that the Jews visited for so many years. The writer of Hebrews points out many of the marked improvements in the new tabernacle.
He (Christ) has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as:
1. He is also Mediator of a better covenant,
2. which was established on better promises.
3. I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts;
4. I will be their God, and they (the Gentiles) shall be My people. ...
5. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
4. Isaac, the son of promise.
Abraham was 99 years old when he received the promise that he would become the father of a great nation. On hearing this, Abraham stepped right in with some advice which he thought the Lord might find helpful; he told the Lord how this could be arranged so that it could actually be possible.
Abraham said, I don't know if You were aware of this, but, I already have a son. Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You! He is now 13 years old, he would be a good choice, and this would make it possible for You to keep Your promise.
Then God said: Enough of that kind of nonsense, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. An Egyptian woman will not be the mother of My chosen race. An illegitimate offspring of Abraham was not the son of promise, but Isaac was.
Those of us who have accepted Christ as our Redeemer are now the children of promise. Paul wrote, Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. Gal. 4:28. Abraham's "theology" needed to be set straight. An illegitimate son would never do!
Many people's theology is also all screwed up! They will try so many different ways to become children of promise; things such as attending church regularly to please Jehovah; giving to the poor to buy salvation; making themselves suffer hardships or inconveniences as if these things somehow impress the Lord.
5. Our Lord is now seated.
The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Psalm 110:1. This is the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament. It is one of the "kingpins" on which the false doctrine of the Trinity hangs.
Vernon McGee writes You could not in any way consider this psalm and still deny His (Christ's) deity. Further down he writes, This is an equal speaking to an equal. This is God speaking to God, if you please. ... When folk say that the Bible does not teach the deity of Jesus, they are not acquainted with this section of the Word of God, I can assure you. J. Vernon McGee, in, Thru the Bible commentary.
However, in contradistinction, we note that, Traditionally in Judaism, the name (Jehovah) is not pronounced but read as Adonai. However in Psalm 110:1, in the Hebrew meaning we note that it says, Jehovah said to my Lord, where the word Lord is Adoni. This is what the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia says about the distinction. The singular form is Adoni, "my lord" a royal, non-Deity title (1 Sam. 29:8), and is to be carefully distinguished from the divine title ADONAI used of Yahweh only.
This verse ... tells us that the relationship between God and Jesus is that of Deity and non-Deity. The Messiah is called adoni (my lord) and in every one of its 195 occurrences adoni (my lord) means a superior who is not God. Adonai on the other hand refers exclusively to the One God in all of its 449 occurrences. Adonai is the title of Deity and adoni never designates Deity. Focus on the Kingdom.
Mr McGee and his fellow Trinitarians should be more careful not to mix up the name Jehovah and the name Christ, which in the Hebrew tongue is easy to do; Adonai (Jehovah) as against Adoni (Christ). Psalm 110 does not say that Christ is divine!
