Movement 1, part 2 of 3 · 10 prophecies

The Identity

from The Lineage, the Identity, and the Birth

Who the one to come would be: the Son begotten of God, the firstborn, the Son of Man of Daniel, the Anointed, the child called Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, whose goings forth are from eternity — and the name he would bear.

'Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee'

God declares the anointed king his Son, and promises David's heir 'I will be his father, and he shall be my son'; the Father's voice at the Jordan and Tabor, and the apostolic preaching, apply this to Jesus.

Psalm 2:7 is quoted as messianic in Sukkah 52a. Critics observe that 'son of God' can denote the Davidic king or Israel; the New Testament reads the title of a unique, divine sonship. Proverbs 30:4 ('what is his son's name?') is a traditional rather than primary citation.

God's firstborn, highest of the kings of the earth

God promises to make David's heir his firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth; Paul and John call Christ the firstborn of all creation and the prince of the kings of the earth.

Psalm 89:27-28 is applied to the Messiah in Shemot Rabbah 19 (Edersheim, Appendix IX).

One like a Son of Man receives an everlasting kingdom

Daniel sees one like a son of man brought before the Ancient of Days and given everlasting dominion; Jesus takes 'Son of Man' as his own title and claims this vision before the Sanhedrin.

Sanhedrin 98a reads Daniel 7:13 of the Messiah (coming on the clouds if Israel is worthy, lowly on an ass if not); the Targum takes the 'son of man' of Psalm 80:17 as King Messiah. Luke 1:33 ('of his kingdom there shall be no end') echoes Daniel 7:14.

The Anointed One (Messiah, Christ)

The prophets and psalms speak of the Lord's Anointed, a prince to come; Andrew announces 'we have found the Messias', and the apostles preach Jesus as the Christ whom God anointed.

'Messiah' (Hebrew mashiach) and 'Christ' (Greek christos) both mean 'anointed'. Daniel 9:25-26 is the only Old Testament text to use 'Messiah' absolutely of a coming prince.

A child is born: Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, Prince of Peace

Isaiah foretells a child born to us upon whose shoulder the government rests and whose names are divine; the angels' 'peace on earth' and Gabriel's 'he shall reign for ever' announce his birth.

The Targum expressly applies Isaiah 9:6 to the Messiah; some Jewish readings attach the divine names to God as the one naming the child, or refer the oracle to Hezekiah. The Vulgate reads 'Father of the world to come'.

The Messiah addressed as God: 'Thy throne, O God' and 'the Lord our Justice'

The royal psalm addresses the anointed king as God, and Jeremiah names the Davidic Branch 'the Lord our Justice'; the New Testament applies these to Christ, who is called God and made our justice.

Psalm 45 is treated as messianic throughout in the Targum; Jeremiah 23:5-6 is 'Messiah the Just' in the Targum and Baba Bathra 75b. Some render Psalm 45:6 'thy throne is God's' or 'thy divine throne'; Hebrews follows the Septuagint's direct address.

His goings forth are from of old, from the days of eternity

The Bethlehem ruler's origins are from eternity, and the Lord begets him 'before the day-star'; John and Paul proclaim the Word who was with God in the beginning and is before all things.

'From the womb before the day-star I begot thee' is the Septuagint/Vulgate of Psalm 110:3; the Hebrew reads differently ('from the womb of the morning, the dew of thy youth'). Pesachim 54a counts the Messiah's name among things created before the world, citing Psalm 72:17. Proverbs 8 was read of the Son's eternal generation by Athanasius against the Arians.

The Dayspring from on high, the Sun of Justice

Malachi promises the Sun of Justice rising with healing, and the Septuagint names the Branch 'the Rising'; Zechariah's canticle hails the Dayspring from on high visiting those in darkness.

Greek anatole in Luke 1:78 means both 'sunrise' and (in the Septuagint of Zechariah) 'Branch'; commentators take the sunrise sense as primary with the Branch as a deliberate echo. Malachi 4:2 is applied 'until Messiah comes' in Shemot Rabbah 31; the Targum reads the morning light of 2 Samuel 23:4 of the Messiah.

'Behold, thy Saviour cometh' — named Jesus

The prophets announce that Zion's Saviour comes and that the earth will bud forth a Saviour; the angel commands the name Jesus ('the Lord saves') because he will save his people from their sins.

Isaiah 62:11 and 45:8 read 'Saviour' (Salvator) in the Vulgate and Septuagint where the Hebrew has 'salvation'; Zechariah 9:9 'just and a saviour' (Vulgate) is 'saved/victorious' in the Hebrew. Matthew 1:21 echoes Psalm 130:8.