Prophetic Lit: Seeing Jesus
Jul. 21 2008
Turns out that Jesus is a major Old Testament character. See ‘Jesus needs’ in passages that point out our need for a savior. See ‘Jesus types’ in passages that give us pictures of a future savior.
Americans don’t like old things (unless they are ‘vintage’ but that’s a different article). Old things are usually worn out and dusty and out of style.
But Old Testament should be different. It may be old, it may be less understood, but it was breathed out by God just as the New Testament was. With the principles I mentioned in the first article and the principles I mention here I want to help you dig into the Old Testament.
Last time I mentioned that Jesus was most important ‘interpretative consideration’ in understanding the Old Testament. This is not something I’m making up, it is something that Luke reported to us from a well known gospel scene with Jesus and a couple of disciples,
“And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” Luke 24:25-27 (ESV)
Jesus rebuked the two disciples bound for Emmaus precisely because they didn’t understand the Old Testament and couldn’t see the risen savior in its pages. As you walk with the Savior, can you see him in the prophets or are you ‘slow of heart’ too?
Dr. Bryan Chapell gives us some very helpful handles when he writes about the Bible:
“In its context, every passage possesses one or more of four redemptive foci. Every text is predictive of the work of Christ, preparatory for the work of Christ, reflective of the work of Christ, and/or resultant of the work of Christ.”
Jesus Needs
The Prophets then are either directly predicting Christ or preparing for the coming of Christ. Prediction is much easier to see. We don’t have to wonder much about Malachi’s (3:1) “Messenger” or Isaiah’s (7:14) “Immanuel” or Zechariah’s (9:9) “King.” The prophets are about more than straight prediction—much more. It is a mistake to read them without a basic grasp of the context. So how do the prophets prepare for the coming of Christ as they deliver prophetic oracles that seem to have nothing to do with the Savior?
That is a question quite a bit more complex and harder to tackle in a short article. The Prophet’s role was to call the people back to a faithful relationship with their loving God. The Messiah was to be the protypical responder and fulfiller—he both spoke for God and took the place for fallen humanity. So, when reading OT prophets you can ask questions like:
_How does this passage show mankind’s need for a substitute?
_In what ways did Jesus obey in his life that the original recipients did not?
_How would the promise of the coming Christ solve this problem?
Jesus Types
Another way to see Christ in Old Testament prophets is through typology. “Types” are people or symbols that foreshadow the future coming of Jesus Christ. Two important ‘types’ of Christ in the Old Testament Prophets are David and the temple. For example, when we see the presence of the Lord leaving the temple (and the nation) in Ezekiel we can ask the question: How is the work of Christ the answer here? We could say that because Christ has taken the place of the temple and now by his spirit takes up residence in our hearts we know that he will ‘never leave us or forsake us.’ Proceed with caution! Interpreting the prophets can be complex and will take a lifetime of study. Check your interpretations with good books, other Christians you respect and your pastors. Biblical interpretation is not meant to be a solo act.
So you read, you’ll find that the prophets speak to us even today. Properly interpreted you’ll find that their voices anticipate and point to God’s great prophet, Jesus Christ. Listen close enough and you’ll hear him in the prophets too.
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This article is part two of a two part series on reading Prophetic Literature. Read part one.
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The Author
Rich Richardson is senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Gilbert, Arizona.
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