The Hope for the Messiah

GOLDEN TEXT: “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, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”—Isaiah 9:6

SOME of the prophecies pertaining to the coming of the Messiah to bless Israel and the whole world refer to his first advent, while others apply to his second advent. Our Golden Text embraces both, for it tells of the birth of Jesus and also of the worldwide government which he will establish.

The various titles which this text ascribes to the Messiah indicate the wide scope of work which will come under his jurisdiction during the thousand years of his kingdom reign. As frequently the great ones of earth hold more than one office in a government, so Jesus as the representative Head of that “one government” which he will establish, will be to the people a “Counsellor,” “The mighty God,” the “Father” who will give everlasting life, and the “Prince of Peace.” What a wonderful Ruler he will be!

EZEKIEL 34:11-16, 22-31—In this comforting prophecy we have a description of God’s blessings upon his people Israel following their restoration to his favor at the end of the present age. God promises that then he will “set up one shepherd over them, … even my servant David.” He further explains that then David shall be a “prince” over the Israelites.

There are two possible viewpoints as to what is meant in this prophecy. In some instances the name David is used to symbolize Christ as the new King of earth. But it is also true that when this prophecy is being fulfilled the beloved David of old will have been raised from the dead, and will have been made one of the “princes in all the earth.” (Psalm 45:16) That David is here referred to as a “prince” may indicate that in this case he is the one actually referred to.

But the important fact set forth in the prophecy is that there shall then be “showers of blessing” upon Israel; and those blessings will of course also fall upon the Gentiles—“all the families of the earth” who come into harmony with the righteous laws of that time. It is in this prophecy also that we are assured “the earth shall yield her increase.” Then the Lord will make with Israel and all nations a “covenant of peace”—an evident reference to the foretold “new covenant.”—Jer. 31:31-34

DANIEL 7:13, 14—In this prophecy of Daniel 7, we are given a preview of four universal empires which were to rule the earth by divine authorization, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar. They are depicted as four ferocious beasts; the first representing Babylon; the second, Medo-Persia; the third, Greece; and the fourth, Rome. The authorization of these same four empires is shown by the image which King Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream—the dream which was interpreted by Daniel. See Daniel 2:24-45.

To the king of Babylon Daniel said, “Wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath He given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler of them all. Thou art this head of gold.” (Dan. 2:38) It is well to note that according to Daniel an important part of the symbolism of the image is the fact that God had given a dominion to Babylon. This also applied to the three succeeding empires.

It is interesting to observe that when the dominion is taken away from the fourth beast it is not given to another, but destroyed. (Dan. 7:26) The One to whom the dominion of earth is then given is described as “One like unto the son of man.” This, however, is not a transfer to Jesus of the dominion given to the four humanly-constituted empires. That was merely an interim arrangement until he came “whose right it is.”

ZECHARIAH 9:9, 10—Verse 9 of this prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus when he rode into the city of Jerusalem on a young ass, and was acclaimed as king by the people. On that occasion Jesus said that if the people did not “shout” the very stones would cry out, for the prophecy had to be fulfilled. That was merely a prophetic token of the worldwide acclamation which will be extended to Jesus when his dominion is recognized from “sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.”—Verse 10

ZECHARIAH 12:10—Here we have portrayed the repentant attitude of the Israelites when they at last recognize and accept their Messiah. Not until this foretold time will they enter into the fullness of the divine blessings promised for them in the prophecies. Until then, God will continue to reign over them in his “fury.”—Ezek. 20:33

ZECHARIAH 13:1—How wonderfully reassuring are the promises of God to Israel as well as to all the world! Repentance alone would not restore sinners to God’s favor unless he had first of all provided a “fountain” for their cleansing. And this he his done. That fountain, wholly adequate for the sin and uncleanness of all nations, is the blood of Christ. Through this fountain alone will the people of the next age be cleansed and made ready for acceptance by God and for the inheritance of their lost dominion.

QUESTIONS:

When will the prophecy of Ezekiel 34:23-28 be fulfilled?

At what point in the divine plan is the dominion of earth given to Jesus?

When was the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9,10, fulfilled?

When will the Israelites repent of their sin, and what provision has been made for their reconciliation?

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