[YTM] 10.0 Prophecies Concerning the Person and Nature of the Messiah

Throughout the Old Testament, God progressively revealed the identity and mission of the promised Messiah. The following Scriptures outline His lineage, character, divine nature, and redemptive purpose.

1. The Seed of the Woman

Genesis 3:15

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

From the beginning, God declared that the Messiah would come as the Seed of the woman, who would ultimately crush the serpent’s head—signifying victory over sin and Satan.

2. The Seed of Abraham

Genesis 22:17–18

“That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”

This prophecy reveals that the Messiah would come from the lineage of Abraham, through whom all nations of the earth would be blessed.

3. A Prophet from Among Israel

Deuteronomy 18:18

“I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.”

Here, God promised to raise up a Prophet like Moses—a Jew from among Israel—through whom God’s words would be spoken to His people.

4. The God-Man

Isaiah 9:6

“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, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

This prophecy reveals that the Messiah would be both fully human (“a child is born”) and fully divine (“The mighty God”)—a true God-Man.

5. Born of a Virgin

Isaiah 7:14

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

The Messiah would be born of a virgin, signifying a miraculous birth. His name “Immanuel” means “God with us.”

6. The Righteous King from David’s Line

Jeremiah 23:5–6

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Thus, the Messiah would be a King from the line of David, reigning in righteousness and justice.

7. Endowed with the Sevenfold Spirit

Isaiah 11:2

“And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.”

The Messiah would be anointed with the sevenfold fullness of the Spirit, perfectly equipped for divine wisdom, power, and holiness.

8. The High Priest and the Servant

Zechariah 3:8–9

“For behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch… and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.”

Here, the Messiah is portrayed as both the Servant and the High Priest, who would atone for sin in a single, decisive act.

9. The Anointed Preacher and Deliverer

Isaiah 61:1–2

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek… to proclaim liberty to the captives… and the day of vengeance of our God.”

The Messiah’s ministry would include proclaiming good news, healing the brokenhearted, freeing captives, and bringing divine comfort.

10. The Humble King

Zechariah 9:9

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”

He would enter Jerusalem as a humble and righteous King, offering salvation.

11. The Light to the Gentiles

Isaiah 49:6

“It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob… I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.”

The Messiah’s mission would extend beyond Israel—to be a light for the Gentiles, bringing God’s salvation to all nations.

12. Betrayed for Thirty Pieces of Silver

Zechariah 11:12–13

“So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver… and I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.”

This prophecy foretold the betrayal of the Messiah for thirty pieces of silver.

13. The Suffering Servant

Isaiah 53:1–12

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief… He was wounded for our transgressions… with his stripes we are healed… the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Isaiah describes the Messiah as the Suffering Servant—innocent, sinless, and willing to bear the sins of many, offering Himself as a sacrifice for humanity’s redemption.

14. The Son of Man and Everlasting King

Daniel 7:13–14

“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven… and there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him.”

Here, the Messiah is revealed as the Son of Man who will rule over an everlasting kingdom that shall never be destroyed.

15. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords

Isaiah 2:1–5

“In the last days… the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established… and all nations shall flow unto it… for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem… nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”

This prophecy looks forward to the Messiah’s reign of peace and justice—a time when all nations will walk in the light of the Lord.

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The Nature and Necessity of the Messiah

The Savior of humanity must be both God and Man—fully divine and perfectly human, without sin.
In the Old Testament, animal sacrifices symbolized this truth: the offering had to be physically perfect. Likewise, the Messiah had to be morally perfect—without sin—so that He could offer Himself as a blameless sacrifice for humanity.

If He were not sinless, He would need to die for His own sin.
Thus, the true Messiah must be:

• Fully God, to pay the infinite penalty for sin.
• Fully Man, to represent humanity before God.

Only such a One could bear the full penalty of sin—death and separation from God—and overcome it through His own righteousness and resurrection.