Prophetic Profile Luke 24-13-27
“The Amazing Fulfilment of Prophecy”
Pastor Jack Anderson
Introduction. A principle that needs to be
kept in mind as we study the precious “word of God” is that
all Prophecy centres in the person of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God.
Therefore we must never divorce a truth
from the One who is the Truth. God has set His Son
before men and He ever says to them, “ I am the way the Truth
and the Life”
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and
truth.
Everything that is said to be truth
has got to be tested against Jesus Christ who is the Truth.
For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
1. The Definition of Prophecy
Prophecy is the telling forth of the mind and
will of God. Insight and foresight are both involved in prophecy.
2. The Dimensions of Prophecy
Prophecy forms the major part of the scriptures.
One third of the Bible is prophetic. Prophecy is history written
in advance. It is God’s way of telling us what will happen
in the future.
Therefore the believer must not be ignorant
of the prophetic word if he is to be useful and effective
in the service of God.
Prophecy, studied and understood, will have
a profound effect in the soul, and will produce a deep concern
and a real compassion for souls. We will learn to plead with
God, as Abraham pleaded for the cities of the plain.
3. The Disclosure of Prophecy
Prophecy is a proof of deity, because God alone
knows the end from the beginning. God, alone, holds the key
of all that is unknown.
Amazingly, God discloses to us His plans and
purposes for planet earth. In Gen 18 The Lord said,” shall
I hide from Abraham what I am going to do”.
When Jesus met the two downcast disciples on
the Emmaus road Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all
the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures
the things concerning himself.
There are several important chapters in the
scriptures, which are bas to the study of Prophecy.
Genesis 10 and 11 show the framework of the
earth as divided into nations.
Genesis 12 Introduces us to the history of
the man called Abraham.
God's intent is to recover the nations of earth
through Abraham and his seed, and recover them for blessing. This
will be fulfilled when the millennium is ushered in.
Deuteronomy 32. This chapter contains a concise
but complete history of the nation of Israel from the time
of their bondage in Egyptto the peace and prosperity of Immanuel's
Land. The roots of prophecy are to be found in this chapter.
The ways of God through the ages of time can
only be clearly understood if careful study is given to the
key chapters in the Bible. Then we can see THE AMAZING FULFILLMENT
OF PROPHECY
Bible Prophecy has two main streams. There
is prophecy, which relates to the first Advent of Christ and
there is prophecy, which relates to His Second Advent.
The Lord implies this in Luke 24:26 When He
says to the sorrowful disciples
Luke 24:26 “Ought not Christ to have
suffered these things, and to enter into his glory”?
1. THE LORD
REFERRED TO HIS PREDICTED SUFFERING
The Sufferings of Christ speak of His first
Advent when He the Lamb of God would offer himself as the
perfect sacrifice for the sin of the world.
John 1:10 He was in the world, and the
world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
When Jesus identified who He was--the Son of
God--the response was not a welcome recognition, it was Crucifixion
on mount Calvary.
He was despised and rejected by men! Israel
failed to recognize her Messiah and saw no beauty in Him that
they should desire Him. They cried out “crucify Him we shall
not have this man to rule over us”.
2. THE LORD
REFERRED TO HIS PREDICTED GLORY
Ought not Christ to have suffered these
things, and to enter into his glory”? (His majesty and
His Splendour)
God the Father has highly exalted His Son to
the highest place that heaven affords; angels bow down before
Him all heaven worships and adores Him.
But this same Jesus is coming again to display
His power and glory and to establish His earthly kingdom and
on that day.
Hab 2:14 the earth shall be filled with
the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover
the sea.
Sing we the king who is coming to reign
Glory to Jesus the Lamb who was slain
Life and salvation His Empire shall bring
Joy to the nations when Jesus is KING
As we take a look at prophecy, we must keep
in mind that, before ever the Bible was given to man, God
had a plan, and we must remember it is to that foreordained
plan that He is working.
The Prophet Isaiah wrote by divine inspiration:
Isa 46. Remember the former things of
old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and
there is none like me, Declaring the end from the
beginning, and from ancient times the things that
are not yet done, saying,
My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my
pleasure: I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass;
I have purposed it, I will also do it.
Here is a tremendous statement. Nowhere in
the writings of mortal man can anything like it be found.
The claims are supernatural, and therefore, they can apply
to none other than God Himself.
He declares Himself to be the self-existent,
eternal, sovereign, uncreated One, declaring the end from
the beginning.
Where has God declared the end from the beginning?
He has told it clearly on the pages of the
Holy Scriptures. Holy men of God, guided by the Holy Spirit,
wrote of great world events centuries before they were to
come to pass. If the prophecies were not in the Bible, the
remainder of the Book would be meaningless.
1. Prophecy that was fulfilled at His First
Advent
The first ray of light and hope to come to
the world immediately after the fall of man was the promise
of a Redeemer who would be “the seed of a woman”
Gen 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.
This first prediction is the primary prophecy
of the entire Word of God. It is the first promise to fallen
man it is the first proclamation of the Gospel and the evidence
of covenant Grace.
It is first in a chain of Messianic prophecies
that prefigure Christ’s birth, life, death and resurrection.
1. THE SEED OF THE WOMAN
was bruised at His heel and what a terrible bruising it was
on Mount Calvary. Gen 3:15
But Christ will finally bruise the serpent’s
head at His second advent, inflicting a mortal wound that
will win the war over all that is evil.
Jesus will one day destroy all of Satan’s power
at the final defeat of the antichrist and in the last days
deliver a wound to Satan’s head that can never be healed.
Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children
are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise
took part of the same; that through death he might destroy
him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Secondly the Promised Saviour would not only
be the Seed of a woman, He would be THE SEED OF ABRAHAM
The Jewish nation began with Abraham when God made this
promise to Him.
Gen 12:2 And I will make of thee a great
nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great;
and thou shalt be a blessing:
Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless
thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall
all families of the earth be blessed.
God promised to bless Abraham Personally, Nationally
and Universally; these promises have been fulfilled in Abraham’s
seed—His seed being Jesus Christ.
Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed
were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of
many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
- THE SEED OF THE WOMAN
- THE SEED OF ABRAHAM
- THE SEED OF DAVID.
God made a covenant promise to king David what
is known as the Davidic Covenant.
2 Sam 7:16 And thine house and thy kingdom
shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall
be established for ever.
Psa 89:3 I have made a covenant with my
chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Psa 89:4 Thy
seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne
to all generations. Selah.
To see the fulfillment of these promises and
pledges, which God made in the Old Test economy we have only
to turn to Mat 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem
of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came
wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Mat 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born
King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and
are come to worship him.
Look at verse 2- Where is he that is born.
The Seed of the Woman (Humility)
Where is he that is born King
The Seed of David (Royalty)
Where is he that is born King of the Jews
The Seed of Abraham (Nationality)
Is it not amazing how prophecy relating
to the first advent of Christ has been so wonderfully fulfilled?
God gave a sign to the house of David
Isa 7: 14 Behold, a virgin shall conceive,
and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
In Luke ch 1 The Birth of Christ was announced
to Mary.
Luke 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive
in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name
JESUS.
Luke 1:32 He shall be great, and shall
be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall
give unto him the throne of his father David:
Not only was His birth predicted, where the
redeemer would come from was also predicted.
Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah,
though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet
out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler
in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from
everlasting.
The amazing fulfillment of Prophecy relating
to the birth of Christ was literally fulfilled.
Prophecy that was fulfilled at His First
Advent
Prophecy that was fulfilled at His Birth
Prophecy that was fulfilled at His Death
To Israel the Paschal Lamb foreshadowed the
Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world in Exo
12 John 1:29; John say” Behold the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sin of the world”.
The Apostle Paul--1 Cor 5:7 Purge out therefore
the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.
For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:
The Apostle Peter--1 Pet 1:18 Forasmuch
as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,
as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by
tradition from your fathers;19 But with the precious blood
of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
To Israel in the wilderness the serpent
of brass lifted upon a pole Num 21:8, 9 typified the lifting
up of Christ upon the cross
John 3:14 Jesus said- And as Moses lifted
up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of
man be lifted up:
The events leading up to the cross where prophesied
and then literally fulfilled.
1. He would enter Jerusalem on a
colt.
Zech 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of
Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King
is coming to you; he is just and having salvation, lowly
and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. (NKJ)
This was fulfilled in Luke 19:35 They brought
a colt to Jesus and cast their garments upon the colt and
they set Jesus on the colt.
2. He would be Betrayed by a Friend.
Psa 41:9 Yea, mine own familiar friend,
in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted
up his heel against me.
This was fulfilled when Judas betrayed Christ.
The one whom I kiss is the one you are looking for. When Judas
had kissed Jesus, the Lord then said to Judas “do what you
came for”
3. He would have His Hands Pierced
Christ was also the smitten Rock Num 20:11
Psa 22:16 For dogs have compassed me:
the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced
my hands and my feet.
Luke 23:33 And when they were come to
the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified
him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the
other on the left.
4. He would be Cruelly Beaten by
His Enemies
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions,
he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our
peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Mat 27:26 Then released he Barabbas unto
them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to
be crucified.
5. He would be Silent Before His
Accusers
Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was
afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as
a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers
is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Matt 27 this prophecy was fulfilled when the
chief priests and elders accused Jesus-- and He answered them
not a word.
6. He would be Crucified with Thieves
Isa 53:12 Therefore will I divide him
a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil
with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto
death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he
bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Mat 27:38 Then were there two thieves
crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on
the left.
The Prophetic teaching, about His sufferings
on the cross as the sacrificial lamb was fulfilled precisely
as recorded by the prophets.
In the Old Testament we find that the daily
sacrifice, which prefigured Christ as the sacrificial Lamb
of God, was in two parts.
The Morning Sacrifice, which was offered
on the third hour of the day—9,o’clock our time.
The Evening Sacrifice — which was offered
on the ninth hour of the day –3 o’clock our time. From 9
in the morning until three in the afternoon was precisely
the time that Jesus hung on that old rugged cross.
He offered himself to God as the lamb without
spot or blemish, fulfilling and bringing to an end the Levitical
ritual of sacrifices that could never remove sin.
When Jesus cried with aloud voice He said –“Father,
into Thy hands I commend my spirit, and having thus said He
gave up the ghost”.
This was the precise moment that the priest
was in the holy place sprinkling the blood upon the altar.
When suddenly something very strange happened!
The veil that separated the holy of holies
from the rest of the temple, was rent from top to bottom by
an unseen hand; thus signifying that a new and living way
was now open into the very presence of God.
Heb 10: 19, 20 Having therefore, brethren,
boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated
for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
We have now full freedom and confidence to
enter into the holy of holies by the power and the virtue
of the Blood of Jesus.
Calvary’s mournful mountain climb
There in worship at His feet
Mark the miracle of time
God’s own sacrifice complete
It is finished hear Him cry
It was for you he had to die.
The amazing prophecy relating to His death was literally
fulfilled.
Prophecy that was fulfilled at His Birth
Prophecy that was fulfilled at His Death
Prophecy that was fulfilled at His Resurrection
Paul said to Timothy
2 Tim 2:8 Remember that Jesus Christ
of the seed of David was raised from the dead according
to my gospel:
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is
the heart of Christianity and the corner stone of our faith,
for Jesus was delivered for our offences, and was raised again
for our justification.
The resurrection is God’s receipt that man’s
debt of sin has been paid in full. It is also the Seal of
the full authority of Jesus Christ as the Universal judge
of men.
Acts 17:31 Because he hath appointed
a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness
by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given
assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from
the dead.
The Lord prophesied His bodily resurrection.
When He cleansed the Temple John 2:18-22
Then the Jews demanded of him, What miraculous
sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?
Jesus answered them, Destroy this temple,
and I will raise it again in three days.
The Jews replied, It has taken forty-six
years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it
in three days?
They thought that he was speaking of the edifice
in which they were gathered. But the temple he had spoken
of was his body.
Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days
and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son
of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the
earth.
The temple of His body was dissolved in the
hour of His death, but on that wonderful resurrection morning
He took it up again as He had said.
Death could not keep its prey! He arose from
the grave with a mighty triumph over His foes! He arose the
victor from the dark domain and He lives forever with His
saints to reign.
Thank God we can say, because of literally
fulfilled prophecy, “I know that my Redeemer liveth”
He lives Triumphant from the Grave
He lives eternally to save
He lives all glorious in the Sky
And he is coming by and by (Glory to the Lamb of God)
Oh for a fresh glimpse of the risen Lord! That
we night know Him in the power of His resurrection for this
would transform our outlook, revolutionize our lives, expand
our coasts, and multiply our fruitfulness.
Prophecy that was fulfilled which related to
God’s Covenant people Israel
We now tale a broader view of prophecy. In
Gen 13:14.15 The Lord promised Abraham that his descendants
would possess the land of Canaan forever.
Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place
where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and
westward:
For all the land which thou seest, to thee
will I give it, and to thy seed forever.
Gen 15 The Lord set the boundaries of the
land when He made a covenant with Abraham
Gen 15:18 In the same day the LORD made
a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given
this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river,
the river Euphrates:
God’s promise cannot be broken. Despite major
dispersions and exiles from the Promised Land, God has always
brought His people back and He always will.
In Gen 15 :13-16 The Lord predicts the slavery
of the Israelites in Egypt He also stated that they would
remain there for 400 years, after which they would return
to the land of promise with great possessions.
This was fulfilled in Exod12:40 Now the
sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt,
was four hundred and thirty years.
Exod 12:41 And it came to pass at the
end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame
day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went
out from the land of Egypt.
Moses records that the exodus occurred on the
very day that God said it would. The Abrahamic covenant was
initiated 430 years earlier. This is an amazing fulfilment
of prophecy that underscores the accuracy and the infallibility
of God’s unerring word of truth.
Then came the Babylonian exile when Nebuchadnezzar
carried the children of Israel into captivity and among the
captives was Daniel. After some considerable time Daniel
discovered, from reading the Prophet Jeremiah that his people
would return to their homeland, when seventy years had been
accomplished in Babylon.
They had now been 68 years in captivity. There
was just two years to go, so Daniel gave himself to prayer—asking
God to prepare the hearts of the people for their return to
the homeland. Two years later there was the beginning of
the amazing return of the exiles to their land.
A recovery that took part in three stages under
the guidance of Zerubbael, Ezra, and Nehemiah.
But even more remarkable in Isa 45 God identified
the king whom He would use to perform His will—100years before
he was born. Cyrus would issue the decree, which would
release God’s chosen earthly people from the captivity of
Babylon after 70 years in exile
Today Israel is returning from her dispersion
among the Nations, to the land, which God promised to His
servant Abraham.
Isa 11:11 And it shall come to pass in
that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second
time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be
left,
Isa 11:12 And he shall set up an ensign
for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel,
and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four
corners of the earth.
Israel is now a nation among the nations of
the world and has survived as such, even though her enemies
continually seek to destroy her.
Israel is in the land of her fathers and soon
God will bring His people from the four corners of the earth
to resettle in the Promised Land.
Then all the land will be completely restored
to them, when Christ returns again. Israel will posses the
total area of the land of promise, as given under God’s unconditional
covenant to Abraham.
Israel will be converted. Rom 11:25 For
I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this
mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that
blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness
of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be
saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the
Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Israel will then experience great prosperity
and God will judge those nations who oppressed Israel.
We read all of this in Deuteronomy 30, which
is known as the Palestian Covenant, a restatement of the Covenant,
which God made to Abraham
The promises in the covenant have been partially
and literally fulfilled and will be completed when the King
of Kings, the Messiah returns at His Second Advent.
Then you will remember it was while he was
in Babylon that Daniel received the vision of the seventy
weeks. Each week symbolises an important time measure a period
of seven years.
The prophecy of the seventy weeks is essential
to a proper understanding of the unfolding of end time events.
This prophecy provides an outline of history
from the time the command was given to rebuild the walls of
Jerusalem to the coming of the Messiah and the final establishing
of His Kingdom.
The focus of this prophecy is firmly fixed
on the Jews and on the holy city. Jerusalem.
Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined
upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression,
and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for
iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and
to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most
Holy. (KJV)
The Beginning of the seventy weeks is fixed
when the decree went forth in 445bc that authorised the rebuilding
of the city. This project took 49 years – 7 weeks of years
to complete. This prophecy was literally fulfilled and is
recorded in Neh 2: 1-8
From this date, as a beginning, a total of the
first 69 weeks—or 483 Biblical years reached to ”the Messiah
Prince”
Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand,
that from the going forth of the commandment to restore
and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall
be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks:
Daniel prophesied that the Messiah would come
and a careful calculation reveals that exactly 483 Biblical
years after Daniel’s prophecy in 444BC, Jesus Christ entered
Jerusalem through the eastern gate and presented Himself to
Israel as their promised Messiah.
But they rejected Him. According to Daniel’s
prophecy at the end of the 69 weeks the Messiah would be cut
off.
Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two
weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:
The sixty-nine weeks of Daniel’s prophecy was
precisely fulfilled because just a few days later, Jesus Christ
the Messiah was cut of and crucified on the cross. But He
rose from the grave and ascended to heaven to await His second
advent.
The seventieth week of Daniel’s prophecy has
yet to be fulfilled. This last week covers the seven-year
tribulation period at the end times.
This final week of years will culminate with
the tyranny of the Antichrist, the terror of great tribulation,
and the mark of the beast. Wars, and times of desolations
will continue until the end of the age.
When Israel rejected the Messiah, at the conclusion
of the sixty-nine weeks, God’s prophetic clock for Israel
stopped ticking and He postponed Israel’s promised kingdom
for a period, and ushered in the dispensation of Grace to
reach the Gentiles.
Israel’s rejection of her Messiah led ultimately
to the reconciling of the Gentiles, because of their acceptance
of salvation through the atonement of Christ on the cross.
During the interval, between Daniel’s sixty-ninth
and seventieth weeks, God, in His great love and mercy, has
instituted an edifice that He calls the Church.
He has called and commissioned His Church to
witness to the world, His great offer of Salvation. It is
not the business of the church to adapt Christ to men, but
men to Christ.
To His Church He has made some wonderful promises
that He is fulfilling and will fulfil to the glory of His
Name.
Mat 16:18 I will build my church; and
the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
The triumphant Christian does not fight for
victory; he celebrates a victory already won. Only by desertion
can we be defeated. With Christ and for Christ victory
is certain.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we
are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
The Lord has also given to His Church the Promise
of His coming to take her home to heaven
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself;
that where I am, there ye may be also.
Christ intends to present His church to the
Father someday "without spot or blemish" made perfect
by the precious blood of the Lamb of Calvary.
CONCLUSION
The Amazing fulfillment of Prophecy
1. Should encourage us to study the prophetic
word that we might seek to know the mind of God
2. That we, might have light, on the pathway
of the future.
2 Pet 1:19 We have also a more sure word
of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as
unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day
dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
3. That we might have Comfort and Hope
Dr. Wilbur M. Smith suggests that there are
three different attitudes one may take toward the future.
The first is indifference, the second is
fear and the third is hope.
No intelligent person would take the first,
no one needs to be ensnared in the second, but all can possess
the third.
There is comfort and hope for all believers
who love and study the Bible.
The Apostle wrote,
For whatsoever things were written a foretime
were written for our learning, that we through patience
and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope (Romans 15:4).
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