In a previous post “Revealed Apologetics Interview on The Old Testament & the Philosophy of Evidence” among the things talked about with the Old Testament as the worldview lens which we interpret the action of Jesus as being the Messiah is how environment/geography gives us clues that Jesus is the Messiah.
I want to give further details with that.
The Old Testament is very specific about where the Messiah would be born, where he would live at and where would he do his ministry and where the Messiah would provide the sacrifice. All these are not in the same location but rather they are scattered in different province, towns and cities and even different countries. So the probability of anyone trying to pretend to be the Messiah by living at these different sites gets rather narrow. Plus there are some things with the location that a person humanly cannot control such as where one is born.
Here’s the details:
Birth: Bethlehem
Micah 5:2
“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His times of coming forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.””
The Divine Messiah is talked about here, notice the one coming forth is a ruler and is “from the Days of Eternity.” Bethlehem is a small town. This is very specific, a pinpoint “GPS” accuracy. It is in the region of Judah.
Youth’s upbringing: Egypt
Hosea 11:1
“When Israel was a youth I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.”
There’s a lot of debate whether this is prophecy. The best discussion I have ever heard making the case canonically is from Gregory Beale, see here. Note Egypt is a different country than where Bethlehem is located at.
Ministry: Galilee
Isaiah 9:1-2
“But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He will make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.”
This is Messianic since this mentioned “Light” which is one of the title of the Messiah. Also in the same chapter in Isaiah 9:6 it is clear that it is talking about the Messiah being born. Here the Messiah would do ministry work in Galilee, which is a different than the province of Judah (where the Messiah is to be born at) and a different “country” than Egypt (where the Messiah in His youth is suppose to grow up at). Notice also the passage talk about the Jordan river and other side of Galilee He would minister at, where non-Jews live at (Gentiles).
Sacrificial Death: Jerusalem
Genesis 22:12
“And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”“
In context this is where Abraham offered Isaac to be sacrifice and it is a Messianic type pointing to the Messiah. See The Scriptural Road of Emmaus: Messianic Types and Prophecies. Here the location at Mount Moriah is where later the city of Jerusalem would be built. Thus the substitutionary sacrifice the Lord will provide is in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a different town than Bethlehem (where the Messiah is to be born at) and a different “country” than Egypt (where the Messiah in His youth is suppose to grow up at) and a different province than Galilee (where the Messiah would do ministry at).
Taken all together its incredible the geographical diversity, pin point accuracy of the location and what the Messiah would be doing in each location.
With these details only One person fulfilled that: Jesus Christ.
Trust in Him as Savior of your sins today, place your faith alone in Him.
The Providence of God is so amazing!
Amen it is so amazing!! Aren’t you amazed at how many ways the Bible is self-evidencing? It is multidimensional!!
🙌🙌🙌 God is always faithful to His Word!
Amen He truly is!!!
My mother’s bible has maps. Thanks for updates. Been in hospital with Congestive Heart falilure. God’s still working. Thank you for holdine me up in God’s Will. In prayer for You and Yours also.
Please know I have been praying without knowing this and will now continue to pray for you Bonnie!!
Thank you my Precious Grand.
God is great and prophecy is so revealing.
Shalom!
Good points about these locations: “So the probability of anyone trying to pretend to be the Messiah by living at these different sites gets rather narrow. Plus there are some things with the location that a person humanly cannot control such as where one is born.”
Thanks for reading this!! I think the prophecies are so amazing!!!
Thanks for this tidy summary of three geographic prophecies that Jesus fulfilled, Pastor Jim. As Frank has stated above, these prophecies narrow the field for anyone claiming to be a messiah.
Thanks for reading this!!! The prophetic information gets more incredible the more we understand the Bible, doesn’t it??
You’re welcome.
It sure does, Pastor Jim!
This is so great, Jimmy! Thank you for sharing this! I am really looking forward to your teaching tomorrow!!!
Aww thanks! Did you finishing the assignment with IsT? There’s some guys in my Saturday afternoon study that really like that book lol
That book is brutal to be completely honest. It is also interesting that Van Til is an apologist more than a systematic theologian, but the discussion that he has between ST and Apologetics is more either/or rather than both/and. What have you been reading in your personal time if I may ask?!
Thanks for these excellent examples of OT Messianic prophecy involving specific geography. These are Biblical proofs that Jesus is the undisputed Messiah.
Amen: “ These are Biblical proofs that Jesus is the undisputed Messiah.” The Bible both OT and NT is so amazing. Did you get much rest yesterday?
Yup, got some good couch time yesterday! Couldn’t mow the lawn yesterday because it rained most of the day. Hope to cut it today after it rained this AM.
[…] The Geographical Details of Old Testament’s Messianic Prophecies — The Domain for Truth […]
I did know about three of the prophecies but never considered the details of where they are located with respect to one another. This is quite incredible once more know about the geography.
[…] 6.) The Geographical Details of Old Testament’s Messianic Prophecies […]
Migdol Eder was another location that potentially points to Jesus’ birthplace (often translated as “tower of the flock”) read Micah 4:8 specifically but the entire section is considered messianic prophecy.