Having seen that there are prophecies in the Old Testament that say that God would have a body and have flesh, we will now look at some more prophecies which pertain to the incarnation and birth of the Word of God. We will look at the ones that say that He would be born of a virgin.
The clearest prophecy of the virgin birth of the Word of God can be found in the seventh chapter of Isaiah. There, it says:
And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; is it a little thing for you to contend with men? And how do ye contend against the Lord? Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Emmanuel. Butter and honey shall He eat, before He knows either to prefer evil or choose the good. For before the Child shall know good or evil, He refuses evil, to choose the good; and the land shall be forsaken which thou art afraid of because of the two kings. (Isaiah 7:13-16, LXX)
The corresponding Hebrew word for virgin in this passage is almah. An almah is an unmarried woman who may or may not be a virgin. In the Septuagint, the word translated virgin is parthenos. A parthenos can be nothing else but a virgin. It says in this passage that the Lord shall give a sign to the house of David. The sign is that a virgin will give birth to a Child. Well, if a woman were to give birth to a child she had conceived after having sexual intercourse with a man, that would not be very significant. That is how women usually get pregnant. (Some women today become pregnant by artificial insemination. In ancient times, that practice was unheard of.) On the other hand, if a woman were to get pregnant without having had sexual intercourse with a man and without having been artificially inseminated with a man's semen, that would truly be a sign. The word, sign, in this passage is another word for miracle.
Also, in this passage, it says:
For before the Child shall know good or evil, He refuses evil, to choose the good. (Isaiah 7:16, LXX)
The Birth of Christ. This is a painting by an unknown South German painter. Photo: courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
How many sinless babies have you seen? Most of them cry and whine. When they get a little older, they start demonstrating the vices of selfishness and jealousy. In this prophecy, this Child would be sinless. He would refuse evil and choose good before He had mentally developed a concept of good and evil. This aspect of the Child points to the His divine origin.
The two kings in this passage are Herod the Great and Archelaus. (St. Matt. 2:13-23) Joseph, Mary, and Jesus left Judea and lived in Egypt because Herod was killing babies. Later, after Herod's death, they returned to Judea, but did not stay long because Archelaus was king then. They went to Galilee and resided there. The land of Judea was forsaken by Joseph, Mary, and Jesus because of the two kings, Herod the Great and Archelaus.
Another prophecy of the virgin birth of Christ is found in Genesis. In the third chapter, it says:
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed, He shall watch against thy head, and thou shalt watch against His heel. (Gen. 3:16, LXX)
The seed of the woman is Jesus Christ who was born of a virgin. The serpent is the devil. The enmity is between Christ and Satan.
Another prophecy of the virgin birth is found in I Chronicles. In the 17th chapter God made a promise to David.
And it shall come to pass when thy days shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy bowels, and I will establish His kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will set up His throne for ever. I will be to Him a father, and He shall be to Me a Son: and My mercy will I not withdraw from Him, as I withdrew it from them that were before thee. And I will establish Him in My house and in His kingdom for ever; and His throne shall be set up for ever. (I Chronicles 17:11-14, LXX)
The Greek word translated "bowels" in this passage is the word, koilia. Koilia means either belly or womb. Usually, whenever children are mentioned as being offspring of a man, the Scriptures refer to them as the fruit of the loins. Here, it says that David's seed shall be of his belly or womb, not of his loins. The offspring of a womb is called the fruit of the womb. In St. Luke's Gospel, St. Elizabeth said to the Virgin Mary:
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb (Greek, koilia). (St. Luke 1:42)
This passage also speaks of David's seed as having a kingdom that lasts forever. It could not have been talking about David's son Solomon. After he died, his kingdom became split into two parts and later both parts ceased to exist as kingdoms altogether.
Another prophecy of the birth of Christ is also found in Isaiah. It is in the ninth chapter.
For a Child is born to us, and a Son is given to us, whose government is upon His shoulder: and His name is called the Messenger of Great Counsel, Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty One, Potentate, Prince of Peace, Father of the Age to Come: for I will bring peace upon the princes, and health to Him. His government shall be great, and of His peace there is no end: it shall be upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to establish it, and to support it with judgment and with righteousness, from henceforth and forever. The seal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this. (Isaiah 9:6,7, LXX, Alexandrian text)
Here, it also says that His kingdom will last forever.
In the Gospels, we read:
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name JESUS. 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: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end. (St. Luke 1:30-33)
Here, the Archangel Gabriel has told the Virgin Mary that her Child, Jesus, will receive the throne of King David and rule over the house of Jacob forever and there shall never be an end to His kingdom.
During the early first century, Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea and Herod Antipas was King of Galilee. Jesus Christ was eventually put on trial before Pontius Pilate. Pilate asked Him, "Art Thou the King of the Jews?" (St. John 18:33) Then, Jesus answered, "Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of Me?" (St. John 18:34) Then, we read:
Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered Thee unto me: what hast Thou done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is My kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto Him, Art Thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice. (St. John 18:35-37)
Here, Jesus claims to have a kingdom and does not deny that He is a king. He says that His kingdom is not an earthly kingdom.
Some other prophecies in the Psalms about the birth of this king are the following.
The Lord sware in truth to David, and He will not annul it, saying, Of the fruit of thy body will I set a king upon thy throne. (Psalm 131:11, LXX)
But I have been made king by Him on Sion His holy mountain, declaring the ordinance of the Lord: the Lord said to Me, Thou art My Son, today have I begotten Thee. Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the ends of the Earth for Thy possession. Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces as a potter’s vessel. (Psalm 2:6-9, LXX)
The Lord said to my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, until I make Thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send out a rod of power for Thee out of Sion: rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies. With Thee is dominion in the day of Thy power, in the splendours of Thy saints: I have begotten Thee from the womb before the morning. The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedec. (Psalm 109:1-4, LXX)
St. Paul interpreted the words, "Thou art My Son, today have I begotten Thee," to be referring to the birth of Christ.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son? And again, when He bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him. (Heb. 1:1-6)
Notice in the passage from Hebrews that I have quoted that it says: "And let all the angels of God worship Him." This is a quotation from Deuteronomy 32:43 in the Septuagint. The complete verse is:
Rejoice, ye heavens, with Him, and let all the angels of God worship Him; rejoice ye Gentiles, with His people, and let all the sons of God strengthen themselves in Him; for He will avenge the blood of His sons, and He will render vengeance, and recompense justice to His enemies, and will reward them that hate Him; and the Lord shall purge the land of His people. (Deut. 32:43, LXX)
In the Hebrew it says:
Rejoice, O ye nations, with His people: for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance to His adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to His people. (Deut. 32:43)
There is much that is in the Septuagint that is not found in this verse taken from the Masoretic Hebrew. St. Paul used the Septuagint.
When I think of this passage saying, "Let all the angels of God worship Him," I am reminded of the story of Christ's birth in Bethlehem found in St. Luke's Gospel.
It says that the angels sang praises to God on the night of Christ's birth.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men. (St. Luke 2:4-14)
In previous blogs I have already shown that Jesus Christ claimed to be God. So, if Jesus truly is God, then the angels were worshipping Him on the night of His birth.
We can also see in this passage from St. Luke's Gospel a fulfillment of the words in Psalm 109:
I have begotten Thee from the womb before the morning. (Psalm 109:3, LXX)
Here, it was prophesied that the birth of the Priest-King, namely, the Christ, would be "before the morning." The angels appeared to the shepherd after the birth of Jesus Christ. The shepherds were "keeping watch over their flock by night. " (St. Luke 2:8)
In the 109th Psalm, it also says that the Christ would be a priest after the order of Melchisedec. Melchisedec (also spelled Melchizedek) was a priest-king who brought bread and wine and blessed Abraham. Abraham paid tithes to him. (Gen. 14:18-20) Jesus established the Sacrament of the Eucharist on the night before He was crucified. In the Sacrament of the Eucharist, bread and wine are used. (St. Matt. 26:26-28; St. Mk. 14:22-24; St. Luke 22:17-20; I Cor. 11:23-26)
I think that the account of Christ's birth in Bethlehem is instructive, too. Bethlehem is a name derived from the Hebrew which means "house of bread." The Virgin Mary placed her Son in a manger. A manger is used for feeding animals. That symbolically indicates that Christ is food. In St. John's Gospel, Jesus said:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life. I am that Bread of Life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the Bread which cometh down from Heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the Living Bread which came down from Heaven: if any man eat of this Bread, He shall live for ever: and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this Man give us His flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. (St. John 6:47-55)
So, before He instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist, He talked about it. He claimed that He is the Bread and Wine of the Eucharist. Melchisedec used bread and wine in his priestly ministration. Jesus uses bread and wine, too, but, unlike Melchisedec, He provides us with His flesh and blood under the appearance and form of Bread and Wine. I will discourse more about the Eucharist in a later blog, but for now I will continue on with the prophecies of Christ. I would like, however, to leave my readers with this to think about. It is a verse from Psalm 33 (corresponds with Psalm 34 in the Hebrew).
Taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man who hopes in Him. (Psalm 33:8, LXX)
Steve
The clearest prophecy of the virgin birth of the Word of God can be found in the seventh chapter of Isaiah. There, it says:
And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; is it a little thing for you to contend with men? And how do ye contend against the Lord? Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Emmanuel. Butter and honey shall He eat, before He knows either to prefer evil or choose the good. For before the Child shall know good or evil, He refuses evil, to choose the good; and the land shall be forsaken which thou art afraid of because of the two kings. (Isaiah 7:13-16, LXX)
The corresponding Hebrew word for virgin in this passage is almah. An almah is an unmarried woman who may or may not be a virgin. In the Septuagint, the word translated virgin is parthenos. A parthenos can be nothing else but a virgin. It says in this passage that the Lord shall give a sign to the house of David. The sign is that a virgin will give birth to a Child. Well, if a woman were to give birth to a child she had conceived after having sexual intercourse with a man, that would not be very significant. That is how women usually get pregnant. (Some women today become pregnant by artificial insemination. In ancient times, that practice was unheard of.) On the other hand, if a woman were to get pregnant without having had sexual intercourse with a man and without having been artificially inseminated with a man's semen, that would truly be a sign. The word, sign, in this passage is another word for miracle.
Also, in this passage, it says:
For before the Child shall know good or evil, He refuses evil, to choose the good. (Isaiah 7:16, LXX)
The Birth of Christ. This is a painting by an unknown South German painter. Photo: courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
How many sinless babies have you seen? Most of them cry and whine. When they get a little older, they start demonstrating the vices of selfishness and jealousy. In this prophecy, this Child would be sinless. He would refuse evil and choose good before He had mentally developed a concept of good and evil. This aspect of the Child points to the His divine origin.
The two kings in this passage are Herod the Great and Archelaus. (St. Matt. 2:13-23) Joseph, Mary, and Jesus left Judea and lived in Egypt because Herod was killing babies. Later, after Herod's death, they returned to Judea, but did not stay long because Archelaus was king then. They went to Galilee and resided there. The land of Judea was forsaken by Joseph, Mary, and Jesus because of the two kings, Herod the Great and Archelaus.
Another prophecy of the virgin birth of Christ is found in Genesis. In the third chapter, it says:
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed, He shall watch against thy head, and thou shalt watch against His heel. (Gen. 3:16, LXX)
The seed of the woman is Jesus Christ who was born of a virgin. The serpent is the devil. The enmity is between Christ and Satan.
Another prophecy of the virgin birth is found in I Chronicles. In the 17th chapter God made a promise to David.
And it shall come to pass when thy days shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy bowels, and I will establish His kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will set up His throne for ever. I will be to Him a father, and He shall be to Me a Son: and My mercy will I not withdraw from Him, as I withdrew it from them that were before thee. And I will establish Him in My house and in His kingdom for ever; and His throne shall be set up for ever. (I Chronicles 17:11-14, LXX)
The Greek word translated "bowels" in this passage is the word, koilia. Koilia means either belly or womb. Usually, whenever children are mentioned as being offspring of a man, the Scriptures refer to them as the fruit of the loins. Here, it says that David's seed shall be of his belly or womb, not of his loins. The offspring of a womb is called the fruit of the womb. In St. Luke's Gospel, St. Elizabeth said to the Virgin Mary:
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb (Greek, koilia). (St. Luke 1:42)
This passage also speaks of David's seed as having a kingdom that lasts forever. It could not have been talking about David's son Solomon. After he died, his kingdom became split into two parts and later both parts ceased to exist as kingdoms altogether.
Another prophecy of the birth of Christ is also found in Isaiah. It is in the ninth chapter.
For a Child is born to us, and a Son is given to us, whose government is upon His shoulder: and His name is called the Messenger of Great Counsel, Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty One, Potentate, Prince of Peace, Father of the Age to Come: for I will bring peace upon the princes, and health to Him. His government shall be great, and of His peace there is no end: it shall be upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to establish it, and to support it with judgment and with righteousness, from henceforth and forever. The seal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this. (Isaiah 9:6,7, LXX, Alexandrian text)
Here, it also says that His kingdom will last forever.
In the Gospels, we read:
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name JESUS. 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: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end. (St. Luke 1:30-33)
Here, the Archangel Gabriel has told the Virgin Mary that her Child, Jesus, will receive the throne of King David and rule over the house of Jacob forever and there shall never be an end to His kingdom.
During the early first century, Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea and Herod Antipas was King of Galilee. Jesus Christ was eventually put on trial before Pontius Pilate. Pilate asked Him, "Art Thou the King of the Jews?" (St. John 18:33) Then, Jesus answered, "Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of Me?" (St. John 18:34) Then, we read:
Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered Thee unto me: what hast Thou done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is My kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto Him, Art Thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice. (St. John 18:35-37)
Here, Jesus claims to have a kingdom and does not deny that He is a king. He says that His kingdom is not an earthly kingdom.
Some other prophecies in the Psalms about the birth of this king are the following.
The Lord sware in truth to David, and He will not annul it, saying, Of the fruit of thy body will I set a king upon thy throne. (Psalm 131:11, LXX)
But I have been made king by Him on Sion His holy mountain, declaring the ordinance of the Lord: the Lord said to Me, Thou art My Son, today have I begotten Thee. Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the ends of the Earth for Thy possession. Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces as a potter’s vessel. (Psalm 2:6-9, LXX)
The Lord said to my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, until I make Thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send out a rod of power for Thee out of Sion: rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies. With Thee is dominion in the day of Thy power, in the splendours of Thy saints: I have begotten Thee from the womb before the morning. The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedec. (Psalm 109:1-4, LXX)
St. Paul interpreted the words, "Thou art My Son, today have I begotten Thee," to be referring to the birth of Christ.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son? And again, when He bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him. (Heb. 1:1-6)
Notice in the passage from Hebrews that I have quoted that it says: "And let all the angels of God worship Him." This is a quotation from Deuteronomy 32:43 in the Septuagint. The complete verse is:
Rejoice, ye heavens, with Him, and let all the angels of God worship Him; rejoice ye Gentiles, with His people, and let all the sons of God strengthen themselves in Him; for He will avenge the blood of His sons, and He will render vengeance, and recompense justice to His enemies, and will reward them that hate Him; and the Lord shall purge the land of His people. (Deut. 32:43, LXX)
In the Hebrew it says:
Rejoice, O ye nations, with His people: for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance to His adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to His people. (Deut. 32:43)
There is much that is in the Septuagint that is not found in this verse taken from the Masoretic Hebrew. St. Paul used the Septuagint.
When I think of this passage saying, "Let all the angels of God worship Him," I am reminded of the story of Christ's birth in Bethlehem found in St. Luke's Gospel.
It says that the angels sang praises to God on the night of Christ's birth.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men. (St. Luke 2:4-14)
In previous blogs I have already shown that Jesus Christ claimed to be God. So, if Jesus truly is God, then the angels were worshipping Him on the night of His birth.
We can also see in this passage from St. Luke's Gospel a fulfillment of the words in Psalm 109:
I have begotten Thee from the womb before the morning. (Psalm 109:3, LXX)
Here, it was prophesied that the birth of the Priest-King, namely, the Christ, would be "before the morning." The angels appeared to the shepherd after the birth of Jesus Christ. The shepherds were "keeping watch over their flock by night. " (St. Luke 2:8)
In the 109th Psalm, it also says that the Christ would be a priest after the order of Melchisedec. Melchisedec (also spelled Melchizedek) was a priest-king who brought bread and wine and blessed Abraham. Abraham paid tithes to him. (Gen. 14:18-20) Jesus established the Sacrament of the Eucharist on the night before He was crucified. In the Sacrament of the Eucharist, bread and wine are used. (St. Matt. 26:26-28; St. Mk. 14:22-24; St. Luke 22:17-20; I Cor. 11:23-26)
I think that the account of Christ's birth in Bethlehem is instructive, too. Bethlehem is a name derived from the Hebrew which means "house of bread." The Virgin Mary placed her Son in a manger. A manger is used for feeding animals. That symbolically indicates that Christ is food. In St. John's Gospel, Jesus said:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life. I am that Bread of Life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the Bread which cometh down from Heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the Living Bread which came down from Heaven: if any man eat of this Bread, He shall live for ever: and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this Man give us His flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. (St. John 6:47-55)
So, before He instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist, He talked about it. He claimed that He is the Bread and Wine of the Eucharist. Melchisedec used bread and wine in his priestly ministration. Jesus uses bread and wine, too, but, unlike Melchisedec, He provides us with His flesh and blood under the appearance and form of Bread and Wine. I will discourse more about the Eucharist in a later blog, but for now I will continue on with the prophecies of Christ. I would like, however, to leave my readers with this to think about. It is a verse from Psalm 33 (corresponds with Psalm 34 in the Hebrew).
Taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man who hopes in Him. (Psalm 33:8, LXX)
Steve
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