5 Old Testament Prophecies Answered in the New Testament Through Christ

December 1, 2018

Bible scholars estimate that more than 350 Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled by the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The prophecies were intended to give God’s people hope and to help them identify their Savior. They still serve that purpose today. Let’s take a look at a few of the answered prophecies that have special relevance in this Advent season.

Prophecies of Jesus

The first passage in each of the following pairs is the Old Testament prophecy. The second passage is its New Testament fulfillment.

All people will be blessed through Abraham’s descendants.

“I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 12:3

“You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”
Acts 3:25-26

The kingdom of David will last forever.

“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”
2 Samuel 7:12-13

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.
Matthew 1:1

A virgin will give birth.

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”
Luke 1:30-35

The Christ child will be born in Bethlehem.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be 
Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
From 
everlasting.”
Micah 5:2

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

Matthew 2:1-6

The Messiah will dwell in Egypt.

“When Israel was a child, I loved him,
And out of Egypt I called My son.”
Hosea 11:1

When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt,  and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
Matthew 2:14-15

Related Articles

The Shepherds in the Nativity

As we reflect on the significance of this season we should be inspired, challenged, and encouraged by what we find at the nativity.  Read More

The Christmas Story Teaches Us to Wait Well

The experience of waiting for Christmas as children was good exercise for us. Waiting builds trust, patience, and faith while we wait on God’s perfect will. Read More

Leadership Lessons from the Nativity

The beauty of Christmas is that it’s a profound message, yet so simply given. Three ordinary objects from the Christmas story offer profound lessons in... Read More

Sign Up for the Latest Blog Posts from Thomas Nelson





By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from HarperCollins Christian Publishing (501 Nelson Place, Nashville, TN 37214 USA) providing information about products and services of HCCP and its affiliates. You may unsubscribe from these email communications at any time. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at yourprivacy@harpercollins.com.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *