Peter tells us that the Old Testament prophets often didn't really know what they were writing as they foretold the future, inspired by the Spirit.
"Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spokeof the grace that was to come to you,searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow." I Peter 1:10 - 11
One who may have wondered more than others was probably Zechariah. Writing 500 years before Christ, his book is a mixture of words being fulfilled at that time, words to be fulfilled in the next couple of centuries, words about our Lord's coming and words about days that are still in the future. The challenge for believers of all centuries has been to sort out which words were about which time.
Fortunately, Matthew wrote the most "Jewish" of the four Gospels. He often quotes or references Scripture and quotes Jesus quoting Scripture. When reading through Zechariah, if you are familiar with Matthew's Gospel, you notice numerous statements that Matthew indicates were fulfilled in Christ. Fulfilled prophecy is very significant, one of the internal proofs for inspiration. In the case of the following quotes, I note them because while Zechariah was fully aware of what he prophesied, I am pretty sure He would not have been able to tell you how when or by whom the following words would be fulfilled. But the Spirit knew and so He inspired Zechariah to write.
Would he, could he have guessed that the following words all refer to what happened to one Man, the Messiah, in the last week of his life? Note that these passages are scattered among several chapters in Zechariah. Three are referenced in Matthew and one in John.
"Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." Zech. 9:9 (Matt. 21:5)
"And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord." Zech. 11:13 (Matt. 27:9,10)
"They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son." Zech. 12:10 (John 19:37)
“Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the Lord Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones." Zech. 13:7 (Matt. 26:31)
Thank you Lord for inspired Scripture. Thank you Lord for our Saviour.
"Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spokeof the grace that was to come to you,searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow." I Peter 1:10 - 11
One who may have wondered more than others was probably Zechariah. Writing 500 years before Christ, his book is a mixture of words being fulfilled at that time, words to be fulfilled in the next couple of centuries, words about our Lord's coming and words about days that are still in the future. The challenge for believers of all centuries has been to sort out which words were about which time.
Fortunately, Matthew wrote the most "Jewish" of the four Gospels. He often quotes or references Scripture and quotes Jesus quoting Scripture. When reading through Zechariah, if you are familiar with Matthew's Gospel, you notice numerous statements that Matthew indicates were fulfilled in Christ. Fulfilled prophecy is very significant, one of the internal proofs for inspiration. In the case of the following quotes, I note them because while Zechariah was fully aware of what he prophesied, I am pretty sure He would not have been able to tell you how when or by whom the following words would be fulfilled. But the Spirit knew and so He inspired Zechariah to write.
Would he, could he have guessed that the following words all refer to what happened to one Man, the Messiah, in the last week of his life? Note that these passages are scattered among several chapters in Zechariah. Three are referenced in Matthew and one in John.
"Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." Zech. 9:9 (Matt. 21:5)
"And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord." Zech. 11:13 (Matt. 27:9,10)
"They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son." Zech. 12:10 (John 19:37)
“Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the Lord Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones." Zech. 13:7 (Matt. 26:31)
Thank you Lord for inspired Scripture. Thank you Lord for our Saviour.
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