The Messiah in Old Testament, Apocrypha and Dead Sea Scrolls Quiz

Study Notes

The Messiah in the Old Testament, Apocrypha, and Dead Sea Scrolls

The Old Testament, Apocrypha, and Dead Sea Scrolls contain prophecies of a coming messiah, who Christians believe is Jesus Christ.

Context and Meaning of Messiah

The term "Messiah" comes from the Hebrew word for "anointed one", translated to Greek as "Christos", hence "Jesus the Christ".
In Judaism and Christianity, the term has a special meaning, referring to a divinely appointed figure.
In the Old Testament, prominent officials were anointed, such as Samuel anointing Saul and David.

Old Testament Prophecies

There are over 300 messianic prophecies in the Old Testament.
The Old Testament is a foundation for the New Testament, foretelling the coming of Jesus and realized in the New.

Torah and Historical Books

Messianic prophecy is sparse in the Old Testament historical books, but some key references include:
- The messiah will come out of Judah.
- The messiah will battle with Satan (the serpent).
- The messiah will have both priestly and kingly roles.
- The messiah will be a latter day Moses.

The Psalms and Job

The Psalms contain messianic prophecy, including:
- The messiah will be a Redeemer and live on earth.
- The messiah is God's son and divine.
- The messiah will suffer at the hands of his detractors.
- The messiah's priestly authority is through the order of Melchizedek, not the Levites.
- The messiah will be rejected by some of his own people.

The Prophets

The major and minor prophets provide numerous messianic references, including:
- The messiah will be the final judge and part of the end times.
- The messiah will bring peace to believers and a sword to nonbelievers.
- The messiah will usher in a new era of peace and tranquility.
- The divine messiah will become incarnate, born of a virgin (or a young woman).
- He will reign on David's throne forever.
- He will be preceded by a messenger (Elijah, according to Malachi).
- He will bring salvation to the Gentiles.
- He will bear the sins of many and be severely persecuted.
- He will perform miracles.
- He existed before becoming incarnate.
- He will be present at the end times.
- He will come up out of Egypt.

Characteristics of the Messiah

Combining the lists from the three sections of the Old Testament, the characteristics of the messiah include:
- Coming out of Judah.
- Battling with Satan.
- Having both priestly and kingly roles.
- Being a latter day Moses.
- Being a Redeemer and living on earth.
- Being God's son and divine.
- Suffering at the hands of his detractors.
- Having priestly authority through the order of Melchizedek.
- Being rejected by some of his own people.
- Being the final judge and part of the end times.
- Bringing peace to believers and a sword to nonbelievers.
- Ushering in a new era of peace and tranquility.
- Becoming incarnate, born of a virgin (or a young woman).
- Reigning on David's throne forever.
- Being preceded by a messenger (Elijah, according to Malachi).
- Bringing salvation to the Gentiles.
- Bearing the sins of many and being severely persecuted.
- Performing miracles.
- Existing before becoming incarnate.
- Being present at the end times.
- Coming up out of Egypt.

Apocrypha

The Apocrypha refers to a collection of books written in the InterTestamental period (and into the 1st century).
The messiah described in 2 Esdras is remarkably similar to the Christian concept of the messiah, including:
- Being God's son.
- Dying at one point, but being present during the end times.
- Coming from the line of David.
- Being the final judge of the ungodly.

Dead Sea Scrolls

Many older Bible manuscripts, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, contain messianic prophecies and references.

Description

Test your knowledge about prophecies of the coming messiah in the Old Testament, Apocrypha, and Dead Sea Scrolls, with a focus on the belief that Jesus Christ is the divine Messiah. Explore how the Gospel writers presented Jesus as the fulfillment of these prophecies.