Yeshua Hamashiach or Jesus the Messiah, commonly known as Jesus Christ (from Greek meaning "the Anointed One") was a Jewish carpenter and teacher. Believers universally regard Him as the Messiah, Lord, and God.
According to the New Testament, He lived 33 years, died on the cross, resurrected after three days (witnessed by 500+ people), and ascended to Heaven. He offers salvation to believers and promised a second return to establish His kingdom for 1,000 years.
Jesus's historical existence is widely verified by modern historians and ancient sources. The New Testament was written approximately 400 years after the Old Testament. This article demonstrates the undeniable presence of Jesus in the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). Passages cited use the New King James Version translation.
The article establishes five key points:
- The Old Testament mentions the Son of God
- There is a coming Messiah or Anointed One as per the Old Testament
- The Messiah is the same as the Son of God
- The Son of God came to earth in human form in His first coming, but was not recognized
- The Son of God will return in His future Second Coming
- The Messiah, the Son of God, points to none other than Jesus Christ
God declared His Son as His Anointed One in the Book of Psalms chapter 2
The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed. (Psalms 2:2)
Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion. (Psalms 2:6)
I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.' (Psalms 2:7)
Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. (Psalms 2:8)
Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. (Psalms 2:11)
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. (Psalms 2:12)
This passage provides clear instruction to place trust in God's Anointed One—His Son.
A virgin will give birth to a son who will be called Immanuel (God with Us)
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)
In Hebrew, Immanuel means "God with us." This was fulfilled in Luke 1:35 when Mary, a virgin, conceived and bore Jesus Christ.
The Father and Holy Spirit sent the Son
Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst, says the Lord. (Zechariah 2:10)
Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. (Zechariah 2:11)
Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord God and His Spirit Have sent Me. (Isaiah 48:16)
The passage indicates the Lord was sent by the Lord God and His Spirit, existing from the beginning—an eternal quality impossible for angels or humans.
The Messiah will bear the sins of men as a "Suffering Servant"
Isaiah 53 (quoted in full) describes a figure who is "despised and rejected," "wounded for our transgressions," "bruised for our iniquities," "led as a lamb to the slaughter," and ultimately resurrected to justify many.
This suffering servant is identified as Jesus Christ. No one in world history ever fits this story. The passage clearly describes a sinless man who suffered, died, but was resurrected to save His people through blood atonement.
The Anointed One 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)
Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Herod ordered male babies murdered there, fearing replacement. The passage mentions "the One" existed from everlasting. This fulfilled Matthew 2:4-6.
The Messiah will be a descendant of Jacob
I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel. (Numbers 24:17a)
This verse indicates the promised one will be a descendant of Jacob, from Israel.
The Messiah came to free the captives and bring salvation
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. (Isaiah 61:1-3)
Christ came to save people from damnation, sin's clutches, and spiritual death.
Daniel's vision of restored Israel, Messiah's timeline, and Roman destruction
Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. (Daniel 9:25)
And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. (Daniel 9:26)
The Messiah died 490 years after Babylon's captivity, then Rome destroyed the nation. All prophecies fulfilled in ancient history; Daniel 9:27 concerns future tribulation.
Messiah comes as a lowly King riding on a donkey
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)
Jesus fulfilled this entering Jerusalem on a donkey (Matthew 21:8-10).
Messiah will be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver
Then I said to them, 'If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.' So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. (Zechariah 11:12)
And the Lord said to me, 'Throw it to the potter'—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter. (Zechariah 11:13)
Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. He later returned the money to the high priests, who used it to purchase a potter's field for foreigners' burial (Matthew 27:3-10).
Anointed One will not see decay in death
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. (Psalms 16:9)
For You will not leave my soul in Sheol (Hades), Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. (Psalms 16:10)
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalms 16:11)
Fulfilled in Acts 2:31—the Messiah resurrected from Hades; His body did not decay.
Anointed One will be resurrected
I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord. (Psalms 118:17)
The Lord has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death. (Psalms 118:18)
Fulfilled in Luke 24:5-7.
Messiah will be called from Egypt
When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son. (Hosea 11:1)
Fulfilled in Matthew 2:14-15 when Joseph brought child Jesus to Egypt until Herod's death.
These examples sufficiently demonstrate the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is mentioned in the Tanakh, though not exhaustively covering all Old Testament references.
There is only one true God as per the Bible
That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else. (1 Kings 8:60)
Apart from God, there is none. Since Christ is presented as Messiah and Son of God, the article addresses how Christ can be God if Scripture affirms only one God—introducing the Trinity concept to explain Christ's divinity.
There is only One God, but He speaks in plural numerous times
The Trinity doctrine isn't explicitly stated in Scripture but is understood through verses showing one God-being with three distinct persons.
Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness' (Genesis 1:26)
Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. (Genesis 3:22)
Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language (Genesis 11:7)
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: 'Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?' (Isaiah 6:8)
These plurals don't refer to angels (who cannot be equated to God or create), but indicate God speaking in unison with co-equal persons. The Trinity consists of:
- God the Father – God above all
- God the Son – God with us
- God the Holy Spirit – God in us
Acts 7:55 illustrates: "Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God (the Father), and Jesus (the Son) standing at the right hand of God."
Angel of the LORD in Genesis is not an angel but God
Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, 'I will multiply your descendants exceedingly' (Genesis 16:10)
And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush... Moreover He said, 'I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' (Exodus 3:2,6)
Behold, I send an Angel before you... Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. (Exodus 23:20-21)
Christian scholars widely accept the "Angel of the Lord" as God—specifically the pre-incarnate Son. Only the Creator multiplies descendants and pardons sins; no angel can claim these powers or God's name.
God rained destruction upon Sodom on earth, while another is in the heavens?
Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. (Genesis 19:24)
The passage shows the Lord executing judgment on earth while simultaneously present in heaven, demonstrating God's different personas in unified action.
Two God persons mentioned by a Psalmist?
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. (Psalms 45:6)
You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions. (Psalms 45:7)
Scripture itself demonstrates God's plural persons—one God anointing another God-person with oil.
God was called a man
The LORD is a man of war; The LORD is His name. (Exodus 15:3)
Though God is not human, this alludes to God's future incarnation as the human Messiah. The phrase describes the Lord fighting like a human warrior against Satan's forces, proving through His name "Jehovah" that He transcends humanity.
Conclusion
The article concludes Christ is the Messiah, Son of God, and God according to Old Testament verses.
Though divine, Christ's earthly purpose was bringing salvation to humanity destined for hell due to sin's separation from God. Christ became the perfect sinless offering for humanity's atonement, restoring access to God the Father and Heaven's right. Salvation is freely offered; acceptance requires acknowledging Jesus Christ as personal Lord, God, and Savior, coupled with repentance for a transformed, glory-giving life. The Holy Spirit guides believers afterward.
Accept Jesus Christ as your own Lord, God and personal savior! It's free and He's waiting for you!