Did You Catch These Messianic Prophecies in the Psalms?
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The omnipotence of God is an awe-inspiring, if difficult, thing to try to grasp with the mortal mind, as is His infinite love. Before He even created the universe, He knew mankind would rebel, but He created people anyway, gave them the choice to obey or disobey, and had a plan for how to redeem them.
When Adam and Eve sinned, God told them about a son who would crush the head of the serpent, foretelling about the coming of Jesus Christ. Through the Old Testament, there are men who could be this son, but they always fall short. King David seemed the most likely, but even he sinned; in some of his poetry, there were hints and foreshadowing of the real Savior.
David was a shepherd and a king, but he was also a prophet. There were prophecies the Messiah would fulfill throughout the Book of Psalms. They were highly specific, and the Lord Jesus would explain how He fulfilled them. Every book of the Bible, even the poetries, point to Jesus Christ and verify His claims and the statements made about Him in the New Testament.
How Do We Know There Are Prophecies about Jesus in the Psalms?
It can be difficult when only looking at the poetry of the Psalms to see where it is talking about Jesus’ life and death, and how He fulfilled the promises God made to Adam and to Abraham. There are a few that can be connected if the Gospels and Psalms are being studied together.
One of the most obvious ways that modern believers, particularly those who cannot read the Greek and the Hebrew, are aware of the prophecies is because Jesus explained it to His followers.
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39).
Even after His resurrection,
“Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled’” (Luke 24:44).
The Lord identified the Psalms as prophetic.
Which Psalms Are Considered Messianic Psalms?
Not every Psalm is prophetic. The Messianic Psalms are scattered throughout the book. Below is a list of the Messianic Psalms, select verses or elements that refer to Jesus, and where and how they were fulfilled.
“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:12).
Fulfilled:
Matthew 3:17 “And behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’”
“Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger” (Psalm 8:2)
“You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet” (Psalm 8:6).
Fulfilled:
Matthew 21:15-16 “ But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ they were indignant, and they said to him, ‘Do you hear what these are saying?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?”
Hebrews 2:8 “‘Putting everything in subjection under his feet.’ Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.”
“For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption” (Psalm 16:10).
Fulfilled:
Matthew 28:5-6a “But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.’”
“He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken” (Psalm 34:20).
Fulfilled:
John 19: 33, 35-36 “But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs…For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken.’”
“Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I do not know” (Psalm 35:11)
“Let not those rejoice over me who are wrongfully my foes and let not those wink the eye who hate me without cause” (Psalm 35:19).
Fulfilled:
Mark 14:57a “And some stood up and bore false witness against him.”
John 15:25 “But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’”
“Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart’” (Psalm 40:7-8).
Fulfilled:
Hebrews 10:5-7 “ Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said…Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”
“Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me” (Psalm 41:9).
Fulfilled:
Matthew 26:23 “He answered, ‘He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me.’”
Luke 22:47-48 “While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?’”
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness” (Psalm 45:6).
Fulfilled:
Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘... he shall reign forever and ever’.”
“You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there” (Psalm 68:18).
Fulfilled:
Acts 1:9 “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.”
“They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink” (Psalm 69:21).
Fulfilled:
Matthew 27:34 “They offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall...”
“In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer” (Psalm 109:4).
“May his days be few; may another take his office!” (Psalm 109:8).
Fulfilled:
Luke 23:34a “And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’”
Acts 1:15-26 “In those days Peter stood up among the brothers …For it is written in the Book of Psalms...‘Let another take his office.’...And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.”
“The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool’” (Psalm 110:1)
“The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek’” (Psalm 110:4).
Fulfilled:
Matthew 22:43-46a “He said to them, ‘How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord… If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?’ And no one was able to answer him a word.”
Hebrews 5:5-6, 9-10 “So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest… ‘You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.’... He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.’”
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (Psalm 118:22)
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord” (Psalm 118:26).
Fulfilled:
Matthew 21:42-45 “Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?...When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them.”
Matthew 21:9 “And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’”
Psalm 22 is particularly notable among the Messianic Psalms with its references to the crucifixion. All of them are fulfilled as recounted in the Gospel in Matthew 27, Mark 14-15, Luke 23, and John 18-20. Verses in Psalm 22 that were prophetic are:
Psalm 22:1 - “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?”
Psalm 22:7-8 - “All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; ‘He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!’”
Psalm 22:16-18 - “For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet — I can count all my bones — they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”
Does This Mean David Was a Prophet?
King David is known for his heroism and humility, his friendship with Johnathan, fleeing from Saul, or his courage in the face of Goliath. He was described as being a man after God’s own heart, but he still coveted, committed adultery, and murdered a man to cover up his mistakes. He was a picture – a shadow – of the coming Messiah.
It can be easy to forget that God gifted David with prophecy through the Holy Spirit, especially since this revelation can only be understood with hindsight. The Apostle Peter said in the first sermon he gave after the Holy Spirit fell on the church at Pentecost,
“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses” (Acts 2:29-32).
Like all prophets, David was an imperfect man who was given a glimpse at the hope for mankind’s redemption, even though it was in the future. David had hope in this coming hope, and that is what saved him, even during the days of the law.
How Does This Strengthen Our Relationship with God?
Seeing how God loved humanity to such an extent that He would give of Himself and His perfection to redeem the wicked, the rebellious, and the lost is powerful. Knowing that His plan from the beginning was to do this great act of mercy and love, and that He let people know centuries before it would come to fruition puts in perspective the mightiness of the Lord. When the Messianic prophecies of the Psalms are understood, they illuminate God as the loving Father, Savior, and Comforter, and demonstrate His majesty, power, and worthiness of worship.
“For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations” (Psalm 100:5).
Sources
Kaiser, Walter. The Messiah in the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.
Lockyer, Herbert. All the Messianic Prophecies of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1973.
Walvoord, John F. and Roy B. Zuck. The Bible Knowledge Commentary An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Old Testament and New Testament. United States of America: Victor Books, 1987.
Wilmington, H.L. Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1981.
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Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer who uses her passion for God, reading, and writing to glorify God. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. She has a blog on graceandgrowing.com.