THE 70 WEEKS OF DANIEL (PROPHECY), page 2

It seems that the previous postings have adequately examined the "70 Weeks of Daniel"
prophecy. There seems to be no major disagreement on the purport of this prophecy.
Now I will turn my attention to examination of the other 299 prophecies of the coming of
Messiah contained in the Old Testament. We have often heard of the "300 Prophecies"
concerning Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. How many actually know what they are?
The skeptics always claim the they all involve "circular logic" and are prophecies which
refer to some else other than the Messiah. However my visits to skeptic web sites have
usually turned up only a blanket statement on the order of "well these 300 prophecies are
really circular logic" followed by a "refutation" of some of the more tenuous prophecies.
The reason we are doing this is that recently I saw a posting where a young poster made a
posting mentioning the "300 Prophesies". A skeptic replied "That's about the most
reaching, idiotic theory I've heard in a long time. Name a few of these `prophecies'"
followed by "Go ahead! Give us some of your best "prophecies", so we can tear them to
shreds." That individual when pointed to this thread for a refutation of the "70 Weeks of
Daniel" seemed unwilling to actually read the posting and attempt to refute it. Perhaps it
is because I tend to use words of three to four syllables (and sometimes five syllables) in
my postings and write paragraphs of more than three sentences and hence beyond the
average skeptic's reading comprehension. Maybe it is that my postings actually makes
them think when they don't have a neat web page from some atheist site to post as a
"refutation". However this is not just one individual; there is also another skeptic who
likes to post the "pagan origins of Christianity" argument. This argument too has been
refuted at this forum board and there is a link to an atheist web page which in itself is a
refutation of the "pagan origins of Christianity" argument. This person has been referred
to these refutations and yet keeps banging away with the same old argument and has never
answered my postings pointing to these references. It is doubtful if this individual even
looked at these pages and read them. Again it requires reading more than one paragraph
containing multi-syllable words.

So we will examine each and every one of the "300 Prophecies" about Jesus Christ
contained in the Old Testament. (Do I hear groans from the audience?) They will be
given in Biblical order, that is starting in Genesis and working to Malachi (rather than in
subject order). This will take several postings and we will cover several with each
posting. Now as for the skeptics, well here is your chance to "tear them to shreds".
Perhaps some of the prophecies are tenuous and could be considered "circular logic" but
then how many do you need? If of the "300 Prophecies" you could dismiss 250, you
would still have 50 prophecies which predict the advent of the Messiah. Is not 50
enough? Is it logical for one to believe if the number were 51 and then not believe if the
number were 49? Also I will attempt to give a Messiah Prophecy rating from 1 to 10
(M.P. rating); the higher the rating the more definite it is a Messianic Prophecy (Daniel
9:24-9:27 is definitely a 10). These ratings a somewhat subjective so feel free to comment
of the rating. Also the there seems to be different lists of what is considered a prophecy of
Jesus, and this will be a catenation of these lists.

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1. Genesis 3:15 - M.P. Rating 7
3:14. So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are
you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you
will eat dust all the days of your life.
3:15. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and
hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

This is reputed to be the very first Messianic Prophecy in the Bible. Of course everyone
knows the story of Adam and Eve's sin. Since the serpent represents Satan, Genesis 3:15
is a reference to an individual ("he") who will be born of a woman ("your offspring and
hers") who will destroy the power of Satan ("he will crush your head" - a mortal wound)
but Satan will injure that individual ("you will strike his heel"). While the term "Messiah"
is not used, it is definitely an indication that God had some plan involving a person who
would have the power to destroy Satan.
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2. Genesis 4:25 - M.P. Rating 1
4:25. Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,
saying, "God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him."

Seth shows up in the genealogy of Jesus given in the Gospel of Luke. However I give this
a low rating because their is no indication that the passage is meant to refer to the
Messiah.
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3. Genesis 5:24 - M.P. Rating 1
5:24. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

It is reputed to be an illustration of bodily ascension into heaven, but again there is no
reference to indicate that this was to apply to the Messiah.
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4. Genesis 9:26 - M.P. Rating 1
9:26. He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of
Shem.
9:27. May God extend the territory of Japheth ; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem,
and may Canaan be his slave."

The Messiah will be a descendant of Shem who shows up in the genealogy of Jesus given
in the Gospel of Luke. Again I give this passage a low rating because there is no reference
that states that the Messiah will be a descendant of Shem.
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5. Genesis 12:3 - M.P. Rating 2
12:3. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all
peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

This passage is supposed to indicate that the descendants of Abraham (or a descendant of
Abraham) will bring a blessing for all people. While Jesus Christ fulfills this criteria, many
critics have stated that is a reference to the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. One
may say that since "whoever curses you I will curse" is a reference to those who reject
Jesus Christ as their savior, the critics will contend that this is a reference to those who
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6. Genesis 12:7 - M.P. Rating 4
12:7. The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land."
So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

This is referenced in the Book of Galatians 3:16 (The promises were spoken to Abraham
and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but
"and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ.). Since the singular was used,
then this is taken to mean a specific individual. Also since the Apostle Paul referenced this
passage then we would assume that it had some Messianic meaning.
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7. Genesis 14:18 - M.P. Rating 10
14:17. After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him,
the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's
Valley).
18. Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God
Most High,
19. and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of
heaven and earth.
20. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then
Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

These passage must be tied into other passages (Psalms 110:1) in order to understand how
they relate to the Messiah; however, here we have a king and a priest of God who ranked
higher spiritually than Abraham.
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8. Genesis 17:19 - M.P. Rating 1
17:19. Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call
him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his
descendants after him.

Isaac is listed in the genealogy of Jesus given in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 3:23-3:34).
Reference is also made in Romans 9:7. This is another passage when really cannot be
construed to have a Messianic reference.
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9. Genesis 18:18 - M.P. Rating 2
18:18. Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth
will be blessed through him.

While all nations are blessed by Jesus Christ, this passage can also be construed to be a
reference to the nation of Israel and the Jewish descendants of Abraham.
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10. Genesis 21:12 - M.P. Rating 1
21:12. But God said to him, "Do not be so distressed about the boy and your
maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your
offspring will be reckoned.

As said before Isaac is listed in the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke; however,
most likely all Jews in the first century could trace their lineage to Isaac and Abraham even
Judas Iscariot.
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11. Genesis 22:8 - 22:18 - M.P. Rating 10
1. Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he
replied.
2. Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the
region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell
you about."
3. Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two
of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he
set out for the place God had told him about.
4. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
5. He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there.
We will worship and then we will come back to you."
6. Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he
himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together,
7. Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham
replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt
offering?"
8. Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son."
And the two of them went on together.
9. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and
arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the
wood.
10. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
12. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know
that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
13. Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went
over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.
14. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On
the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."
15. The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time
16. and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and
have not withheld your son, your only son,
17. I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of
their enemies,
18. and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have
obeyed me."

This set of passages is listed as three prophecies in one list and as two in another. While
the term Messiah is not specifically called out in these passages, the imagery invoked leads
one to conclude that this incident presages the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The critics
might maintain that this was only a test of the faith of Abraham, but the metaphorical
analogies to the crucifixion of Jesus are compelling: 1) sacrifice of an only son for a sin
atonement, 2) the incident occurred in the same location as the crucifixion of Jesus, 3)
God will provide the lamb, 4) all nations will be blessed through the offspring of Abraham.
Note that the blessing of all nations through an offspring of Abraham mentioned here can
be construed as a reference to the Messiah since this whole set of passages speaks
metaphorical of the Messiah.
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12. Genesis 26:4 - M.P. Rating - 1
26:4. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them
all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed,

This of course is another passage stating that �all nations on earth will be blessed� by the
descendants of Isaac.
While all nations are blessed by Jesus Christ, this passage can also be construed to be a
reference to the nation of Israel and the Jewish descendants of Abraham.
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13. Genesis 28:14 - M.P. Rating - 1
28:14. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the
west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed
through you and your offspring.

This is part of Jacob�s famous dream of the ladder angels. Again the passage is not
specific as to what the blessing of all �peoples on earth� will be. Jacob is also in the
genealogy of Jesus given in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 3:23-34).
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14. Genesis 49:10 - M.P. Rating - 3
49:10. The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.
49:11. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his
garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

These passages use the term �Shiloh� which is an epithet of the Messiah and hence can be
better regarded as a reference to Messiah. However I still feel that the reference is still
tenuous and not specific enough to be warrant them to be a definite Messianic prophecy
except in the most generic terms. The following is copied from one of the �300
Prophecies� list regarding this passage:
> The Messiah would be a descendant of Judah [Luke 3:23-33].
> The Messiah would be King of Israel [John 1:49].
> The Messiah's authority shall extend to all nations [Jude 1:25].
> The Messiah would be the "vine" [John 15:1-5].
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The two lists I referenced vary widely as to the book of Exodus and Leviticus; however,
one list came from a web site which wants to debunk the �300 Prophecies� thesis while
the other list came from a Christian web site which is a proponent of the thesis. It seems
that the web site which wants to debunk the thesis slants its list to the more easily refuted
claims of Messianic parallels to Jesus (the more tenuous passages).

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15. Exodus 3:13-3:14 - M.P. Rating - 1
3:13. Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, `The God of
your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, `What is his name?' Then what shall I
tell them?"
3:14. God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the
Israelites: `I AM has sent me to you.'"

This is from the list of the web site which attempts to debunk the �300 Prophecies� thesis
and we need not say more. Many of the passages listed by this site are very generic.
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16. Exodus 12:3 - 12:27 - M.P. Rating - 10
12:3. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is
to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.
12:4. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their
nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to
determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat.
12: 5. The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take
them from the sheep or the goats.
12:6. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the
community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.
12: 7. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the
doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.
12:8. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter
herbs, and bread made without yeast.
12: 9. Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire--head, legs
and inner parts.
12:10. Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it.
12: 11. This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals
on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD's Passover.
12:12. "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every
firstborn--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am
the LORD.
12:13. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the
blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.
12:14. "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall
celebrate it as a festival to the LORD--a lasting ordinance.
12:15. For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove
the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day
through the seventh must be cut off from Israel.
12:16. On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do
no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat--that is all you
may do.
12:17. "Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I
brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the
generations to come.
12: 18. In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of
the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day.
12:19. For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats anything
with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel, whether he is an alien or
native-born.
12:20. Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread."
12:21. Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go at once and
select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb.
12:22. Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the
blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. Not one of you shall go out the door
of his house until morning.
12:23. When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see
the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he
will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.
12:24. "Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants.
12:25. When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this
ceremony.
12:26. And when your children ask you, `What does this ceremony mean to you?'
12:27. then tell them, `It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the
houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the
Egyptians.'" Then the people bowed down and worshiped

Of course everyone recognizes these as passages dealing with the first Passover. There is
no direct mention of being a Messianic prophecy within the passages, but then the imagery
invoked as a presage and parallels to Jesus Christ is compelling. Again we see metaphor
being used to illustrate the ministry of Jesus Christ. The parallels are:
> A lamb without blemish, Jesus represents the Passover lamb for all [1 Peter 1:19].
> The blood of the Lamb saves from wrath [Romans 5:8-5:9].
> Jesus Christ is the Passover [1 Corinthians 5:7].
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17. Exodus 12:46 - M.P. Rating - 10
12:46. "It must be eaten inside one house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do
not break any of the bones.

This passage is a continuation of Exodus 12:3 - 12:27 dealing with the Passover lamb.
The theme of �not breaking bones� occurs many times in the Old Testament. Since this
deals with the handling of the Passover lamb, its metaphorical allusion to the crucifixion of
Jesus is compelling (See John 19:31-19:36). I conclude that this Passover regulation is
indeed meant to be a presage of the crucifixion.
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18. Exodus 15:2 - M.P. Rating - 1
15:2. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God,
and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.

Another passage from the �debunking web site� as a prophecy that Jesus will be exalted
[Acts 7:55-7:56]. Again this web sites puts in the list of �300 Prophecies� one that is easy
to �debunk�.
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19. Exodus 15:11 - M.P. Rating - 1
15:11. "Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you-- majestic in
holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?

This is another �ringer� from the �debunking web site�.
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20. Exodus 17:6 - M.P. Rating - 1
17:6. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will
come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of
Israel.

This is where Moses struck the rock with his staff and water flowed out. In 1
Corinthians10:1-10:6, Paul references this in a metaphorical manner speaking of how
Christ was the spiritual rock that accompanied the Israelites during Exodus. Another
�ringer� from the �debunking web site�.
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21. Exodus 33:19 - M.P. Rating - 1
33:19. And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I
will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will
have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

This is from the list of the �debunking web site� and �use these verses to prove the
Christian assumptions is hopelessly circular�. Of course if you make the list you can bias
it to the passages which show �circular logic�.
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22. Leviticus 14:11- M.P. Rating - 1
14:11. The priest who pronounces him clean shall present both the one to be cleansed and
his offerings before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

Another on the list from the �debunking web site�. This site claims that in Luke 5:12-5:14
it is used as a �sign to priesthood�, but that passages says nothing about any claim to
priesthood. Luke 5:12 merely states that Jesus healed a leper and told him �show yourself
to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a
testimony to them�.
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23. Leviticus 16:15-16:16 - M.P. Rating 9
16:15. "He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its
blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull's blood: He shall sprinkle it
on the atonement cover and in front of it.
16:16. In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the
uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the
same for the Tent of Meeting, which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

This is from the list of the �debunking web site� and is listed as �prefigures Christ's
once-for-all death�. In Hebrews 9:1-9:27 an exposition is made which compares Jesus
Christ to the sacrificial system of Mosaic Law. It can be contended that the Mosaic
sacrificial system was set-up by God to be a presage of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and
that the analogies are of the character of being Messianic Prophecy.
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24. Leviticus 16:27 - M.P. Rating 7
16:27. The bull and the goat for the sin offerings, whose blood was brought into the Most
Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp; their hides, flesh and offal
are to be burned up.

This passage is part of the sacrificial regulations of Mosaic Law. We see in Matthew
27:33 that Jesus was crucified outside of the city of Jerusalem. In Hebrews 13:11-13:12,
the parallel is drawn between this sacrificial regulation and the crucifixion of Jesus outside
the city of Jerusalem. Considering that the Mosaic sacrificial was an analogy to presage
the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, then this can be considered a fulfillment of Messianic
Prophecy. However the skeptics will still claim that this is a circular argument.
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25. Leviticus 17:11 - M.P. Rating 6
17:11. For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make
atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.

We have in Matthew 26:28
26:28. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness
of sins.

Also we read in John 6:53-6:56
6:53. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
6:54. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up
at the last day.
6:55. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
6:56. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.

It was the blood of the animal sacrificed which was sprinkled on the altar in the Mosaic
sacrificial system (�the priests shall sprinkle its blood against the altar on all sides�). It
was the blood of Jesus which was shed during the crucifixion. The sin atonement was
made through the blood. Therefore we can conclude that the spreading of blood on the
altar was a presage of the crucifixion. As for the disturbing quote from the Gospel of
John; of course we know that this means that anyone who accepts the sacrifice of Jesus
Christ as a sin atonement (the gift of Grace) will have �eternal life�. The M.P. rating was
lowered on this passage because the critics always contend that the Christians �hijacked�
the imagery of �the blood�.
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CONCLUSION
In this post we have examined 25 of the �300 Prophecies� of Jesus. In future posts we
will consider some more. However, the ones so far examined are not the fabulous
prophecies as the proponents claim, but neither are they all the �hopeless circular logic� as
the skeptics would like us to believe. We have some compelling parallels (Abraham and
Isaac, the Mosaic sacrificial system) and some items whose importance will be shown
latter (the priest Melchizedek). Jesus Christ does fulfill the requirements of many of the
items listed (�blessing all nations�) but the passages are not specific enough to be
considered compelling references to the Messiah. However, it is typical of Bible
prophecy not to reveal everything at one time; God�s Plan of Salvation is revealed a little
at a time. Therefore we shall continue the examination of the �300 prophecies�.