We have seen that before Christ was incarnated, the Old Testament prophets prophesied that the incarnated Christ is God and also man. In this lesson and in the next we will see what the Old Testament prophets prophesied concerning Christ’s first coming.
When the Lord Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, He said, “All the things written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and Psalms concerning Me must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44). The Lord’s speaking here unveils that there are prophecies concerning Him in the Old Testament and that He is the fulfillment of these prophecies. God revealed the first coming of Christ to all His children through the prophecies in the Old Testament. Psalm 40:6-8 is referred to in Hebrews 10:5-7, which speaks of Christ coming into the world, saying, “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You did not delight. Then I said, Behold, I have come (in the roll of the book it is written concerning Me) to do Your will, O God.” This shows that the Old Testament clearly prophesied the first coming of Christ and that the incarnation of Christ was His coming to do the will of God.
The Old Testament prophets not only prophesied concerning the first coming of Christ; they also prophesied concerning many aspects of His person and work in His first coming. These aspects include Christ as Shiloh; a Star; a Prophet; the One who does God’s will; a great light and a light of the nations; a child, a Son (Emmanuel); the King; the One coming forth from Bethlehem; the Desire of the nations; a Messenger of God and the Angel of the covenant; and the glory and consolation of Israel. In this lesson we will first see Christ in His first coming as Shiloh, a Star, a Prophet, the One who does God’s will, a great light and a light of the nations.
Genesis 49:10 says, “The scepter will not depart from Judah, / Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, / Until Shiloh comes, / And to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” The scepter denotes authority and signifies the royal, kingly authority. The word staff is a synonym of scepter, and refers to the staff of a ruler. Shiloh means “arbitrator, peace bringer.” This verse prophesies that Christ in His first coming is Shiloh, the Arbitrator and the Peace bringer. The proper kingdom and ruling that Christ brings in is a realm of peace. Ephesians 2 reveals that Christ has made the Jewish and the Gentile believers one and has broken down the middle wall of partition, the enmity, abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two, the Jews and the Gentiles, in Himself into one new man, so making peace (vv. 14-15). By His cross the enmity between the Jews and Gentiles was slain so that the two were reconciled to God in one Body (v. 16). Thus, Ephesians 2:14-16 is the fulfillment of Genesis 49:10 regarding Christ being the coming Shiloh. Christ in His first coming as Shiloh not only created peace between men but also rectified the condition between God and man. Since we have Christ as Shiloh, we can enjoy true reconciliation and peace. This prophecy will be fully accomplished at the time of Christ’s second coming.
In Numbers 24:17 the Gentile prophet Balaam also prophesied concerning the first coming of Christ, saying, “I see Him, but not now; / I behold Him, but not near. / There shall come forth a Star out of Jacob.” This Star refers to Christ, who was manifested to the people as a star in His first coming. The fulfillment of Christ as a Star out of Jacob is found in Matthew 2:2, where the magi from the east said, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star at its rising and have come to worship Him.” The magi did not say, “We have seen a star,” or “We have seen the star,” but “We have seen His star.” The magi saw the living star of Christ and received a living vision concerning Him. Eventually, the star led them to the place where Christ was (v. 9). This is definitely the fulfillment of Numbers 24:17.