Prophecies of Jesus-19

Messiah would be called a Nazarine.

1. Old Testament Scripture. Isa. 11:1

   
   

   New Testament Fulfillment. Mat. 2:23

The Righteous Reign of the Branch

Isa. 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

The rise of God’s glorious empire

The Assyrian Empire would fall (Isa. 10:5-34), but another empire would arise. This section about God’s empire (11:1-12:6) includes a description of the Messiah, the kingdom itself, and the remnant who will inhabit the kingdom. Besides contrasting this kingdom with the Assyrian kingdom, Isaiah also contrasted it with the sinful actions of Israel in his day.

The Lord would cut down the forests and the mighty trees (Isa. 10:33-34), that is, foreign soldiers and leaders, but God’s kingdom will arise by a Shoot coming up from the stump of Jesse, David’s father (cf. Rev. 22:16). Isaiah undoubtedly was thinking of God’s promise to David (2Sam. 7:16) that a Descendant of David will rule over his kingdom (cf. Isa. 9:7) forever. This Branch, the Messiah (cf. Jer. 23:5), will bear fruit, that is, prosper and benefit others. (He is the Root; cf. Isa. 11:10.) This Hebrew word for branch (nēṣer) differs from the word used for branch in Isa. 4:2 (ṣemaḥ). However, the concept is the same. (Yônēq) in Isa. 53:2 for “tender shoot” is still another word.) He will come directly from the line of David (cf. Mat. 1:1) and will fulfill God’s promises in the Davidic Covenant.

The 14th prophecy in Isaiah (Isaiah 11:1-12:6; Isa. 11:1-2 fulfilled; Isaiah 11:3-12:6 unfulfilled). Next, Isa. 13:1.

Seven Predictions—Fulfilled:

1. There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse (Isa. 11:1).

2. A Branch shall grow out of his roots.

3. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him (Isa. 11:2).

4. The Spirit of wisdom and understanding shall rest upon Him.

5. The Spirit of counsel and might.

6. The Spirit of knowledge.

7. The Spirit of the fear of Jehovah.

Forty-two Predictions—Unfulfilled:

1. The Holy Spirit shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord (Isa. 11:3).

2. He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes.

3. He shall not reprove after the hearing of His ears.

4. He shall judge the poor with the righteousness (Isa. 11:4).

5. He shall reprove with equity for the meek of the earth.

6. He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth.

7. He shall slay the wicked with the breath of His lips.

8. Righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins (Isa. 11:5).

9. Faithfulness shall be the girdle of His reins.

10. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb (Isa. 11:6).

11. The leopard shall lie down with the kid.

12. The calf and young lion and the fatling shall dwell together.

13. A little child shall lead them.

14. The cow and the bear shall feed together.

15. Their young ones shall lie down together (Isa. 11:7).

16. The lion shall eat straw like the ox.

17. The sucking child shall play on the hole of an asp (Isa. 11:8).

18. The weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’s den.

19. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain (kingdom, Isa. 11:9).

20. The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

21. In that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall be the standard of the people (Isa. 11:10).

22. The Gentiles shall seek Him.

23. His rest shall be glorious.

24. In that day Jehovah shall gather Israel and Judah a second time from all nations (Isa. 11:11-12).

25. The envy of Ephraim shall depart.

26. The adversaries of Judah shall be cut off (Isa. 11:13).

27. Ephraim shall not envy Judah.

28. Judah shall not vex Ephraim.

29. They (Ephraim and Judah) shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west (Isa. 11:14).

30. They shall spoil them of the east.

31. They shall rule Edom and Moab.

32. The children of Ammon shall obey them.

33. The Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea (Isa. 11:15).

34. With a mighty wind shall He shake His hand over the river.

35. He shall smite it in the seven streams.

36. Men shall walk through it dryshod.

37. There shall be a highway for the remnant of Israel to return to Zion, as it was when they came out of Egypt (Isa. 11:16).

38. In that day Israel will praise God for turning away His anger and giving comfort (Isa. 12:1).

39. Jehovah will become the trust, strength, song, and salvation of Israel (Isa. 12:3).

40. With joy they shall draw water out of the wells of salvation (Isa. 12:3).

41. In that day Israel will preach and sing the name and works of Jehovah among men in all the earth (Isa. 12:4-5).

42. The Holy One of Israel will be great in their midst (Isa. 12:6).

And there shall come forth...

יָצָא

yâtsâ'

yaw-tsaw'

A primitive root; to go (causatively bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proximate: - X after, appear, X assuredly, bear out, X begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), + be condemned, depart (-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, X scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, X still, X surely, take forth (out), at any time, X to [and fro], utter.

a rod (Jesus)...

חֹטֵר

chôṭêr

kho'-ter

From an unused root of uncertain signification; a twig: - rod.

out of the stem...

מִנֵּי מִנִּי מִן

min minnı̂y minnêy

min, min-nee', min-nay'

For a part; properly a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses: - above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over, since, X then, through, X whether, with.

גֶּזַע

geza‛

geh'-zah

From an unused root meaning to cut down (trees); the trunk or stump of a tree (as felled or as planted): - stem, stock.

of Jesse,...

אִישַׁי יִשַׁי

yishay 'ı̂yshay

yee-shah'ee, ee-shah'ee

From the same as to stand out; extant; Jishai, David’s father: - Jesse.

and a Branch (Jesus)...

נֵצֶר

nêtser

nay'-tser

From to guard in the sense of greenness as a striking color; a shoot; figuratively, a descendant: - branch.

shall grow...

פָּרָה

pârâh

paw-raw'

A primitive root; to bear fruit (literally or figuratively): - bear, bring forth (fruit), (be, cause to be, make) fruitful, grow, increase.

out of His roots (Jesse/ Davidic Covenant):...

מִנֵּי מִנִּי מִן

min minnı̂y minnêy

min, min-nee', min-nay'

For a part; properly a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses: - above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over, since, X then, through, X whether, with.

שֶׁרֶשׁ

sheresh

sheh'-resh

From to root; a root (literally or figuratively): - bottom, deep, heel, root.

The Return to Nazareth

Mat. 2:23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

The 5th Old Testament prophecy fulfilled in Matthew (Mat. 2:23). Next, Mat. 3:3. "Spoken," not written by the prophets, for no prophet recorded this as here stated.

In Nazareth

After Herod died… Joseph was again instructed by an angel of the Lord. This was the third of four times an angel appeared to him in a dream (cf. Mat. 1:20; 2:13, 2:19, 2:22). He was made aware of Herod’s death and told to return to the land (Mat. 2:20). Joseph obediently followed the Lord’s instruction and was planning to return to the land of Israel, perhaps to Bethlehem. However, a son of Herod, Archelaus, was ruling over the territories of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. Archelaus, noted for tyranny, murder, and instability, was probably insane as a result of close family intermarriages. (He ruled from 4 b.c. to a.d. 6. See the chart on the Herods at Luke 1:5). God’s warning to Joseph (again in a dream, Mat. 2:22; cf. Mat. 1:20; 2:13, 2:19) was not to return to Bethlehem, but instead to move back to the northern district of Galilee to the town of Nazareth. The ruler of this region was Antipas, another son of Herod (cf. Mat. 14:1; Luke 23:7-12), but he was a capable ruler.

The fact that the family moved to Nazareth was once again said to be in fulfillment of prophecy (Mat. 2:23). However, the words He will be called a Nazarene, were not directly spoken by any Old Testament prophet, though several prophecies come close to this expression. Isaiah said the Messiah would be “from [Jesse’s] roots” like “a Branch” (Isa. 11:1). “Branch” is the Hebrew word neṣer, which has consonants like those in the word “Nazarene” and which carry the idea of having an insignificant beginning.

Since Matthew used the plural prophets, perhaps his idea was not based on a specific prophecy but on the idea that appeared in a number of prophecies concerning Messiah’s despised character. Nazareth was the town which housed the Roman garrison for the northern regions of Galilee. Therefore most Jews would not have any associations with that city. In fact those who lived in Nazareth were thought of as compromises who consorted with the enemy, the Romans. Therefore to call one “a Nazarene” was to use a term of contempt. So because Joseph and his family settled in Nazareth, the Messiah was later despised and considered contemptible in the eyes of many in Israel. This was Nathaniel's reaction when he heard Jesus was from Nazareth (John 1:46): “Can anything good come from there?” This concept fit several Old Testament prophecies that speak of the lowly character of the Messiah (e.g., Isa. 42:1-4). Also the term “Nazarene” would have reminded Jewish readers of the similar-sounding word “Nazirite” (Num. 6:1-21). Jesus was more devoted to God than the Nazirites.