Bible Questions Answered:
“...and besides many believe the messiah is here already...”
Henry/ Seattle, Washington U.S.A.
Bible Answer:
How to recognize the Messiah:
1) He must be a Jew, a descendant of David.
I Chronicles 17:12-14 NLT
"...‘Furthermore, I declare that the Lord will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings!
11 For when you die and join your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, one of your sons, and I will make His kingdom strong.
12 He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for Me. And I will secure His throne forever.
13 I will be His Father, and He will be My Son. I will never take My favor from Him as I took it from the one who ruled before you.
14 I will confirm Him as King over My house and My kingdom for all time, and His throne will be secure forever.’”
Isaiah 9:7 KJV
Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it,and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will perform this.
Isaiah 11:1 KJV
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of His roots:
(See also: Jeremiah 23:5/ Daniel 7:14)
2) He must have been born in Bethlehem.
Micah 5:2 KJV
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Matthew 2:4-6 KJV
4 And when he (Herod) had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule My people Israel.
3) Mush have been born of a virgin.
Isaiah 7:14 KJV
Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Matthew 1:23 KJV
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
4.) Must have a special messenger go before Him.
Malachi 3:1 NLT
“Look! I am sending My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me (John the Baptist). Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to His Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Isaiah 40:3 KJV (Matthew 3:1-12)
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
5.) Must at birth have public attention by wise men.
Matthew 2:1-2 KJV
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.
6.) He must be a miracle worker.
Isaiah 35:5,6 KJV
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
John 3:2 KJV
The same (Nicodemus) came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a Teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with Him.
7.) He must be a teacher.
Matthew 7:28,29 KJV
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine:
29 For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
8.) He must ride into Jerusalem on a donkey.
Zechariah 9:9 NLT
Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.
Matthew 21:1-5 NLT
1 As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead.
2 “Go into the village over there,” He said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside
it. Untie them and bring them to Me.
3 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”
4 This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,
5 “Tell the people of Israel, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.’
9.) One of His own friends must betray Him for 30 pieces of silver.
Psalm 41:9 KJV
Yea, Mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of My bread, hath lifted up his heel against Me.
Zechariah 11:12 KJV
And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for My price thirty pieces of silver.
Matthew 26:15 KJV
And said unto them, What will ye give me (Judas Iscariot), and I will deliver Him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
10.) He must be rejected, beaten and crucified.
Isaiah 53:1-12 KJV (See also Psalm 22.)
1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
4 Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a Sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of My people was He stricken.
9 And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: when thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My Righteous Servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
11.) He must be pierced.
Zechariah 12:10 KJV
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of Grace and of Supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
12.) His garments must be gambled for.
Psalm 22:18 KJV
They part My garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture.
13.) He must be resurrected from the dead.
Psalm 16:9,10 KJV
9 Therefore My heart is glad, and My glory rejoiceth: My flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For thou wilt not leave My soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Psalm 21:4 NLT
He asked you to preserve His life, and you granted His request. The days of His life stretch on forever.
14.) Ascend up into heaven.
Psalm 68:18 KJV
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.
Mark 16:19 KJV
So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
I Peter 3:18,22 KJV
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him.
15.) He must become a King of Israel, and a world ruler.
Psalm 2:1-12 KJV
1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against His anointed, saying,
3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision.
5 Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure.
6 Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion.
7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto Me, Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten thee.
8 Ask of Me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.
Zechariah 6:12,13 KJV
12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of Hosts, saying, Behold the Man whose name is The BRANCH; and He shall grow up out of His place, and He shall build the temple of the LORD:
13 Even He shall build the temple of the LORD; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a Priest upon His throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
16.) He must be God in the flesh.
Isaiah 9:6 KJV
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
John 1:1-4 KJV
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.
17.) He must have a sinless life.
Hebrews 4:15 KJV
For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
II Corinthians 5:21 KJV
For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
I Peter 2:21,22 KJV
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth:
18.) He must be full of the Holy Spirit.
John 20:21,22 KJV
21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.
22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
