Messianic prophecies (views: BUPC)

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Messianic prophecies in the Jewish Tanach (also known as the Christian Old Testament) foretell the coming and the acts of the Messiah. Views vary as to which passages are prophecies, which prophecies are about the Messiah, whether there is more than one Messiah, whether any messianic prophecies have been fulfilled and, if so, which have been fulfilled and which remain to be filled.

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[edit] Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant view of fulfilled prophecies

Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant (BUPC) believe that the Old Testament paints a picture for two different Messiahs from the House of David coming on two separate occasions, not the same Messiah appearing twice (Zech 4:14): "these are the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth". They believe Jesus was the first Messiah, being descended from the House through His physical father Joseph. They believe Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the Bahá'í Faith, is literally seated on the Throne of David, fulfilling the prophet Isaiah's visions of this Messiah in Chapters 2, 9, and 11.

The beliefs of the BUPC about Messianic prophecies include three specific categories: the names, the dates of appearance, and the place. The following is the BUPC's view on how they believe Jesus the first Christ and Bahá'u'lláh fulfilled specific Old Testament prophecies, of which are summarized from Entry by Troops, with a fuller explanation of the "date" prophecy in chapter 10 of Some Answered Questions:

[edit] Name

Jesus' name was prophesied to come by Isaiah. Emmanuel, in the Hebrew language is Jesus in the Greek:

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

Matthew is believed to be showing this prophecy fulfilled here:

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... And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he [Joseph] called his name JESUS. (Matthew 1: 23-25)

This connection is believed to show that he was prophesied to come by Isaiah and fulfilled in Jesus.

Bahá'u'lláh (Arabic for the English "Glory of God/Lord") is prophesied by name so many times throughout the Bible that to give them all would be too much. One instance occurs in the 43rd chapter of Ezekiel:

As the glory of the Lord [Bahá'u'lláh in Arabic] entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple. (Ezekiel 43: 4, 5 RSV)

The BUPC regard this entire chapter as prophecies regarding Bahá'u'lláh

[edit] Date

The prophet Daniel gives a specific date for the "Messiah" in chapter 9:

24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
(King James Bible, Daniel 9:24-27)

For the advent of the Messiah, the prophet Daniel gave seventy weeks from the "commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem". The commandment was ordered by Artaxerxes on March 21st, 457 BC. In seventy weeks there are 490 days, and according to the Holy text each day in prophecy is reckoned as a year (Numbers 14:34). Furthermore, versions like Revised Standard state more specifically: "seventy weeks of years". That is, there were four hundred and ninety years from the order of Artaxerxes to the crucifixion of Jesus the Messiah. That is, Jesus was crucified at the age of 33 in 34 AD, or 457 BC minus 490 years equals 34 AD

In the 25th verse of Daniel 9 this is expressed in another manner of seven weeks and sixty-two weeks and one week. It took seven weeks, or 49 years, after the order to rebuild Jerusalem (issued on March 21st, 457 BC) for the city to be rebuilt. In 408 BC the city was rebuilt including the walls and the moat. Then there was an interim period of sixty-two weeks, or four hundred and thirty-four (434) days/years, between the rebuilding of the city and the last week. That brings us to March 21st, 27 AD, when John the Baptist began his ministry. Three and one-half (3-1/2) years later he baptized Jesus on September 21st, 30 AD:

21 "Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22: And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph,"
(King James Bible, Luke 3:21-23)

Then, three and a half (3-1/2) years later on March 21st, 34 AD, Jesus was crucified. Jesus, at the age of 33, was martyred in 34 AD.

For an in depth explanation on the fulfillment of Bahá'u'lláh's date see "Criteria fulfilled

[edit] Address

The BUPC believe Jesus was prophesied to come in Bethlehem by Micah:

"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 old, from everlasting."
(KJV, Micah 5:2)

The fulfillment of Micah's prophecy was explained by Matthew:

"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea..."
(KJV, Matthew 2:1).

This shows that Jesus came from Bethlehem. This is where the wise men found him. Matthew continues:

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
(KJV, Matthew 2:5, 6)

The BUPC also believe Bahá'u'lláh's "address" was prophecied by Isaiah. He came from the east near the city of Tehran, Iran in the Province of Mazindaran, the site of the throne of King David that Bahá'u'lláh's father sat upon, thus Bahá'u'lláh came from the east to Mt. Carmel in Haifa, Israel.

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the Majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord [Bahá'u'lláh], the majesty of our God.
(Isaiah 35:1, 2 RSV)

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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