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Messianic Prophecies in the Psalms
| Title | Messianic Prophecies in the Psalms |
| Publication Type | Book Chapter |
| Year of Publication | 2022 |
| Authors | Parry, Donald W. |
| Book Title | The Jesus Christ Focused Old Testament: Making Sense of a Monumental Book |
| Pagination | 29-31 |
| Publisher | Book of Mormon Central |
| City | Springville, UT |
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The resurrected Jesus taught His Apostles, “All things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me” (Luke 24:44). This verse specifies that three groups of Old Testament texts—the law of Moses (as recorded in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), the prophets (e.g., Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, etc.), and the psalms (i.e., the book of Psalms)—included words that pertain to Jesus Christ.
The accompanying chart presents passages from the third group mentioned by Jesus, that of the Psalms. Column 1 provides the reference of Psalms that are cited, paraphrased, or alluded to in the New Testament. Column 2 sets forth the theme or a summary statement of the passage’s contents, and column 3 supplies the relevant New Testament passage(s). Psalm 22, for example, contains a number of passages that pertain to Jesus’s suffering and Crucifixion.
All four gospel writers—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—cited one or more passages from this Psalm as they authored their gospels. Matthew and Mark cited Jesus’s cry of “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”—the exact words of Psalm 22:1. Matthew cited Psalm 22:18, “They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture,” which applies to those who cast lots for Jesus’s clothing while He was on the cross. Matthew, Mark, and Luke referenced the words “All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head” (Ps. 22:7), which refers to those who mocked the crucified Jesus.
Jesus Himself cited psalms and related them to Himself. On one occasion, for instance, He taught in the temple and said, “For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Mark 12:36). Jesus then applied this passage (Ps. 110:1) to Himself.
|
Psalm |
Theme |
Fulfillment |
|---|---|---|
|
2:1–2 |
Rulers (e.g., Herod, Pilate) would persecute Christ. |
Acts 4:25–28
|
|
2:7 |
“Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.” |
Matt. 3:17; John 5:28–29; Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:5; 5:5
|
|
8:2 |
He would be praised by babes. |
Matt. 21:15–16
|
|
8:6 |
He would be ruler of all things.
|
Heb. 2:8 |
|
16:8–10 |
He would not see corruption at death.
|
Matt. 28:7; Acts 2:27
|
|
22:1 |
“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” |
Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34
|
|
22:7 |
“All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head.”
|
Matt. 27:39; Mark 15:29; Luke 23:35 |
|
22:8 |
“He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.”
|
Matt. 27:43 |
|
22:15 |
He would thirst while on the cross.
|
John 19:28 |
|
22:16 |
“They pierced my hands and my feet.”
|
John 20:25–27 |
|
22:18 |
“They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.”
|
Matt. 27:35–36; John 19:24 |
|
31:5 |
“Into thine hand I commit my spirit.”
|
Luke 23:46 |
|
34:20 |
“He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.”
|
John 19:32–33, 36 |
|
35:11 |
False witnesses would rise up.
|
Mark 14:57 |
|
35:19 |
He would be hated for no reason.
|
John 15:25 |
|
40:7–8 |
He would delight to do God’s will.
|
Heb. 10:7 |
|
41:9 |
“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”
|
Luke 22:47; John 13:18 |
|
45:6–7 |
He will inherit an eternal throne and kingdom.
|
Heb. 1:8–9 |
|
68:18 |
He would ascend to heaven.
|
Acts 1:9–11 |
|
69:4 |
He would be hated without a cause.
|
John 15:25 |
|
69:9 |
“For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.” |
John 2:17
|
|
69:21 |
“They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” |
Matt. 27:34, 48; Mark 15:36; John 19:28–29
|
|
72:1–19 |
He would be given dominion and glory. |
Matt. 2:2; Phil. 2:9–11
|
|
78:2 |
“I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old.”
|
Matt. 13:35 |
|
78:24 |
“And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.”
|
John 6:31 |
|
89:3–4, 28–29 |
God made a covenant with David that his seed (the Messiah) would sit on his throne.
|
Acts 2:30 |
|
102:25–27 |
The Lord, who created the heavens and the earth, is the same forever.
|
Heb. 1:10–12 |
|
109:4 |
He would pray for His adversaries.
|
Luke 23:34 |
|
110:1 |
“The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”
|
Matt. 22:44
|
|
110:4 |
He will be a priest after order of Melchizedek.
|
Heb. 5:6 |
|
118:22–23 |
“The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.”
|
Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10–11; Luke 20:17 |
|
118:26 |
Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord. |
Matt. 21:9; 23:39; Mark 11:9; Luke 13:35; 19:38; John 12:13
|
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