One day while walking along the seashore, a man by the name of Justin Martyr chanced to meet an elderly Christian man. This man started talking to him about Jesus Christ being the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah.

He was overwhelmed and wrote that, “straightway a flame was kindled in my soul, and a love of the prophets and those who are friends of Christ possessed me.”

Justin Martyr was born around 100AD of a wealthy pagan Greek family in Flavia Neapolis in Palestine. He studied at various secular philosophical schools and became a renowned rhetorician – or debater.

He joined himself to several philosophical schools in his search for answers to the big questions of life. While at Ephesus, he was greatly impressed by the steadfastness of the Christians who were severely persecuted for their faith.

Justin Martyr became convinced by the evidence of Scripture and converted to Christianity. He continued to wear the cloak that was the characteristic uniform of the teacher of philosophy. His position was that pagan philosophy, especially Platonism, is a partial grasp of the truth, and “serves as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.” He engaged in debates and disputations with non-Christians of all varieties – pagans, Jews and heretics. He opened a School of Christian Philosophy and accepted students, first at Ephesus and later in Rome.

In 165 AD he was arrested by the Romans on the charge of practising an unauthorised religion. He was tried before the Roman prefect Rusticius, but refused to renounce Christianity. He was beaten up and sentenced to death by beheading. Six of his students, including a woman, shared the same fate.

Nothing but the work of God

Concerning the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah, Justin Martyr said, “To declare that a thing shall come to pass long before it is in being, and then to bring it to pass, this is nothing but the work of God.”

Fulfilled prophecy is indeed the greatest and highest of all attestations that Christ is truly the Son of God, the Messiah, and was raised from the dead.

Lee Strobel, acclaimed journalist and award winning author states the following in his book The Case for Christ; “In the Jewish Scriptures, which Christians call the Old Testament, there are several dozen major prophecies about the coming of the Messiah who would be sent by God to redeem his people. In effect, these predictions formed a figurative fingerprint that only the Anointed One would be able to match. This way, the Israelites could rule out any imposters, and validate the credentials of the authentic Messiah.”

Did Jesus Christ exactly fit this profile? Is it possible that another individual in history could also do this, and what are the chances/probability of this?

Space does not permit us to do more than scratch the surface of these Old Testament prophecies, but a few that stand out are: Micah 5:2, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me, one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.” The book of Micah was written in 735-700 BC, but accurately predicted that the Messiah would be born of the tribe of Judah in the town of Bethlehem

The first few verses of Isaiah 11 state clearly that the Messiah would be descended from Jesse (David’s father), and that he would be anointed with the Spirit of God. Though there are various interpretations, there are definitely 60 major prophecies contained in over 300 Old Testament references that have been miraculously fulfilled as recorded in the New Testament. Renowned mathematician Peter W Stoner in his book Science Speaks, computes that the probability of fulfilling even 8 prophecies by coincidence, is one chance in 12 trillion. The odds say it is impossible for anyone else to fulfil the prophecies. Only Jesus Christ throughout all history has managed to do it.

The same can be said of an attempt to intentionally fulfil the prophecies, as most of the factors are outside the control of any individual.

The Rabbi vs. the Doctor

I recently watched a video extract of a debate on whether Jesus Christ is the Jewish Messiah. The debate was hosted by Lee Strobel, formerly an atheist, but now a Christian writer. The two participants were Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, voted one of the 100 most important talk show hosts in the USA, and Dr. Michael Brown, a Christian Jew and renowned academic.

When questioned about whether Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, Rabbi Boteach calmly answered that he believes that Yeshua (as called by the Jews), is the Christian Messiah but not the Jewish Messiah – “a radically different notion than that of the Christian Messiah.” At this point he became rather agitated and stated: “We do not need a god-man to bring us closer to God. We do not need an intermediary. It is sacrilege for the Jewish nation to believe that any human being is a deity.” Becoming calmer, he said that the Messiah must fulfil the messianic prophecies, and that, contrary to Christian belief, the Jewish Messiah is on a political mission and not a spiritual mission. He then quoted from Isaiah 2 and 11. The Jewish Messiah, he explained must usher in a world of peace and prosperity, change the nature of man and the animal kingdom, free his people Israel from all their tribulation and lead them back to their land.

Dr Michael Brown then pointed out that the Rabbi had left out many prophecies which have been fulfilled by Jesus Christ and only by him. Others are to be fulfilled in the end time. The Messiah had to be first rejected by his own people, suffer terribly and die for the sins of mankind. Further, on rejection by his own, he would be embraced by the gentile nations of the world. Thereafter Israel would repent and embrace their Messiah. The prophecies also clearly indicate that the Messiah was on a spiritual quest. Even chapters 2 and 11 of Isaiah indicate that all the nations are to be filled with the knowledge of God.

Dr. Brown finished the debate with what was to me the most clinching statement of all – namely that the Messiah had to have come before the destruction of the second temple, which we know from history occurred in 70AD (Daniel 9:26). If the Messiah did not come before the destruction of the second temple, he is not the Messiah.

A number of the prophecies in the Old Testament speak of the suffering of the Messiah: “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering,”… “he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities”…”he was led like a lamb to the slaughter” (Isaiah 53:3,5,8). “A band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet,”…”they divide my garments among them, they cast lots for my clothing.” (Psalm 22: 16,18).

Rabbi Boteach’s arguments clearly seemed illogical. The messianic prophecies leave no doubt that the Messiah will be rejected by Israel, will suffer terribly and die for the sins of mankind. Isaiah 11:1 clearly states that he will be from the lineage of Jesse, the royal bloodline of David. To ignore or leave out the messianic prophecies on these basic facts, is to miss the boat altogether with one’s reasoning on the topic.

Eyes that cannot see

How can a learned man like Rabbi Schmuley Boteach be so clearly wrong in his reasoning? We can find the answer in Romans 11:7-8, which is another fulfilment of prophecy. “What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, as it is written: ‘God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day.’”

But there remains another wonderful prophecy testifying of God’s amazing love and mercy, which is yet to be fulfilled: “…Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.’”

But has God limited his salvation to just Israel? Jesus paid for the sins of the entire world – Jews, Gentiles, heathens, pagans, and any other category we can think of. He said: “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself (John 12:32).”

He will return to usher in world peace and prosperity. He will give us glorified bodies like that of Jesus Christ. He will save all Israel and indeed, all people who desire to be part of his Kingdom.

We will be at the wedding supper, the greatest victory celebration in all of history.