Which Old Testament prophecies connect to Jesus' miracle in Luke 7:14? Opening Snapshot • Luke 7:14: “Then He went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. ‘Young man,’ He said, ‘I tell you, get up!’” Old Testament Foreshadows of Life-Giving Power • 1 Kings 17:22 – Elijah raises the widow’s son at Zarephath: “And the LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the child’s life returned to him, and he lived.” • 2 Kings 4:34-35 – Elisha raises the Shunammite’s son: “Elisha … stretched himself out on him … and the boy opened his eyes.” • 2 Kings 13:21 – A dead man touches Elisha’s bones and revives. These historical events preview Messiah’s greater authority over death, pointing forward to Jesus at Nain. Prophecies That Anticipate the Messiah’s Triumph Over Death • Isaiah 25:8 – “He will swallow up death forever.” • Isaiah 26:19 – “Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and shout for joy, you who dwell in the dust!” • Hosea 6:2 – “After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His presence.” • Psalm 16:10 – “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.” • Psalm 68:20 – “Our God is a God of salvation; the Lord GOD is our deliverer from death.” Each text foretells Yahweh’s direct victory over death—a victory fully revealed when Jesus speaks life into the widow’s son. The Coming Prophet Like Moses—and Greater Than Elijah • Deuteronomy 18:15 – “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.” • Malachi 4:5 – “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.” Jesus fulfills the Moses-type promise and surpasses Elijah’s miracles, confirming His identity when He commands, “Young man … get up!” Isaiah’s Catalog of Messianic Signs • Isaiah 35:5-6 – “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the mute tongue will shout for joy.” While resurrection is not named here, the passage promises wholesale reversal of human infirmities—exactly what Jesus displays at Nain by reversing death itself. Putting It All Together • The prophets foretold a day when God would personally defeat death and renew life. • Elijah and Elisha’s resurrections served as “living previews.” • Isaiah, Hosea, and the Psalms prophesied the ultimate victory over the grave. • Jesus steps into Nain, speaks a word, and a dead boy rises—showing that every shadow and promise now finds literal, visible fulfillment in Him. |
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