What Old Testament prophecies connect with the salvation mentioned in Luke 2:31? Setting the Scene • Simeon, holding the infant Jesus, proclaims, “my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples” (Luke 2:30–31). • His words echo centuries-old promises that God would visibly unveil salvation for Israel and the nations. Prophecies Foretelling Salvation Made Visible to “All Peoples” • Isaiah 52:10 — “The LORD has bared His holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” • Psalm 98:2 — “The LORD has made His salvation known and revealed His righteousness to the nations.” • Psalm 67:2 — “that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.” • Isaiah 40:5 — “The glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all humanity together will see it.” • Genesis 12:3; 22:18 — the Abrahamic promise that “all the families of the earth” would be blessed through his Seed. Prophecies Describing a “Light for Revelation to the Gentiles” • Isaiah 42:6–7 — “I… appoint You to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations, to open blind eyes…” • Isaiah 49:6 — “I will also make You a light for the nations, to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.” • Isaiah 60:1–3 — “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” • Malachi 1:11 — “My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets.” Prophecies Pointing to “Glory to Your People Israel” • Isaiah 46:13 — “I am bringing My righteousness near, it is not far away; and My salvation will not delay. I will grant salvation in Zion and My glory in Israel.” • Zechariah 2:10–11 — “I am coming, and I will live among you… many nations will be joined to the LORD in that day.” • 2 Samuel 22:51 — “He gives great salvation to His king, and shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.” • Isaiah 60:19 — “The LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.” Tracing the Promise Through the Law, Prophets, and Writings 1. Law: Genesis reveals a Seed who blesses every nation (Genesis 3:15; 12:3). 2. Prophets: Isaiah, Zechariah, and Malachi expand the vision—salvation shining outward from Zion to the ends of the earth. 3. Writings: Psalms celebrate God’s plan to “be exalted among the nations” (Psalm 46:10) and “all the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD” (Psalm 22:27). How These Prophecies Converge in Luke 2:31 • Simeon’s language mirrors Isaiah’s emphasis on a salvation “prepared” and now “seen.” • The universal scope (“all peoples,” “Gentiles”) fulfills the Abrahamic and Isaianic promises. • The honor given to Israel—hosting and presenting the Messiah—matches prophetic expectations of “glory in Israel.” Takeaway Every thread—from Abraham to Isaiah to the Psalms—pulls tight in the manger scene at Jerusalem’s temple. The infant in Simeon’s arms is the embodied answer to each Old Testament declaration: salvation prepared, revealed, and shining for the whole world, yet rooted in the covenant glory of Israel. |
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