The rejection of Jesus Christ by the Jewish rulers is a significant theme in biblical prophecy, foretelling the Messiah's suffering and the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan. This rejection is intricately woven into the narrative of the Old Testament and finds its fulfillment in the New Testament accounts of Christ's life and ministry.

Old Testament Prophecies

1. Psalm 118:22 · "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." This verse prophetically speaks of the Messiah as the cornerstone, initially rejected by the leaders of Israel. The imagery of a rejected stone becoming the cornerstone highlights the paradox of Christ's rejection and ultimate exaltation.

2. Isaiah 53:3 · "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not." Isaiah's prophecy vividly describes the suffering servant, who would be rejected by His own people. This passage underscores the depth of the Messiah's rejection and the sorrow it entailed.

3. Zechariah 11:12-13 · "And I said to them, 'If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.' So they weighed out my wages—thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, 'Throw it to the potter, this magnificent price at which they valued Me!' So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD to the potter." This prophecy not only predicts the betrayal of Christ for thirty pieces of silver but also reflects the undervaluation and rejection by the leaders of Israel.

New Testament Fulfillment

1. Matthew 21:42 · Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" Here, Jesus directly applies Psalm 118:22 to Himself, indicating that the religious leaders' rejection of Him fulfills this prophecy.

2. John 1:11 · "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him." The Apostle John succinctly captures the essence of Christ's rejection by the Jewish leaders and people. Despite being the promised Messiah, He was not accepted by those who were eagerly awaiting Him.

3. Acts 4:11 · "This Jesus is 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.'" Peter, addressing the Sanhedrin, reiterates the fulfillment of the prophecy from Psalm 118:22, emphasizing that the rejection by the Jewish rulers was a pivotal moment in God's salvific plan.

4. Mark 8:31 · "Then He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again." Jesus Himself foretold His rejection by the Jewish authorities, aligning His mission with the prophetic scriptures.

The rejection of Christ by the Jewish rulers is a profound testament to the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. It serves as a reminder of the divine orchestration of salvation history, where even the rejection and suffering of the Messiah were foreseen and purposed for the redemption of humanity.Psalm 118:22
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Remaining Books of the Old Testament.
... Such is the wonderful prophecy of Moses respecting the history ... is preeminently in
Christ that the prophecies of the ... by the writer's relation to Christ, so was ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xi remaining books of.htm

Paul and Silas in Thessalonica and Berea.
... Of those prophecies they adopted a literal interpretation ... Jews, unless their erroneous
ideas respecting the Messiah ... opening and alleging, that Christ must needs ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xix paul and silas.htm

Interpretation of Prophecy.
... to become absorbed in calculations beforehand respecting its dates is ... of these psalms
in Christ; and his ... in the interpretation of those prophecies which relate ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxviii interpretation of prophecy.htm

Introductory Notice Respecting Tauler's Life and Times
... prove that the numerous legends and prophecies current in ... All that we can discover
respecting the commencement ... chief work, the "Imitation of Christ's life of ...
/.../introductory notice respecting taulers life.htm

The Christ of the Gospels. By Rev. Professor Schaff.
... performed by him, and the prophecies fulfilled in ... pregnant with the deepest meaning
respecting the counsel ... Christ represents himself, moreover, as being not of ...
/.../the christ of the gospels.htm

Subject Index
... Isaiah, his prophecy respecting the virgin conceiving, vindicated against ... but Simon
of Cyrene in His stead, [1306 ... and Christ, proved from the writings of Paul ...
/.../irenaeus/fragments from the lost writings of irenaeus/subject index.htm

The Seven Trumpets.
... as more appropriately pertaining to other prophecies, the defence ... It is that respecting
which they inquired, as ... TIMOTHY that the Lord JESUS CHRIST will judge ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the seven trumpets.htm

Book ii. Jerome Answers the Second, Third, and Fourth Propositions ...
... Destroy not with thy meat him for whom Christ died ... sinners, I am to infer His wishes
respecting ourselves ... And this is why Lazarus after his resurrection is [4827 ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/book ii jerome answers the.htm

The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
... To Zechariah's authentic prophecies were added the earlier ones ... A more definite
testimony respecting the canon is ... about the time of Christ,"Assiim, Perushim ...
/.../davidson/the canon of the bible/chapter ii the old testament.htm

The Book of Enoch
... of a writing of Enoch respecting the reward ... The writer especially had studied the
prophecies of Daniel ... some portion of the truth concerning Christ's nature and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the book of enoch.htm

How can we trust that biblical prophecy can indeed predict the future? | GotQuestions.org

Was Nostradamus a true prophet of God? | GotQuestions.org

Surviving the end times - what do I need to know? | GotQuestions.org

Prophecies: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus