Topical Bible: Prophets: Christ Exercised the office of

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In the biblical tradition, prophets are individuals called by God to deliver His messages to the people. They serve as intermediaries between God and humanity, often conveying divine will, warnings, and future events. Jesus Christ, in His earthly ministry, fulfilled the role of a prophet, among His other offices of priest and king.

Old Testament Prophecies of the Coming Prophet

The Old Testament contains several prophecies that foretell the coming of a prophet like Moses. In Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses declares, "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him." This prophecy is understood by Christians to point to Jesus Christ, who would come as the ultimate prophet, revealing God's will and purpose.

Christ as the Fulfillment of the Prophetic Office

Jesus explicitly identified Himself as a prophet. In Luke 4:24, He states, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown." This self-identification aligns with His role in proclaiming the kingdom of God and calling people to repentance. His teachings, parables, and miracles all serve as evidence of His prophetic office.

Prophetic Declarations and Teachings

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus makes numerous prophetic declarations. He foretells His own death and resurrection, as seen in Matthew 16:21: "From that time on Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."

Jesus also prophesies the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, an event that occurred in A.D. 70. In Matthew 24:2, He says, "Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."

Miracles as Prophetic Signs

The miracles performed by Jesus serve as signs of His prophetic authority. In John 6:14, after the feeding of the five thousand, the people recognize Him as the Prophet: "When the people saw the sign that Jesus had performed, they began to say, 'Truly this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.'"

Rejection and Acceptance

As with many prophets before Him, Jesus faced rejection. In John 1:11, it is written, "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him." Despite this, many recognized His prophetic role, as seen in the acknowledgment by the Samaritan woman in John 4:19: "Sir, the woman said, 'I see that You are a prophet.'"

The Ultimate Revelation

Jesus, as the ultimate prophet, not only conveyed God's message but embodied it. Hebrews 1:1-2 affirms this: "On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets. But in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe."

In His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled the prophetic office, revealing the fullness of God's redemptive plan for humanity. His role as a prophet is integral to understanding His mission and the unfolding of God's kingdom.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 24:1-25:46
And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Mark 10:32-34
And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen to him,
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Christ and his Apostles, Without any Fraud, Deception, or ...
... and enigmas: so that the Lord and the apostles exercised the office ... those of the
circumcision" Him who had been foretold as Christ by the prophets; that is ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter v christ and his apostles.htm

Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists.
... But they never exercised their divine authority in arbitrary and despotic ... themselves,
a partaker of their redemption, a beloved brother in Christ. ... 2. Prophets. ...
/.../section 60 apostles prophets evangelists.htm

The Greater Prophets.
... days to prepare the world for Christ's advent, can ... of those belonging to the greater
prophets, stands at ... He certainly exercised the prophetical office to the ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxii the greater prophets.htm

The Extraordinary Teachers of the Apostolic Church; and Its ...
... too, that the ministrations of "the prophets," as well ... is the most illustrious of
Christ's ministers ... graces and endowments were better exhibited and exercised. ...
/.../killen/the ancient church/chapter ii the extraordinary teachers.htm

Of the Teachers and Ministers of the Church. Their Election and ...
... that its government should be exercised and administered ... to the institution of Christ,
are named ... Paul, first, Apostles; secondly, Prophets; thirdly, Evangelists ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 3 of the teachers.htm

The Man Christ Jesus
... He exercised the double office to the great blessedness of ... When Christ, who is our
life, shall appear, then shall ... Prophets and seers all pointed to him as The ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 31 1885/the man christ jesus.htm

The Temptation of Christ
... to fulfill the law and the prophets, thus shamefully ... temptation, make a minister."
If now exercised with spiritual ... in the grace which is in Christ Jesus, and ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/the temptation of christ.htm

The Resurrection of Christ; his Last Interview with his Disciples ...
... which Providence has, in all ages, exercised a particular ... the testimony of Moses
and the Prophets, nor the ... were appointed to be "witnesses" of Christ to the ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture i the resurrection of.htm

On the Offices of Our Lord Jesus Christ
... success; all of which were executed by Christ in a ... persons; and with an authority
which was never exercised by other teachers, not even by the prophets. ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 14 on the offices.htm

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath Day and Defends his Act.
... will, but his will is not arbitrarily exercised. ... Christ's transforming grace still
witnesses to Jew and ... revelations, through the medium of prophets and angels ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xxxvii jesus heals on the.htm