Old Testament predictions that point forward to the Messiah, the Anointed One promised to Israel—predictions pointing to Jesus Christ, especially to His first advent. On the way to Emmaus on the day of His resurrection our Lord drew the attention of two disciples to many OT predictions concerning His life and mission that they had not previously understood in a Messianic sense. The NT writers, particularly Matthew, constantly apply OT passages to Christ.
Seventh-day Adventists have accepted the historic Protestant emphasis on the fulfillment of the OT prophecies by Christ, including the first advent as fulfilling the prophecy of the 70 weeks of Dan. 9:24–27 . James White, in an 1853 pamphlet, listed nine major “signs” as evidence that Jesus had fulfilled OT prophecies: (1) The star spoken of in Num. 24:17 was fulfilled in the star of Bethlehem; (2) Christ was born of a virgin, Isa. 7:14 ; (3) He was born in Bethlehem, Micah 5:2 ; (4) the children of Bethlehem were subsequently slain, Jer. 31:15 ; (5) John the Baptist was a forerunner of Christ, Isa. 40:3 ; (6) Christ preached the gospel, or good news, Isa. 61:1 ; (7) Christ’s humility at His trial, Isa. 53:7 ; (8) the manner and circumstances of the death of Christ were foretold in Ps. 22:13–18 ; (9) the time of Christ’s first advent as a fulfillment of the 70 weeks of Dan. 9:24–27 (Signs of the Times, pp. 3-5).
The Messianic prophecies have been treated frequently, and often at considerable length, by many SDA authors. For example, in 1892 H. A. St. John used 32 OT prophecies in a chapter concerning the life and ministry of Christ in his book The Sun of Righteousness ( pp. 7-21). He included some of those cited by James White, went into greater detail on other points, and referred to additional prophecies. Some of his additional points are: Christ’s prophetic name Immanuel (God with us), Isa. 7:14 ; He was to be called out of Egypt, Hosea 11:1 ; He was to be a light bearer in Zebulun and Naphtali, Isa. 9:1 , 2 ; He was to heal the deaf, the dumb, and the blind, Isa. 29:18 ; He was to raise the dead, Isa. 61:1 ; His triumphal entry was predicted, Zech. 9:9 ; He was to be betrayed by His friends, Zech. 13:6 ; the price of His betrayal was to be 30 pieces of silver, Zech. 11:12 , 13 ; He was crucified with thieves, Isa. 53:12 ; Dan. 9:26 ; His life was one of poverty, Isa. 53:3 ; He would be given gall and vinegar on the cross, Ps. 69:21 .
Ellen White makes countless references to OT Messianic prophecies and their fulfillment by Christ (for example, PK 681–702; AA 223–228). In Fundamentals of Bible Doctrine, a t extbook on Bible doctrines in use for many years in many Adventist colleges, A. J. Wearner lists 50 Messianic prophecies (1945 ed., p. 38). Among those not already mentioned Wearner cites Christ as the seed of the woman, Gen. 3:15 ; as the seed of David, Jer. 23:5 , 6 ; as a prophet like Moses, Deut. 18:15–18 ; and that not one of His bones was to be broken, Ps. 34:20 .
SDA s believe that some of these OT passages constituted direct, intentional predictions of the nature, life, ministry, vicarious death, or resurrection of Christ at the time they were given (for example, Gen 3:15 ; Isa. 9:5 , 6 ; Micah 5:2 ; Mal. 4:2 ). In other instances, local historical events, certain features of which had points in common with the coming of the Messiah, became historical types of the Messiah (for example, Gen. 12:3 , cf. Gal. 3:16 ; Deut. 18:15 ; Isa. 7:14 ; Jer. 31:15 ; Hosea 12:1 ). In still other instances the personal experiences and insights of inspired writers, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, were seen later as prefiguring Christ (for example, Ps. 22:7–18 ; 34:20 ; 69:21 ).