All the Old Testament prophecies regarding the arrival of the Messiah can be divided into two different categories. The one contains references to the suffering Messiah - the One who came as a Servant and as the Lamb of God. The other category contains references to the Messiah as King and mighty Ruler. The Jews were not able to distinguish between these two categories, and that was the reason why they had such a misconception about the coming of the Messiah in the first century. They expected the conquering Messiah who would only come once to free them from the Roman yoke, and then re-establish the throne of David in Jerusalem. They simply could not, or would not, accept the fact that He first had to come as the suffering Messiah to pay the price for the sins of His people. That is why they were not well disposed to recognise Him.

In Psalm 22, the suffering and death of the Messiah is foretold in vivid terms:

Psalm 2 describes God's judgement of the rebellious nations of the earth during the great tribulation and in the Messiah's millennium reign after that:

One of the most striking prophecies about the suffering Messiah who died to pay the price for our sins, has been recorded by Isaiah:

Mention is also made by Isaiah of the righteous government of the ruling Messiah:

Israel was told to look out for a humble Messiah riding on a donkey:

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Zech. 9:9; emphasis added).

The arrival of the conquering Messiah will be quite different to the way in which Jesus approached Jerusalem on a donkey at His first coming.

Whereas these and many other prophecies in the Old Testament refer directly to the Messiah, certain Scriptures describe types of the Messiah. For example: the sacrificial lamb that had to be slaughtered when the Jews left Egypt, was a type of the Messiah. He is the Lamb of God who had to shed His blood to free His people from sin. Explaining this, Paul said: "For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Cor. 5:7). The names Christ and Messiah have exactly the same meaning. Christ is derived from the Greek word and Messiah from the Hebrew word for The Anointed One. He was anointed as Prophet, Priest and King. The Messiah had to die for the sins of His people first, in order to free them spiritually. Only then could His Kingship be established over their lives.

The rock that was cleaved in the desert, from which the water flowed for the people of Israel, was a symbol of our rock, Jesus Christ. He is the rock that was broken for us (1 Cor. 10:4) and on whom our new lives are built. The water flowing from the cleaved rock is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. He was poured out over spiritually thirsty people who would humble themselves and bow down at the rock:

"On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying: If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (Jn. 7:37-39).

The manna that fell from heaven in the desert was a type of Jesus, who is also described as the Bread of life:

"Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said to them: Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Then they said to Him: Lord, give us this bread always. And Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst" (Jn. 6:31-35).

The serpent that Moses made in the desert and put on a pole, was a symbol of the work that Jesus did when He died on the cross:

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (Jn. 3:14-15).

The people were bitten by poisonous snakes in the desert, and would surely have died. God intervened and ordered Moses to make a serpent. Then all who had been bitten had to look up at the serpent, and they were healed straight away. Israel and all the nations of the world are facing certain death because of the lethal venom of the serpent, Satan. Through Adam and Eve's disobedience in the garden of Eden, his evil has permeated all of mankind. Therefore, all people must in faith lift up their eyes to the cross of Jesus Christ, for only then will they be healed spiritually and receive new life in Christ.

Furthermore, there are quite a number of Old Testament persons who are types of Christ, the Messiah.

Abraham loved his son Isaac dearly, therefore we can imagine what he must have felt when the Lord gave him this extraordinary order: "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you" (Gen. 22:2). Abraham obeyed, and so did Isaac. They were both prepared to do what the Lord had said. Isaac even carried the wood on his shoulders and climbed the mountain on which he was to die as a burnt offering. Many years later the temple of the Lord was to be built on that very same mountain. Thousands of animals were sacrificed there and became types of the final sacrifice of the Lamb of God, who was to be offered in Jerusalem for the sins of the entire human race. Like Isaac, Jesus was prepared to lay down His life, and He also carried the wood on His shoulders as He was driven to the place where He was to be sacrificed.

Isaac, however, was raised from the altar and given back to his father:

"By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said: In Isaac your seed shall be called, accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense" (Heb. 11:17-19).

Many centuries later the Messiah gave His life so that others could be saved, but He rose from the dead and returned to His Father in heaven. As such He won a victory over death.

Joshua is also regarded as a type, or forerunner, of Jesus. In Hebrew his name, Yashua, is exactly the same as that of Jesus. The name Yashua means God is Salvation, and Joshua was the man who led the people of Israel across the Jordan into the Promised Land. The River Jordan flows into the Dead Sea and is a symbol of death. The spiritual interpretation of the crossing of the Jordan is that we must first die with the One who saved our souls by dying for us, before we can receive our spiritual heritage (Gal. 2:20). The great victories of Joshua and Israel are indications of the victorious life Jesus wants each one of His followers to live. Israel would never have reached their destination without a leader like Joshua. They would have remained in the wilderness. The Israelis of today are slowly realising that if their Messiah and Saviour doesn't come soon, there will be no hope for them in this evil and dangerous world in which they constantly have to struggle for survival.

David, the triumphant warrior-king of Israel, was another type of the Messiah who saved His people from the power of darkness. The promised Messiah would be a descendant of David. He would be from the royal tribe of Judah and would also be known as the Son of David:

"He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end" (Lk. 1:32-33).

Solomon was a type of the wisdom and spiritual wealth of the Messiah, while the abundance in his palace foreshadowed the illustrious feast that will be prepared for His people by the great King. Samson, on the other hand, was a symbol of the Lord's strength by which He saved His people. Gideon and his men were symbols of the great things that the Messiah and His small group of men could do in this hostile world.

In Joseph we find one of the most obvious types of the Messiah in the Old Testament. His life not only portrayed the Messiah's life during His first coming, but also during His second coming. In him we see the suffering Messiah who was rejected and unjustly condemned by His people, but also the victorious King who will have mercy on His people.

The following excerpts from Genesis 37 to 50 are specifically significant concerning Joseph as a type of Jesus:

"Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children... And Israel said to Joseph: Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them. So he said to him: Here I am" (Gen. 37:3, 13). Jesus was also the dearly loved Son who was prepared to go to His brothers, the Jews, when His father sent Him. He "stripped Himself [of all privileges] so as to assume the guise of a servant" (Phil. 2:7 AB).

We read that Joseph's brothers saw him coming from afar, and "even before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him... Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt" (Gen. 37:18, 28). Jesus was also betrayed and sold for the price of a slave: "Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him... Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said: What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you? And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver" (Mt. 26:3-4, 14-15).

Joseph was imprisoned by his owner because Potiphar's wife had accused him falsely. Two of his fellow-prisoners came from Pharaoh's palace - one was later freed, but the other one was executed. Jesus, who was innocent and without any sins, was also accused, crucified and sealed in a stone grave with guards outside. Two criminals were crucified on either side of Him - the one received eternal life while the other one died in his sins.

Joseph was finally freed and promoted to the second most powerful position in the country. "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?... You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you" (Gen. 41:38, 40). We know that Jesus was elevated after returning to heaven and that He sits at the right hand side of the Father: "God raised Him up to the heights of heaven and gave Him a name which is above every other name" (Phil. 2:9-10 LB).

Joseph had the answer to the problem with which the starving people were faced: "So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians: Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do" (Gen. 41:55). In the same way the Father sends a perishing world with their needs to His Son: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" (Mt. 17:5). The secret to eternal life lies in obeying the words of Jesus (Jn. 6:63).

Joseph's assistance was offered to famine-stricken people in all the surrounding countries: "So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the lands" (Gen. 41:57). Jesus, who sits on His Father's throne, offers an entire starving world the bread of life: "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger" (Jn. 6:35).

Israel was also afflicted by the famine: "When Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, Jacob said to his sons: Why do you look at one another? And he said: Indeed I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die" (Gen. 42:1-2). So they went to Egypt, where Joseph acted ungrudgingly towards them and saw to it that they had enough to eat: "Joseph gave a command to fill their sacks with grain" (Gen. 42:25). Jesus also accepts all people who come to Him. He satisfies their needs for salvation without reproaching them for the past sins that they have committed against Him. His promise is clear: "...the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (Jn. 6:37).

The eyes of Joseph's brothers were blinded to his true identity: "Joseph recognised his brothers, but they did not recognise him" (Gen. 42:8). Although the people flocked to Jesus when He came the first time, they did not recognise Him as the Messiah and King of Israel. Jesus said: "You know neither Me nor My Father" (Jn. 8:19).

Joseph arrested his brothers and insisted that the youngest one be brought to him. "Then they said to one another: We are truly guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us. And Reuben answered them, saying: Did I not speak to you, saying: Do not sin against the boy; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us" (Gen. 42:21, 22). The patriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel threw their brother into a deep well without thinking of the consequences.

Jesus received the same treatment. "Then the governor said: Why, what evil has He done? But they cried out all the more, saying: Let Him be crucified... And all those people answered and said: His blood be on us and on our children" (Mt. 27:23-25). They obviously did not know what they and their children would have to suffer because of this fatal decision.

Joseph saw how anxious his brothers were, and turned away so that they would not see his tears. He knew that they were still suffering because of what they had done to him so many years ago. Jesus experienced the same pain: "Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying: If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation" (Lk. 19:41-44).

Joseph felt no anger when he saw his brothers again - only love; and his love is a symbol of God's love for Israel. "Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still; therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord" (Jer. 31:20). Joseph's brothers bowed before him, just as he had seen them bowing in his dreams so many years ago (see Gen. 37:6-8). In this regard we read in the New Testament that every knee will bow before the Lord Jesus Christ and that every tongue will confess that He is Lord (Phil. 2:10-11).

Joseph revealed his true identity when he and his brothers met for the second time: "Then Joseph said to his brothers: I am Joseph; does my father still live? But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. And Joseph said to his brothers: Please come near to me. And they came near. And he said: I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life" (Gen. 45:3-5).

When Jesus comes the second time, the people of Israel will recognise Him as the true Messiah and King whom they had crucified: "And I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication. And they shall look upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him as one who is in bitterness for his first-born. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of the city of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo [over beloved King Josiah, who was mortally wounded at thirty-nine, and for whom the people's grief was extraordinarily deep. Like that will be the mourning of Israel, when they recognise as their once crucified Messiah Him Who has come to reign]" (Zech. 12:10-11 AB). "And someone will say to him: What are these wounds in your hands? Then he will answer: Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends" (Zech. 13:6). "They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say: This is My people; and each one will say: the LORD is my God" (Zech. 13:9).

We also read the following with regard to the second meeting between Joseph and his brothers: "And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another" (Gen. 43:33). Jesus, King of the Jews, can also tell the tribes apart. He will establish them according to Ezekiel 48 in the land when He comes again as King. Then many Jews will again be greatly surprised.

Joseph's whole family joined him in Egypt where he could look after them and see to all their needs. "Hasten and go up to my father, and say to him: Thus says your son Joseph: God has made me Lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children" (Gen. 45:9-10).

When the Messiah comes again, all the Jews who are still living in other countries will return to Israel to live with their King: "I will accept you as a sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered... Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I lifted My hand in an oath to give to your fathers" (Ezek. 20:41-42).

Just as Joseph gave bread to all the nations of the earth and did not exclude anyone, Jesus did not only come to supply the spiritual needs of Israel, but that of the whole world. When He came the first time, He was rejected by His own people. He therefore offered His message of salvation to the rest of the world. We also know that it has always been part of God's plan that Israel's Messiah would be a Saviour and King for the whole world:

The disciples who recognised Jesus as the Messiah when He came the first time, didn't know about the dispensation of world evangelism that would begin after He had been rejected by Israel. They thought that He would re-establish the throne of David during that time and become the ruler of the restored kingdom of Israel:

"Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying: Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And He said to them: It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts. 1:6-8).

Jesus did not deny that He would re-establish the kingdom of Israel, but He did say that the time for it had not yet come. Before that could happen, the world has to be evangelised. This idea was unacceptable to most of the Jews, but Paul defended his calling to evangelise the Gentile nations in terms of the world-wide mission implied by the messianic prophecy in Isaiah 49:

"When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.' When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honoured the word of the Lord" (Acts 13:44-48 NIV).

Jesus also used a parable to explain that nothing would come of their hopes for Him to immediately become King of Israel. For that purpose He would return later:

"Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. Therefore He said: A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them: Do business till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying: We will not have this man to reign over us. And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading... But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me" (Lk. 19:11-15, 27; emphasis added).

This parable referred to Herod Archelaus, successor and son of Herod the Great in Judea. Archelaus reigned between 4 BC and AD 6. It was his father, Herod the Great, who had commanded the killing of all the baby boys after the birth of Jesus (Mt. 2:16). The magi from the east had told him about the birth of the King of the Jews, and he had felt threatened by the news (Mt. 2:1-2).

Herod the Great died shortly after the massacre he had initiated, and his kingdom was divided between his three sons. Herod Archelaus became king of Judea, Herod Antipas the tetrarch of Galilee, and Herod Philip the tetrarch of the area east of the Jordan.

Emperor Augustus decided to uphold Herod's will in Rome, even though the Jews had sent a delegation to complain about Archelaus' atrocities. "But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying: We will not have this man to reign over us" (Lk. 19:14). After his return, Archelaus had his adversaries executed.

Matthew 2:19-23 confirms the fact that Archelaus was a much feared ruler. It was because of him that Joseph and Mary settled in Galilee and not in Judea after their return from Egypt:

"But when he (Joseph) heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets: He shall be called a Nazarene" (Mt. 2:22-23).

The deeper meaning of this parable does not refer to Archelaus as the ruler of the Jews in Jerusalem, but to Jesus Himself. He is the man of noble descent who had been born in a lowly stable in Bethlehem: "But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Mic. 5:2).

Jesus didn't reign as King when He came to earth the first time. That is why, in the parable, He describes Himself as the Man of noble birth who has to go to a far country to receive His kingdom. Archelaus travelled to Italy, but his status was diminished. He was made governor (etnarch) instead of king. He did not rule for long either.

The description of the ruler's journey to a far country refers to Jesus' ascension. In heaven He now fulfils His High Priestly function as Mediator and Intercessor. When He comes back from the far country, He will rule as King:

"After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen down. I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up, so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does all these things" (Acts 15:16-17; also see Amos 9:11-12).

The trumpets will sound when the Messiah comes in all His glory for the second time:

"Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying: The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Rev. 11:15).

During the time of the King's absence, that is after His ascension but before His return, His followers were to proclaim His message of salvation to the ends of the earth. They were to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and all over the world. He saw to it that they would be equipped to do it, for they would receive power when the Holy Spirit had come upon them (Acts 1:8).

The nobleman in the parable of Luke 19 called his servants before he left, gave each of them ten minas and said: "Do business till I come." The money is not a symbol of Jesus' salvation and grace, but of the enabling power that all believers receive from the Holy Spirit. The servants already belong to their Master. He has bought them and they are now in His service. Therefore, He also gives them the necessary equipment without which they would never be able to carry out the difficult assignment that He has given them.

Do business till I come, is a command for the Master's servants to attend to the affairs of His kingdom until His return. No servant can attempt this task without being equipped and strengthened by the Spirit of God. As soon as the King returns, He will summon His servants to give account of their handling of the affairs of His kingdom during His absence. Those who have been faithful to Him, will be rewarded:

"And behold, I am coming quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work" (Rev. 22:12).

When His servants have been rewarded, the King will turn to those who rejected Him: "But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me" (Lk. 19:27). From this sequence of events it is obvious that God's judgement will begin in His house. First, the Christians will appear before the judgement seat of Christ where their works will be tested. Only after that, the sinners who rejected the Lord by refusing His authority over their lives, will be judged according to their evil works:

In order to be able to distinguish the false messiah from the true Messiah, the biblical exposition about the way in which both of them will be revealed, must be carefully heeded. During the first half of the tribulation, Israel will be subjected to the tremendous seducing power of the false messiah. Jesus warned them against the false messiah, who will have such a great influence in Israel at this time:

"And Jesus answered and said to them: Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying: I am the Christ, and will deceive many... For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to you: Look, He is in the desert! do not go out; or: Look, He is in the inner rooms! do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be" (Mt. 24:4-5, 24-27).

The Messiah's public return on the Mount of Olives at the end of the great tribulation, will be a highly dramatic event. It will be like lightning that shines from east to west. The whole sky will be lit. Every eye will see Him, also those who crucified Him. Unprecedented earthquakes will occur, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two. Then, sudden darkness will befall His enemies who will be deployed around Jerusalem in anticipation of His coming. They will be thrown into disarray and start killing one another (Zech. 14:4-14).

In spite of the tremendous satanic powers inherent in the false messiah, he won't be able to imitate the above event. His appearance will, nevertheless, be highly dramatic. He will even cause fire to fall from heaven (Rev 13:13). The main characteristic of his appearance will be an announcement of world peace. He will unite all religions into a false spiritual brotherhood under his personal leadership, and make the following statement: I am the Messiah and Redeemer of humanity, and I will bring peace to the world!

Israel and all the other nations are warned against false messiahs who will emerge from the deserts of the Middle East, do astounding miracles and proclaim themselves as the saviours of mankind. They will be deceivers who are not to be trusted. Even if such a person is allegedly in the inner room of a certain building, or for that matter on the television screens in private houses, people are warned not to expose themselves to his lies and false pretences.

That is the reason why Israel must not accept a messiah who comes in any other way than that described in the Bible, or anyone who offers another kind of peace. The false messiah will incorporate all the spiritual enemies of Israel - that is Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and others - in an alliance of false world religions and seduce Israel to join hands with them. Those who do not enter into this alliance and refuse to accept the false messiah as leader, will be persecuted in the most cruel ways possible.

Jesus warned His followers in Israel against this self-acclaimed world messiah:

"I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive" (Jn. 5:43).

Israel will soon face the hour of their final choice between the true Messiah and the false messiah. When making their choice, they will have to remember that the true Messiah never compromised with the ideologies of this godless world. Neither will He try and effect peace and unity with the false religions of the world when He comes again. His peace offer is still open to all people, but everyone who accepts it must accept Him as the only Messiah and as the only way to the kingdom of heaven: