Fifth. He was promised in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and
Hezekiah, kings of Judah—
1. By the name of a ‘branch’—’ In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious’ (Isa 4:2).
2. Under the name of the ‘son of a virgin’—’ Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, bear a son, and call his name Immanuel.’ This Matthew expounds on Christ (Isa 7:14; Matt 1:23).
3. He was promised under the name of a ‘rod’—’ There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.’ This answered the text: David was the son of Jesse, and Christ the Son of David (Isa 11:1, 2).
4. He is promised under the title of a ‘king’—’ Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness,—and a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land’ (Isa 32:1, 2).
5. He was promised under the name of an ‘elect servant’—’ Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighted; I have put my Spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, lift up, or cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench’ (Isa 42:1-3; Matt 12:17-20).
6. He was promised to Jeremiah under the name of ‘the Lord our Righteousness’—’ Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall reign and prosper; and shall execute judgment—in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS’ (Jer 23:5, 6).
7. He was promised by the prophet Ezekiel under the name of ‘David, a shepherd’—’ And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David is a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken it (Eze 24:23; John 10:1-3).
8. He was promised by the prophet Daniel under the name of ‘Messiah, or Christ, the most holy’—’ And after three and two weeks shall the Messiah be cut off, but not for himself’ (Dan 9:26).
9. He was promised by the prophet Micah under the name of the ‘ruler in Israel’—’ But thou, Bethlehem-Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come—that is to be ruler in Israel’ (Micah 5:2; Matt 2:6).
10. He was promised to Haggai as ‘the desire of all nations’—’ I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts’ (Hagg 2:7).
11. Zechariah promised him under the name of ‘servant and branch’—’ For, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.’ And again, ‘Behold the man whose name is the BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory’ (Zech 3:8, 6:12, 13).
12. Malachi promised him under the name of ‘the Lord, and the messenger of the covenant’—’ Behold, I will send my messenger. He shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in; behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts (Mal 3:1).
Indeed, the Scriptures of the Old Testament are filled with promises of the Messiah to come, prophetical promises, and typical promises, for all the types and shadows of the Saviour are virtually so many promises.
Sixth. Having therefore touched upon the prophetical, I will briefly touch on the typical promises also, for as God spake at sundry times to the fathers, so also in diverse manners, prophetically, providentially, typically, and all of the Messias (Heb 1:1). The types of the Saviour were various—1. Sometimes, he was typed out by men; 2. Sometimes by beasts; 3. Sometimes by insensible creatures.
