Old Testament Prophecies

Justin Martyr, The First Apology Direct teaching

Since, then, we prove that all things which have already happened had been predicted by the prophets before they came to pass, we must necessarily believe also that those things which are in like manner predicted, but are yet to come to pass, shall certainly happen.

Origen, Against Celsus Direct teaching

The prophets, indeed, foretold what Christ should suffer, and set forth the reason why He should suffer.

Hippolytus, Treatise on Christ and Antichrist Direct teaching

2. For as the blessed prophets were made, so to speak, eyes for us, they foresaw through faith the mysteries of the word, and became ministers of these things also to succeeding generations, not only reporting the past, but also announcing I the present and the future, so that the prophet might not appear to be one only for the time being, but might also predict the future for all generations, and so be reckoned a (true) prophet.

Acts 3:24 Background

Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days.

Romans 1:2 Background

which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,

1 Peter 1:10 Background

Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,

John 5:39 Background

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Novatian, Treatise Concerning the Trinity Direct teaching

...Gospel in any way other than as He had been promised before by the Creator in the Scriptures of the Old Testament. This is especially so because the things predicted about Him were fulfilled, and the things that were fulfilled had been predicted. So, with good reason, I could truly and constantly say to that fanciful—I do not know what—Christ imagined by those heretics who reject the authority of the Old Testament, a Christ feigned and colored up from old wives' fables: Who are you? From where are you? By whom are you sent? Why have you now chosen to come? Why are you such as you are? Or how have you been able to come? Or why have you not gone to your own, except that by coming to what belongs to another you have proved that you have none of your own? What have you to do with the Creator's world? What have you to do with the Creator's man? What have you to do with the image of a body, from which you take away the hope of resurrection? Why do you come to another man's servant, and do you desire to win over another man's son? Why do you strive to take me away from the Lord? Why do you compel me to blaspheme and to be impious toward my Father? Or what shall I gain from you in the r

Novatian, Treatise Concerning the Trinity Supporting witness

But of this I remind you, that Christ was not to be expected in the Gospel in any other wise than as He was promised before by the Creator, in the Scriptures of the Old Testament;

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Direct teaching

...ignorance you did this wickedness. But those things which God foretold through the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has fulfilled. Therefore repent and be converted, so that your sins may be blotted out, and that times of refreshing may come to you from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ, who was prepared for you beforehand, whom heaven must receive until the times of the restoration of all things, which God has spoken by His holy prophets. For Moses truly said to our ancestors, 'The Lord your God shall raise up for you a Prophet from among your brethren, like me; Him you shall hear in all things whatever He says to you. And it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people.' And all the prophets from Samuel onward, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold these days. You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our ancestors, saying to Abraham, 'And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' To you first, God, having raised up His Son, sent Him to bless you, that each of you may turn from your iniquities.” Peter,

Novatian, Treatise Concerning the Trinity Supporting witness

especially as the things that were predicted of Him were fulfilled, and those things that were fulfilled had been predicted.

Victorinus, Commentary on the Apocalypse Supporting witness

especially as the things that were predicted of Him were fulfilled, and those things that were fulfilled had been predicted.

Tertullian, An Answer to the Jews Direct teaching

And so, since prophecy has been fulfilled through His advent — that is, through the nativity, which we have above commemorated, and the passion, which we have evidently explained — that is the reason withal why Daniel said, Vision and prophet were sealed;

Acts 3:18 Background

But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.

Matthew 1:22 Background

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

Luke 21:22 Background

For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

Luke 4:21 Background

And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Proverbs 8:29 Background

According to these articles did the Romans make a covenant with the people of the Jews.

Isaiah 48:3 Background

“The former things I declared of old; they went out from my mouth, and I announced them; then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.

Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Direct teaching

... the truth? But the holy John, the greatest of the evangelists, also tells us of the giving and diffusing of grace for grace. For he indicates that we have received the law of Moses out of the fullness of Christ. And he means that, for that one grace, this other grace has been made perfect in us through Jesus Christ. “It was also to show this that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself spoke in these words: ‘Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you, even Moses, in whom you hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?’ “And besides all these words, there are still many other passages that could be brought forward, both from the Apostle Paul and from the Gospels. By these we are able to prove that the old law belongs to no other than that Lord to whom the New Testament also belongs. And it would suit us very well to present them, and to use them in a satisfying way. But now the evening prevents us from doing so, for the day is drawing to its close, and it is right that we should now bring our disputation to an end. However, tomorrow you will

Novatian, Treatise Concerning the Trinity Direct teaching

...and that after this it is related, "And God made man; in the image of God He made him"? Or when he holds in his hands, "The Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah fire and brimstone from the Lord from heaven"? Or when he reads, as said to Christ, "You are my Son, this day I have begotten You. Ask of me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession"? Or when that beloved writer also says, "The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand, until I make Your enemies the stool of Your feet"? Or when, unfolding the prophecies of Isaiah, he finds it written this way, "Thus says the Lord to Christ my Lord"? Or when he reads, "I came not down from heaven to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me"? Or when he finds it written, "Because He who sent me is greater than I"? Or when he considers the passage, "I go to my Father, and your Father; to my God, and your God"? Or when he finds this placed alongside the others, "Moreover, in your law it is written that the witness of two is true. I bear witness of myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness of me"? Or when the voice from heaven says, "I have both glorified Him, and I wil

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Direct teaching

“As, therefore, all these latter prophecies refer to Christ and the nations, you should believe that the former refer to Him and them in like manner.

Victorinus, Commentary on the Apocalypse Supporting witness

...ss"; and after this it is written, "And God made man; in the image of God He made him"? Or when he holds in his hands this passage: "The Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah fire and brimstone from the Lord out of heaven"? Or when he reads these words, said to Christ: "You are my Son; this day I have begotten You. Ask of me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession"? Or when that beloved writer also says: "The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make Your enemies the stool of Your feet"? Or when, unfolding the prophecies of Isaiah, he finds it written like this: "Thus says the Lord to Christ my Lord"? Or when he reads: "I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me"? Or when he finds it written: "Because He who sent me is greater than I"? Or when he considers the passage: "I go to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God"? Or when he finds this set beside other statements: "Moreover, in your law it is written that the witness of two men is true. I bear witness of myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness of me"? Or when the voice from heaven says: "I have

Victorinus, Commentary on the Apocalypse Supporting witness

...see that before the foundation of the world He was the Word of God and God, we rightly believe and hold, according to the teaching of the Old and New Testament, that Christ Jesus is both God and man. What if this same Moses presents God as saying, “Let us make man after our image and likeness,” and then below says, “And God made man; in the image of God He made him; male and female He made them”? If, as we have already shown, it is the Son of God by whom all things were made, then certainly it was also the Son of God by whom man was appointed, for whose sake all things were made. Moreover, when God commands that man should be made, He is said to be God who makes man. But the Son of God makes man, that is, the Word of God, by whom all things were made, and without whom nothing was made. And this Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Therefore Christ is God. Therefore man was made by Christ as by the Son of God. But God made man in the image of God. Therefore He who made man in the image of God is God. Therefore Christ is God. So, with good reason, the witness of the Old Testament does not waver concerning the person of Christ, since it is supported by the revelation of the New

Victorinus, Commentary on the Apocalypse Supporting witness

That Christ is God, is Proved by the Authority of the Old Testament Scriptures.

Luke 24:44 Background

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

Luke 24:27 Background

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Acts 2:30 Background

Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,

Micah 5:2 Background

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Numbers 24:17 Background

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.

Victorinus, Commentary on the Apocalypse Direct teaching

...Gospel in any other way than as He had been promised before by the Creator in the Scriptures of the Old Testament. This is especially clear since the things predicted about Him were fulfilled, and the things that were fulfilled had been predicted. So, with good reason, I could truly and constantly say to that imaginary—I do not know what—thing of those heretics who reject the authority of the Old Testament, concerning a Christ invented and colored from old wives' fables: Who are you? From where do you come? By whom were you sent? Why have you chosen to come now? Why are you such as you are? How have you been able to come? And why have you not gone to your own people, except that by coming to what belongs to another, you have shown that you have none of your own? What do you have to do with the Creator's world? What do you have to do with the Creator's man? What do you have to do with the likeness of a body, when you take away the hope of resurrection from it? Why do you come to another man's servant, and why do you want to draw away another man's son? Why do you try to take me away from the Lord? Why do you force me to blaspheme and to be impious toward my Father? And what will

Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Direct teaching

...en, we must notice this passage in its bearing on the heretics, who search out those parts from the Old Testament where there is shown, as they themselves boldly claim, the cruelty of the Creator of the world in His purpose of avenging and punishing the wicked, or by whatever other name they wish to describe such a quality. They speak this way only so that they may say that goodness does not exist in the Creator. And they do not deal with the New Testament in a similar way, nor in a spirit of fairness, but pass by places similar to those which they think deserve blame in the Old Testament. For plainly, and according to the Gospel, the Savior is also shown, as they say, by His former words, not to speak distinctly for this reason: so that men might not be converted, and, being converted, might become deserving of the remission of sins. This statement by itself is in no way less than those passages from the Old Testament which they object to. And if they seek to defend the Gospel, we must ask them whether they are not acting in a blameworthy way by dealing differently with the same questions. While they do not stumble at the New Testament, but seek to defend it, they nevertheless

Tertullian, Against Marcion Direct teaching

The whole of the Old Testament, the heretic, to the best of my belief, holds in derision.

Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Supporting witness

and the very sequence will show that the Old Testament belongs to Him to whom also the New Testament pertains.

Tertullian, Against Marcion Direct teaching

In the same way, He says, “Their fathers did this to the prophets.” Luke 6:26 What a turncoat Marcion's Christ is! Now the destroyer, now the defender of the prophets. He destroyed them as their rival, by converting their disciples. He defended them as their friend, by branding their persecutors with shame. But since the defense of the prophets could not be consistent in Marcion's Christ, who came to destroy them, so it is fitting for the Creator's Christ to brand those who persecuted the prophets, because in all things He fulfilled their predictions. Again, it is more characteristic of the Creator to reproach sons for their fathers' sins than of that god who punishes no man even for his own misdeeds. But you will say that He cannot be regarded as defending the prophets simply because He wanted to show the wickedness of the Jews in their ungodly treatment of their own prophets. Well then, in that case, no sin should have been charged against the Jews. They rather deserved praise and approval when they mistreated those whom Marcion's absolutely good god, after so long a time, finally stirred himself to destroy. I suppose, however, that by this time he had ceased to be the absolutely

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching

...ering what fully belongs to and fits the Sovereign God, and by establishing each point shown in the Scriptures again from other similar Scriptures. So then, they are not willing to turn to the truth, because they are ashamed to give up the claims of self-love. Nor are they able to support their opinions without forcing the Scriptures. But after they have first published false teachings to people, openly fighting against almost the whole of Scripture, and being constantly refuted by us who oppose them, they then do the following. On the one hand, even now they refuse to accept the prophetic Scriptures. On the other hand, they speak badly of us as if we were of a different nature and unable to understand what is special to them. Sometimes they even deny their own teachings when those teachings are refuted, because they are ashamed to admit openly what they glory in teaching in private. This can be seen in all the heresies, when you examine the evil in their teachings. For when they are overthrown by our clearly showing that they are opposed to the Scriptures, one of two things can be seen in those who defend the teaching. Either they despise the consistency of their own teachings,

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book IV Supporting witness

nor another Christ, the Son of God, besides Him who was foretold by the prophets.

Victorinus, Commentary on the Apocalypse Direct teaching

...ersy against pure tradition and the Catholic faith, while taking offense at Christ, and because the Scriptures also declare Him to be God, and we also believe this, we must rightly contend that Christ is also God, so that every heretical slander may be removed from our faith. Yet we must do this in such a way that it does not go against the truth of Scripture, or against our faith, which declares and believes from Scripture that there is one God. For both those who say that Jesus Christ Himself is God the Father, and those who want Him to be only a man, have drawn from there the sources and reasons for their error and perversity. When they saw that it was written that God is one, they thought they could hold their opinion only by supposing that either Christ was only a man, or else that He was truly God the Father. And they used to join together their clever arguments in such a way as to try to defend their own error. So those who say that Jesus Christ is the Father argue like this: If God is one, and Christ is God, then Christ is the Father, since God is one. If Christ is not the Father, because Christ is God the Son, then it seems that two Gods are introduced, contrary to the

Novatian, Treatise Concerning the Trinity Supporting witness

nor is the power of the New Testament detracted from, while its truth is resting on the roots of the same Old Testament.

Tertullian, Against Marcion Supporting witness

...r off, "built upon the foundation of the apostles," Ephesians 2:17-20, and, the apostle added, "the prophets." But the heretic erased these words, forgetting that the Lord set in His Church not only apostles but prophets also. No doubt he feared that our building would stand in Christ upon the foundation of the ancient prophets, since the apostle himself never fails everywhere to build us up with the words of the prophets. For where did he learn to call Christ the chief corner-stone, Ephesians 2:20, except from the figure given in the Psalm: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the head stone of the corner?"