The “Death, Burial & Resurrection” of the Messiah described and prophesied 800 – 1,000 years before His death. Isaiah 53:9 in the J.P.S. translation reads, “And they (plural) made (assigned) his grave with the wicked; (He was crucified with criminals so He would be buried with them, that was the law) and with the rich his tomb; Although he had done no violence; Neither was any deceit in his mouth.” For the sin of blasphemy they dug a grave in the ‘Valley of Hinnom,’ the garbage dump, polluted with pigs blood and threw their body in it with their cross member so they would bear their shame for all eternity. “Humanity vented its spleen in vicious treatment of God’s Holy One.” The criminals were not buried but thrown on the garbage dump to be eaten by the rodents and worms (rimmah – maggots) and burned by the fire that was never quenched. Thus fulfilling Isa. 53:9, “His grave was with the wicked but his tomb was with the rich.” In Matt. 27:57-60; Jn. 19:38-42 you have Joseph of Arimathaea, a rich man taking the body of Yeshua/Jesus down washing it, anointing it, wrapping it and pouring 100 pounds of spices on it and putting it in his tomb with Nicodemus, ‘The Teacher of Israel.’
Gehenna was in the ‘Valley of Hinnom‘ where in ancient times human sacrifices were offered, II Chron. 33:6; Jer. 7:31; and where continuous burning of rubbish illustrated for the Jewish people, unending punishment of the wicked. The word occurs 12 times in the Newer Testament and every time except once it is spoken by Yeshua/Jesus in the most solemn warning of the consequences of sin. He described it as the place where, “the worm never dies and the fire is never quenched.” Mk. 9:44. An expression identical in meaning to the, “lake of fire” in Rev. 19:20; 20:10, 14, 15.
Some have said to me, “Well Yeshua/Jesus only needed the tomb for the weekend so it wasn’t a big deal for Joseph.” I doubt the tomb was ever used again, but John 19:39-40 says, “Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.” Interesting, He was wrapped in swaddling clothes when He was born as a sign to the shepherds and in linen clothes at His death as a sign to His disciples. However, the key is in v.39; Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes about 100 pounds weight, that’s about 65-75 pounds in our weight. Myrrh cost about $4,000.00/lb. at that time, so 65-75 pounds would have cost around, $200,000.00 without the tomb. Pretty expensive funeral, wouldn’t you say? ‘Don’t spend so much money on their funeral, they will never know!’ How about the woman in Mark 14:3-11, who broke an alabaster box of ointment worth 300 denarii, a full years wages, and poured it on Yeshua/Jesus in one selfless shot! His disciples complained, “Why this waste!” Waste, how can you waste for the Lord? He said, “Let her alone…She has wrought a good work on Me. She has come beforehand to anoint my body for burial.” A full years wages in one selfless shot, could you do that? Would you do that? This act of selfless love is what pushed Judas Iscariot over the edge, because he immediately went out and made his deal for Jesus’ price, at just 30 pieces of silver, 30 drachmas or 30 days wages. It could have been 30 tetradrachmas or 4 months wages, but compared to the alabaster box it was minute. Interesting if Christ was crucified on Friday, April 3, 33 AD as I believe, then this incident with Judas happened two days prior on Wednesday, April 1st (April Fools Day).
Some Jewish translations have, “And with the rich, in his death.” (ma-vet) death by violence as a penalty and it is an intensive plural, ‘DEATHS!’ This form emphasizes severe intensity and suggests a death so unthinkable that it is to be compared with dying again, and again, and again, and again…. Today we call this dying a “thousand deaths!” But He died a billion, no a trillion deaths! Just another glimpse into the infinite bitterness of the cup of Almighty God’s wrath the Messiah lifted with both hands in the ‘Garden of Gethsemane’ and drank to the very dregs for you and for me! There could be no accidental fulfillment of such a prediction! He was executed between two criminals, to make sure He would have a criminal burial, that was the law, but He was buried in a rich man’s tomb, wrapped in linen and $200,000.00 worth of spices, Jewish style! Try predicting your death and burial, and by the way you are penniless, have no where to lay your head, and the only thing you own is the shirt on your back and you are hated and hunted by the government and even your closest friends and family will forsake you. Got the picture, now write it out!
His execution by crucifixion was announced 1,000 years before it took place, which was never a Jewish method, ever! Read Psalm 22:1-18, in fact read the whole Psalm, all 31 verses it is quite moving. In Ps. 22 the ‘Good Shepherd’ dies for his sheep; In Ps. 23 the ‘Great Shepherd’ cares for his sheep; and in Ps. 24 the ‘Chief Shepherd’ rewards his sheep. However, in Ps. 22:6 He says, “I am a worm and no man, a reproach of men, and despised by the people.” There are two words in Hebrew for worm, (rimah – maggot) and (towla – scarlet, deep red) The technical name for this worm is, ‘Coccus Illicis’ a small wingless bug known as the “Scarlet Worm.” It was from this worm that the ancients made their valuable scarlet dye to color their cloths by cutting them cut off the trees and grinding them to a powder. When the female “Scarlet Worm” was ready to mate the male would do his thing and fly away and she would climb a tree and attach her body to a tree permanently so she could never leave again. Her eggs were therefore protected until they were ready to leave and enter their own life cycle. As she died, she excreted a crimson fluid which the larvae ate, this stained her body and the wood around her. From the dead bodies of these (towla) or “Scarlet Worms” commercial scarlet dyes of antiquity were extracted. What a picture this gives of Jesus dying on the tree, shedding His precious blood, so we might live, that He might bring, “many sons unto glory.” Heb. 2:10. He died for us that we might live through Him! Job 25:6 has both Hebrew words for worm, “How much less man, who is a worm (rimah) and the son of man, who is a worm (towla)?” Isa. 1:18 says, “Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD; though your sins be as scarlet (towla) they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson (towla), they shall be as wool.”
His resurrection was prophesied 1,000 years before His death by King David in Psalm 16:8-10, “I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in sheol (hell) neither wilt thou permit (suffer) thine Holy One to see corruption.” You can see the fulfillment of this in Acts 2:22-32; 13:35-37, Paul is preaching in Antioch about the resurrection of Christ and he is using these passages, v.35 says, “Wherefore, he said also in another Psalm, Thou shalt not allow thine Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption; But he whom God raised again, saw no corruption.” (He is speaking of Christ!)
His ascension was prophesied 1,000 years before it occurred in Psalm 68:18, “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive. Thou hast received gifts of men, yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.” The fulfillment of this is in Eph. 4:8; Acts 1:9-11. There are so many prophecies in the Hebrew scriptures fulfilled in the birth, life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Christ, it is mind blowing. Some say as many as 333, others say as many as 456, predictive, precise, prophecies are fulfilled in Christ’s first coming. Over 558 references, listing over 109 qualities; the odds of just 8 being fulfilled in any one person are one in a 100 million! Even if you didn’t have a Newer Testament you could reconstruct large portions of Christ’s life based on what the Hebrew prophets foretold.
Read – Luke 24:25-27, & 44, “And He said unto them, These are the words which I spoke 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.” There are many prophecies yet to be fulfilled. The prophets did not just prophecy about Christ’s sufferings on earth, but about “The glory that should follow,” I Pet. 1:10-11. The sufferings of Christ are past, His glory is still ahead. Read Psalm 2; Isaiah 9:7; 11:4-10; Micah 4:1-5; and Zech. 14:1-9. These passages still refer to events in the future, about Christ’s dramatic return for the battle of Armageddon and His glorious kingdom on earth. Many of these have not taken place yet but they are clearly laid out for us in the Hebrew Scriptures, and just as the prophecies of His first coming were precisely fulfilled, so will those of His second coming be fulfilled. Now that we have looked at the area or sphere of Older Testament prophecies fulfilled and unfulfilled we need to spend some time in the Newer Testament, but that will have to wait till next time. So, until then, I guess we will see you, “…Between The Lines…”
“Survey of Bible Prophecy” – ‘Part #5’ – 03/21/13
Digging Into Prophecy 