 |  |
Prophecy.-- Joel 2:28, 'I will pour out my Spirit
upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy'.
Fulfilment.-- See all these promises and predictions fulfilled in Acts
2:1 -4; 4:31; 8:17; 10:44; 11:15.
SECTION II
Predictions
Relative
To
The
Offices
Of
The
Messiah
§ 1. That the Messiah was to be a Prophet and Legislator Like Unto
Moses, but superior to him, who should change the law of Moses into a
new and more perfect law, common both to Jews and Gentiles, and which
should last for ever
Prophecy.-- Deuteronomy 18:18,19, 'I will raise them up a Prophet from
among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth ...
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words
which He shall speak in my name, I will require it of him'. See also
Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:22 and 7:37.
Fulfilment.-- That the Messiah was to be a Prophet generally, see
8.
p. 18 supra; and how closely Jesus Christ resembled Moses, to whom he was
also infinitely superior in many respects, will appear from the following
particulars:
(i)
As to the dignity of his person. Hebrews 3:5,6, 'Moses verily
was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things
which were to be spoken after; but Christ as a Son over his own house; whose
house are we'. Other prophets had revelations in dreams and visions, but
Moses talked with God face to face. Christ spake that which he had seen with
the Father.
(ii) As to his legislative office. Moses was a Legislator, and the
Mediator of a covenant between God and Man. Christ was a Mediator of a
better covenant than that which was established by the sacrifice of bulls and
goats. The one was mortal; the other Divine. Other prophets were only
interpreters and enforcers of the law, and in this respect were greatly
inferior to Moses. This is of itself a sufficient proof that a succession of
prophets could not be solely alluded to. The person who was to be raised up
could not be like Moses in a strict sense, unless he were a legislator -- he
must give a law to mankind, and, consequently, a more excellent law; for if
the first had been perfect, as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews
argues, there could have been no room for a second. Christ was this
Legislator, who gave a law more perfect in its nature, more extensive in its
application, and more glorious in its promises and rewards.-- Hebrews
7:18,19, 'There is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for
the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect,
but the bringing in of a better hope (i.e. of a new law) did; by the which we
draw nigh unto God'.
The Law of Moses belonged to one nation only, but the Gospel, which is
the Law of Christ, is designed for all nations. The Messiah was to enact a
new law. Isaiah 2:3, 'Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of
the Lord from Jerusalem'. This new law or covenant was to be common to all
nations; see Isaiah 2:2,3 and 51:4,5; and was to endure for ever; see Isaiah
59:21; Jeremiah 31:34; Ezekiel 36:27; 37:26; Isaiah 55:3; 61:8; Jeremiah