INTRODUCTION

Biblical authors rarely wrote straightforward explanations of their theology or even

introductory sentences to orient the reader with their narrative perspective. However, they use a

plethora of subtle methods to convey thought patterns. Among them is the motif, a concept

borrowed by biblical scholars from the world of music and literature. 1 Messiah, Anointed One or

Christ in Greek took its meaning from the Jewish practice of anointing of their priests and kings.

But this term was applied in a special sense to the future Ruler who would be sent from God to

sit on the throne of David forever.

This paper examines the literary device of motif. It also examines the Messianic term

determining its etymology and import in the scriptures. The paper also highlights a few passages

of scriptures with Messianic themes through the Torah such as in the promise to the Patriarchs,

in God’s promise of seed(s), in God’s promise of plurality of Kings, in the testament of Jacob, in

Balaam’s vision in Number 24, also in the Nevi’im it looks at the messianic themes in Hannah’s

song in the book of Isaiah, also examines the books of Amos, Hosea and Zechariah and the

suffering servant in Isaiah. The paper further examines messianic themes in the Ketuvim,

examining some portions of the Psalms and Songs of Solomon. Lastly, this paper looks at the

fulfillment of messianic expectations in the New Testament (NT) through the denial of John the

Baptist as the Messiah, the Samaritan woman’s expectation and the public ministry life of Jesus.

It journeys through the scriptures discovering the messianic expectation as a constant woven

through the fabric of the books of the scriptures right from Genesis all the way down to

Revelation.

1
https://hebraicthought.org/biblical-motif-levites-case-study/ Accessed on the 01/10/2023

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 WHAT IS A MOTIF?

Motif is a literary technique that consists of a repeated element that has symbolic

significance to a literary work. Sometimes, a motif is a recurring image. Other times, it is a

repeated word, phrase, or topic expressed in language. A motif can be a recurring situation or

action. It can be a sound or smell, a temperature, or even a colour. It is a repeated element and

indeed by nature mobile.

THE NATURE OF THE TERM MESSIAH

Etymology

The word ‫ ָמ ִׁש יַח‬as a verb, means “to rub with oil, anoint”. This verb refers to both objects

and persons. The nominal form ‫ משיח‬is used as an adjective, means “anointed”, and as a noun

“anointed one”. Persons of whom it can be said that they are “anointed (ones)” are either priests,

prophets, or kings in bible times. The act of anointing someone symbolised that God has

commissioned that individual for a specific task. 2 These individuals in the Old Testament (OT)

were usually Priests or Kings.

MESSIANIC EXPECTATIONS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Three principal varieties of the Messianic expectation are distinguished: (1) The Kingly

and National type, prevailing in such early passages as the Song of Deborah, the blessing of

Jacob (Gen 49), and the Balaam oracles; (2) The apocalyptic and catastrophic type, which looks

for vindication in the "Day of Jehovah," and finds its most pathetic frustration and

disillusionment in the ill-starred Messianic program of Haggai and Zechariah; and (3) The

2
Ake Viberg, Symbols of Law. A Contextual Analysis of Legal Symbolic Acts in the Old Testament.
(Stockholm: Almquist & Wiksell International, 1992) 34.

2
ethical and spiritual type, which in the fifth century comes to immortal expression in the ideal

atoning "Servant" of the Second Isaiah. All these varieties, of course, constantly cross-fertilize

one another in the religious life and writings of Israel, especially, as is to be expected, in the later

period.

MESSIANIC MOTIF/EXPECTATIONS IN THE TORAH (THE PENTATEUCH)

In the promises to the Patriarchs

On the examination of Genesis 1–3, an anticipatory messianic expectation emerges as the

most viable explanation which has made Genesis 3:15 be commonly referred to as

the protoevangelium meaning the “first gospel” because it is believed that it was the original

proclamation of the promise of God’s plan for the whole world because it gave the first parents a

glimpse of the person and mission of the one who was going to be the central figure in the

unfolding drama of the redemption of the world. The “seed/offspring” ‘zera’ mentioned in this

verse became the root from which the tree of the Old Testament promise of a Messiah grew. 3

The view expressed in the preceding paragraph was not generally accepted by many scholars and

the historical-critical method, arising from eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Enlightenment

rationalism, led interpreters to abandon the protoevangelium view altogether and to adhere to a

naturalistic view of the passage.4 By the late twentieth century, the weight of scholarly opinion

opposed the concept of Gen 3:15 as protoevangelium as stated by Claus Westermann in 1984,

though, his views do not imply widespread rejection of the protoevangelium view by

evangelicals during this time period.5

3
Walt C. Kaiser, The Messiah in the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995) 37-38
4
John L. Ronning, “The Curse on the Serpent (Genesis 3:15) in Biblical Theology and Hermeneutics” (Ph.D.
diss., Westminster Theological Seminary, 1997), 6–101.
5
Victor P. Hamilton, Genesis 1–17, NICOT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990), 200.

3
 In God’s Promise of Singular Seed

Although God initially spoke of the inaugural phase of his redemptive program being

mediated through the blessed rule of the future “kings” of Israel, he also repeatedly promised the

patriarchs a coming “seed” (Gen. 12:7; 13:15, 16; 15; 15:5, 13, 18; 16:10; 17:7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 19;

21:12; 22:17, 18; 24:7, 60; 26:3, 4, 24; 28:4, 13, 14; 32:12; 35:12; 48:4, 19). The singular form

of the term “seed” ‫( רֶעז‬zera) is crucial to a proper interpretation of the initial as well as the

ultimate manner in which God’s promise would be fulfilled. Hence, when promising seed to the

patriarchs, God inaugurated the fulfillment of his promise through Isaac, continued the

subsequent historic fulfillment through multiple descendants in subsequent generations of

Israelites, and brought about its climatic fulfillment in the Messiah. All of these were wrapped up

in the original promise.

In God’s Promise of a Plurality of Kings - Gen. 17:6, 16; 35:11

There is the plurality of the promise as kings emphasised in each of the three occasions

in which God revealed the initial phase of his royal program. The rest of Scripture shows this

culminating in the individual eschatological Messiah.

In the Testament of Jacob – Genesis 49 vs 8-12

One of the most intriguing traditions found in the “Testament of Jacob,” as Genesis 49:3-

27 is often referred to, concerns the blessing on Judah in vv. 8-12 which according to Wenham

“has provoked more discussion than the whole of the rest of the chapter” 6 The beginning of verse

6
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16-50, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 2, ed. John D. W. Watts (Dallas, TX:
Word Books, Publisher, 1994) 475.

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8, “you are Judah” with the use of the second person pronoun serves to underscore the fact that

the predication to follow uniquely and singularly concerns Judah. The idea of Judah’s strength is

evidenced in the reference to him as “a lion’s cub going up from the prey.” Thus, the image

speaks of Judah’s power and supremacy among the tribes and over her enemies. His sovereignty

is expressed in that no one dared challenge him, i.e., “rouse him.” The transition to the metaphor

of a sceptre and ruler’s staff underly leadership and dominance. The point of the image is that

Judah will continue to rule until Shiloh comes and the obedience of the nations is his.7

In the Future as Both Near and Far

The prologue of Jacob’s Testament emphasised that Jacob spoke of the future: “I will tell

what will happen to you in the future” (v. 1). The expression “in the future” (lit. “in the backside

of days”) may refer to the near historical as well as distant eschatological future. Elsewhere in

the Pentateuch, it refers to the near future (Deut. 4:30; 31:29), as well as the distant future.

In Balaam’s visions in Numbers 24

According to R.B. Allen without question, the most debated and the most important verse

in the oracle of Balaam is Numbers 24:17 and he named the theme of this verse as: ‘Israel Has a

Coming Deliverer’8 Scholars, the likes of Allegro and Luther, debased and devalued this verse as

they would not entertain the thought of the passage speaking of Christ, because they regarded

Balaam as an unworthy prophet.9 While writers such as Mowinckel and Becker found that the

promise from Numbers 24:17-19 is of no messianic significance but that it only describes a
7
ANEP no. 463; Hamilton, Genesis, 2:658, n. 26
8
Ronald B. Allen, “The theology of the Balaam oracles: A pagan diviner and the word of God”. Doctoral
dissertation. Dallas Theological Seminary. Dallas, Texas, USA, 1973. 457
9
Bornkamm, Heinrich. Luther and the Old Testament. Translated by Eric: W. and Ruth C. Gritsch. Ed. Victor
I. Gruhn. (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1969) 240.

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Jewish king, who will have victory over the Edomites, the Moabites and the Ammonites and

according to them, this king is David. 10 Other scholars opine that Balaam’s oracle is a prophecy

of David and his kingdom, though such a fulfillment does not exhaust the oracle. The ultimate

ruler to come will destroy the enemies of Israel for what they have done to God’s people, but

under his leadership, the nation will grow strong. With the reference throughout the oracles, and

indeed in this one, to the defeat of those who curse Israel on the one hand, and the ascendancy of

God’s nation on the other, one may legitimately connect the Balaam incident in general and the

reference to a coming ruler in particular, to the promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-

3.11

MESSIANIC MOTIFS IN THE NEVI’IM (THE PROPHETS)

In Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2: 1-10

The song of Hannah, recorded in First Samuel 2:1-10 and Mary’s Magnificat, found in

Luke 1:46-55 are quite similar to each other. Indeed, they are so similar theologians have

suggested Hannah’s song was a prophetic symbol pointing forward in time to Mary’s song.

Hannah’s hymn contains four primary themes: (1) the Lord’s kindness and benevolence; (2) the

Lord’s authority over both the wicked and his “faithful servants”; (3) the Lord’s eternal plan,

including the judgment of “the ends of the earth”; and (4) prophesies that the Lord will

strengthen and exalt his anointed king. The song builds in intensity, as it works its way toward a

prophetic crescendo. In the words of Patrick Fairbairn, Hannah “winged her flight aloft,” and

took an epic and “comprehensive survey of the general scheme of God,” from Abraham in the

10
Mowinckel, Sigmund. The Old Testament as Word of God. Translated by Reidar B. Bjornard. (Nashville
and New York: Abingdon Press, 1959) 13.
11
Philip J. Budd, Numbers, Word Biblical Commentary, ed. John D. W. Watts, vol. 5 (Waco, TX: Word Books
Publisher, 1984), 271.

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past to “the dispensation of Christ” that lay ahead 12 Biblical expositor, Matthew Henry suggested

Hannah’s prophesy might have referenced both “the government of Israel by Samuel, and by

[King] David whom he was employed to anoint” (1 Samuel 16), but also looked forward to “the

kingdom of Christ”13

In Amos and Hosea

Amos and Hosea prophesied independently for the Northern Kingdom of Israel at a time

of a decline in the moral and spiritual character of the people and political gloom. Some scholars

have interpreted the passage with messianic expectations such that the scripture promises a

restoration of the people of Israel after they have been taken captive, that they may rebuild the

cities that have been overthrown and re-establish their homes in the land of their fathers. The

Tabernacle of David which fell into ruins will be rebuilt. this was accomplished when the son of

Mary was seated in royal majesty at the right hand of God with the sceptre of Israel and of the

world in his hand. It has certainly been fulfilled in no other person. Hosea 1: 10-2:1, in the

opinion of Clinton Lockhart implies some ulterior purpose in the mind of God to be

accomplished through these people. The expressions “my people’’ and ‘‘sons of the living God’’

imply that the future Israel was to have a very close relationship with Jehovah and to enjoy rich

blessings at His hands. To a certain extent, this was fulfilled in Palestine after the Exile; but it

finds a far richer fulfilment in that more intimate relationship which Christian Israel has with

God and in the more perfect blessings bestowed on those who by the spirit of adoption cry,

Abba, Father.14

12
P. Fairbairn, The Typology of Scripture, vol. I & II. (Edinburgh: T. & T Clark, 1864).
13
M. Henry. (2021 ed. of 1610 original). Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible. [Online].
Available: https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henrycomplete/. Accessed on 05/10/1023.
14
Clinton Lockhart, The Messianic Message of the Old Testament (Chicago: The Christian Century Co.,
1905) 139

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 In Zechariah Chapters 9 to 14

There have been many writings and discussions about this part of Zechariah, such as

Who is the king entering Jerusalem in Zechariah 9:9, and how does this royal entry fit to the

allegory of the shepherd in Zechariah 11:4-17. Also, if the king entering Jerusalem in Zechariah
15
9:9 is a Davidic king, as agreed by many scholars one of them being Joachim Becker. How

does it fit with Zechariah 12:10, where the house of David will mourn over the one that they

pierced? And why is there no messianic figure in Zechariah 14? One major interesting thing

about the messianic texts in Zechariah is that they find an application in the New Testament.

Zechariah 9:9 is quoted in Matthew 21:5 and John 12:15. Moore states: “That this passage

applies to Christ is beyond all refutation.” 16 Other echoes of Zechariah in the New Testament

include Zechariah 10:4 in the New Testament, such as Jesus being called the cornerstone (1 Pet

2:4-9). Zechariah 11:12.13 is quoted in Matthew 27:9-10, where Judas is betraying Jesus for the

price of 30 pieces of silver. Zechariah 12:10 is quoted in John 19:37. Here, Jesus is crucified, and

John recites Zechariah where it is said that the Messiah will be pierced. This recalls what

Zechariah depicted in chapter 12, that they will mourn for him whom they have pierced (Zech

9:10). Zechariah 13:7 is quoted in Matthew 26:31.

In the suffering servant in Isaiah

When Isaiah declared the word of the Lord to wicked King Ahaz of Judah, he spoke of a

sign that foreshadowed the birth of the Messiah: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,

and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). The name or title Immanuel literally means

15
Joachim Becker, Messianic Expectation in the Old Testament (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1980), 72–73.
16
Thomas Moore, A Commentary on Zechariah, (Scotland: Banner of Truth Trust, 1958) 145.

8
“God is with us” and precisely describes Jesus of Nazareth, our God, born to the virgin Mary.

Later, in one of the prophetic “servant songs,” Isaiah used beautiful imagery to describe the

Messiah’s mortal beginnings. “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root

out of a dry ground, He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no

beauty that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2). Isaiah taught precisely how the Messiah would

minister in mortality. He prophesied that Christ would be elect, have God’s Spirit, bring forth

truth, light, and judgment to the “isles” (or the scattered covenant people) 17 and the Gentiles, he

will give sight to the blind, and set prisoners free (see Isaiah 42:1–4, 6; see also 49:6–11). Yet as

He did so, He would “not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street” (42:2). In

fact, in outward appearance His ministry would be of such a small stir that He would not break

even a fragile “reed,” although it may already be “bruised,” nor extinguish a candle “flax” or

wick, even though it was only “smoking” or smoldering (42:3). The imagery of this prophecy

also points to His careful concern for those to whom He ministered. He came not to crush or

abuse the tender, weak, ill, humble, and penitent, but rather to heal and help them. To those

gathered at the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus quoted Isaiah to reinforce this nurturing aspect of

His ministry and to identify Himself as the Messiah. “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,”

He declared, “because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath

sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the

prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (61:1–2). The

Messiah would also be well prepared and effective, Isaiah taught, like a “polished shaft,” and His

words would be mighty, like a “sharp sword”; yet as He worked in His ministry, He would be

“hid” from most of the world in the “shadow of [God’s] hand” and like an arrow “in his quiver”

17
Terry B. Ball, Isaiah and the Messiah. https://rsc.byu.edu/jesus-christ-son-god-savior/isaiah-
messiah#_note-6. Accessed on 08/10/2023.

9
(49:2). Consequently, rather than being recognized, accepted, and “esteemed,” the Messiah

would be “despised and rejected of men” (53:3). They would turn their backs on Him to hide

their “faces from him” and view Him as one deservedly “stricken” and “smitten of God” (53:3–

4). He would be “oppressed” and “afflicted” yet refuse to deliver or defend Himself (53:7). He

would give His “back to the smiters” and His “cheeks to them that plucked off the hair” and

would not hide His “face from shame and spitting” (50:6). He would be “taken from prison” and

denied justice, with no apparent friend or posterity to “declare his generation”

(53:8).18 Eventually, He would make His “grave with the wicked” (53:9; see Luke 23:32–33) and

yet be buried “with the rich” (Isaiah 53:9; see Matthew 27:57–60).

He explained that the Messiah’s “visage” would be “marred more than any man, and his

form more than the sons of men” (Isaiah 52:14) so that thereby He could “sprinkle many

nations” (Isaiah 52:15). In certain types of sacrificial rites under the Mosaic law, the priest was to

“sprinkle” the blood of the sacrificial animals as part of the purification and cleansing process

(e.g., Leviticus 4:6, 17; 5:9; 14:7, 16, 27; 16:14). Thus, the imagery of Isaiah teaches that the
19
marring or suffering of the Messiah would purify and cleanse the nations. In so doing, the

Messiah ultimately would conquer sin, death, and Satan, and men would rejoice in the victory,

declaring: “Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden,” “the staff of his shoulder,” and “the rod of

his oppressor” (Isaiah 9:4). Isaiah also explained the vicarious nature of Christ’s atoning

suffering. Using the prophetic perfect tense, he testified that the Messiah “hath borne our griefs,

and carried our sorrows”. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our

iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed”

(Isaiah 53:4–5). Isaiah further testified that “the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all”

18
https://rsc.byu.edu/jesus-christ-son-god-savior/isaiah-messiah#_note-7
19
https://rsc.byu.edu/jesus-christ-son-god-savior/isaiah-messiah#_note-9

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(53:6), and “for the transgression of [God’s] people was he stricken” (53:8). He understood that

through such vicarious suffering the Messiah would make “intercession for the transgressors”

(53:12) and “justify many” (53:11).

MESSIANIC MOTIF/ EXPECTATIONS IN THE KETUVIM (THE WRITINGS)

In some portions of the Psalms

In seeking the messianic expectations in the Psalms consideration must be given to the

background. In particular, the fact that the Psalmists belong as a whole to the inner circle of

Hebrew piety suggests a close connection with the similarly minded prophetic group20

Psalm 2: The second Psalm is included by Gunkel, among the Royal Psalms (i.e. Pss 2,

18, 20, 21, 45, 72, 101, 110, 132, 144: 1-11), and is therefore interpreted by him as referring in

exaggerated court style to a Hebrew king living before 586 B.C. On the other hand, J. M. P.

Smith characterises this as "the most definitely messianic of the psalms." The Psalm, in fact,

bears many marks of the Messianic expectation. The word "Messiah" occurs in v. 2. The

Messiah is pictured in the characteristic part of his activity which has to do with the Messianic

world conquest. In verses 6 and 8 he is given the nations as his inheritance, just as in the

Messianic Isaiah 55:4. With so many of the characteristic ideas and expressions of Messianism

present, one cannot reasonably deny that this Royal Psalm so-called is decidedly Messianic.

Psalm 22: This Psalm with its many details of suffering, was interpreted by some as

predicting the Messianic death on the cross, Whether the Psalm was originally intended as

20
George Dahl, The Messianic Expectation in the Psalter. Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. 57, No. 1 (Mar.,
1938), pp. 7

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Messianic is a fairly difficult problem. The Psalm describes a sufferer with stretched body,

feverish frame, and pierced hands and feet. He is surrounded by cruel enemies, who mock him

for his trust in God and divide his garments as their spoil. He is abandoned by God for a season

until he is brought to the dust of death. He is then delivered, and praises his deliverer with

sacrifices, in which the great congregation of Israel join. The ends of the earth are called upon to

turn unto Jehovah. The sufferings of this psalm are ideal sufferings, based upon the experience of

Israel in exile, and especially of the pious prophets; but they look forward to severer sufferings

than any that have yet been endured. This ideal is a Messianic ideal, that finds its only historical

realization in Jesus Christ.21

Songs of Solomon

In the context of the OT canon, the royal imagery in the Song, the invocation of the name

Solomon, and the garden setting all point to the possibility of a messianic understanding of the

Song of Songs. The Song is messianic in the sense that it leads readers to combine the images of

Israel’s wisest king with hints at her king after God’s own heart. As the Song progresses, readers

hear of a king accompanied not by thirty mighty men but by sixty (Song 3:7), while the din of

battle (3:8) and the uproar of the harem are a distant memory (6:8) replaced by an idealised

relationship (6:9). Here the recent emphasis on the Song as confirmation of ‘‘earlier teachings

about marriage while adding its own unique contribution about pre- and post-marital passions is

complemented by the fact that the model lover in the Song is also the model Israelite, the

messianic king.22

21
Charles A. Briggs, Messianic Prophecy (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1889) 326-327
22
Paul House, Old Testament Theology, (Dempster: Dominion and Dynasty, 1998) ,469

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 MESSIANIC MOTIFS/EXPECTATIONS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

The New Testament provides evidence of both messianic expectation and fulfilment. This

is because the dominant popular hope of the time, as has already been indicated, was for a king

like David who would be a political conqueror and liberator, and a nationalistic element is also

present in some passages of the New Testament (cf. Mat 2:2-12; Mark 15:32). Some other events

also affirm this, these include the following.

John the Baptist’s denial

When the Jews asked John, in John 1:20 “Who are you?” he responded, “I am not the

Christ”. What John did was deny that he is the prophesied Christos (ὁ χριστός), or Messiah. His

response implied that the attending Jews were familiar with the significance of the title without

explanation and were aware of the expectation of Messiah. In a follow-up question, the religious

interrogators ask, “Are you the Prophet?” (John 1:21), The inquiry references predictive

messianic prophecy in Deut 18:15, 18: John denies that he is the Prophet. The exchange between

John and the Jewish religious authorities at the onset of the presentation of Jesus as Messiah to

Israel incorporates Old Testament prophecies previously identified as messianic references.

The Samaritan Woman’s Expectation

Awareness of the eschatological ruler is not confined to the Jewish community. A woman

of Samaria reveals her expectation of Messiah. in an encounter with Jesus at a water well. After

Jesus reveals intimate details of her marital status, she identifies him as a prophet. In response to

his direct address concerning the worship of the Father, the woman says, “I know that Messiah is

13
coming. (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us” (John

4:25). Jesus discloses, “I who speak to you am He” (John 4:26).

Jesus' affirmation of His Messiahship through His public Ministry

Jesus was reluctant to apply the term ‘Messiah’ to himself, the only clearly explicit

reference being in John 4:25-26, in Jesus’ dialogue with the Samaritan woman: “The woman said

to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes, he will

proclaim all things to us.’” Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.” 23 But

Jesus did not deny the title either, and constantly stressed his fulfillment of OT hopes.

Throughout his public ministry, Jesus performs many signs in order to confirm his messianic

claims (John 20:30-31). At the conclusion of his ministry, he returns to Jerusalem where

opposition from the religious leaders intensifies and they plot to kill him. Jesus asks the gathered

Pharisees, “What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?” (Matt 22:41). The Pharisees’

identification of Christ as “the son of David” (Matt 22:42) implies religious awareness of

Scripture identifying Messiah (ַ‫( יחִ֖ ׁשָ מ‬as a Davidic descendant (2 Sam 7:12).24

MESSIANIC FULFILMENT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

The term “Christ” is now being used openly because, since Jesus had died and

resurrected, it is no longer likely to be interpreted politically. The central message believed and

taught as already shown, is that Jesus, now exalted to God’s ‘right hand’ is enthroned as

Messianic King (Ps 110:1; cf. Mark 14:62; Acts 2:34-36). ‘Christ’ therefore quickly came to be

23
D. Williams, New Concise Bible Dictionary (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 1989) 348.-351.
24
Jessica Taylor, Scope of Messianic Expectation.
https://www.academia.edu/19711256/Scope_of_Messianic_Expectation. Accessed on 03/10/2023.

14
used as a second name for Jesus, and the disciples became known as Christians (Acts 11:26).

Hence, Paul used “Christ” as a name in his earliest letters, and of the almost 400 occurrences of

the term in his writings only one (Rom 9:5) is clearly meant in the technical sense. 25

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

The Old Testament is littered with Messianic motifs, starting with Gen 3 vs 15 with the

promise of Messiah. This concept develops chronologically through the scriptures with

progressive prophetic details revealing the scope of God’s planned redemptive work where His

people would be ruled by a just and righteous king.

The New Testament bears witness to this hope and its fulfillment in and though the

ministry life of our Lord Jesus Christ particularly in the events of his trial, death, and

resurrection.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

25
D. Williams, New Concise Bible Dictionary (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 1989) 351-352.

15
Allen, Ronald B. “The Theology of the Balaam Oracles: A pagan diviner and the word of God”.
Doctoral dissertation. Dallas Theological Seminary. Dallas, Texas, USA, 1973.

Ball, Terry B. Isaiah and the Messiah. https://rsc.byu.edu/jesus-christ-son-god-savior/isaiah-

messiah#_note-6. Accessed on 08/10/2023.

Becker, Joachim. Messianic Expectation in the Old Testament Philadelphia: Fortress, 1980.

Briggs, Charles A. Briggs, Messianic Prophecy New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1889.

Dahl, George. The Messianic Expectation in the Psalter. Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. 57,
No. 1 Mar., 1938.

Fairbarn, P. The Typology of Scripture, vol. I & II. Edinburgh: T. & T Clark, 1864.

Hamilton, Victor P. Genesis 1–17, NICOT Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990.

Heinrich, Bornkamm. Luther and the Old Testament. Translated by Eric: W. and Ruth C.
Gritsch. Ed. Victor I. Gruhn. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1969.

Henry, M. Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible. (2021 ed. of 1610 original).
[Online]. Available: https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-
henrycomplete/. Accessed on 05/10/1023.

House, Paul. Old Testament Theology, Dempster: Dominion and Dynasty, 1998.

Kaiser, Walt C. The Messiah in the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.

Lockhart, Clinton. The Messianic Message of the Old Testament Chicago: The Christian Century
Co., 1905.

Moore, Thomas. A Commentary on Zechariah, Scotland: Banner of Truth Trust, 1958.

Ronning, John L. “The Curse on the Serpent (Genesis 3:15) in Biblical Theology and
Hermeneutics” Ph.D. diss., Westminster Theological Seminary, 1997.

Sigmund, Mowinckel. The Old Testament as Word of God. Translated by Reidar B. Bjornard.
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Taylor, Jessica. Scope of Messianic Expectation.

https://www.academia.edu/19711256/Scope_of_Messianic_Expectation. Accessed on
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