How Christ Fulfilled the Prophecies of Scripture
"All things must needs be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the psalms, concerning me. " - Luke 24:44
Exposition of Messianic prophecies - (I) In general.
All prophecies of the Old Testament agree in three statements:
1) All the prophets taught Monotheism and the moral law promulgated in the name of God for 1100 years. They preached faith in one God infinitely perfect, holy, just, merciful, exercising providential care of His people and rewarding them.
2) All the prophets foretold the universal and spiritual kingdom of God.
They announced the propagation amongst all nations of Monotheism (Is. 2:2-4; 27:7; 19:23-25; 41:18-25; 42:6-7- Mic 4:1-5).
The kingdom was foretold as one not merely external but internal (Os 2:7-19; 11:1-5; 14:2-5; Is. 4:4-6; 30:18-2; Ez. 11:19-20; 36:25-27).
3) All the prophets foretold the Messiah, prince of the Kingdom of God, mediator between God and men. They described more or less explicitly his origin, endowments, functions, passion and triumph.
(II) In specific - A) His coming and titles: 1) Origin:
His family line:
The coming of the Saviour of the world and his origin from the seed of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Juda and David are foretold:
Prophecy
(a) “God said to Abram: ‘In thee, shall all the kindred of the earth be blessed.’” (Gn 12:3)
(b) “God said to Isaac: ‘In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.’” (Gn 26:4)
(c) Jacob, substituted in place of Esau (Gen. 28; 14), heard the words: “In thee and thy seed all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed.”
(d) Balaam (Nm 24:17) prophesied: "I shall see Him but not now, I shall behold him but not near. A star shall arise out of Jacob and a sceptre shall spring up from Israel."
(e) Family of David (2 Kg 7:12-13; Ps. 88:36-37; Is. 11:1; Jm. 23:5-8; 33:14-18; Am 9:11-12; Os 3:5; Ez 34:23-24).
Fulfilment
“The genealogy of Christ: ... Abraham begot Isaac. And Isaac begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Judas and his brethren.[…]. And Obed begot Jesse. And Jesse begot David the king. And David the king begot Solomon, of her that had been the wife of Urias.[…]And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” (Mt ch. 1) (cf. also Lk 3:31-34; Eusebius I:7)
Special qualities of his parents:
“Behold a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son ...” (Is. 7:14).
“How long wilt thou be dissolute in deliciousness, O wandering daughter? for the Lord hath created a new thing upon the earth: A WOMAN SHALL COMPASS A MAN.” (Jr. 31:22)
“And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David: and the virgin's name was Mary. ... And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.” (Luke 1:26)
“Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus.” (Luke 1:31) (cf. Mt. 1:18-25).
Place of birth:
“Thou Bethlehem Ephrata art a little one among the thousands of Juda: out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be the ruler in Israel, and his going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity.” (Mi 5:2-3)
"Ephrata" was the original name of Bethlehem (Cf. Gen. 35:16).
“And king Herod hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And assembling together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ should be born. 5 But they said to him: In Bethlehem of Juda. For so it is written by the prophet: 6 ... 7 Then Herod, ... 8 And sending them into Bethlehem, said: Go and diligently inquire after the child, ... 9 Who having heard the king, went their way; and behold the star which they had seen in the East, went before them, until it came and stood over where the child was.” (Mt. 2:3 ) (cf. Jn 7:42).
2) Time of His coming:
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Prophecy After: (a) Jacob about to die prophesied of Judah (Gen. 49:10) the time when the Messiah is to be expected: “The sceptre shall not be taken away from Judah, nor a ruler from his thigh, till he come that is to be sent: and he shall be the expectation of nations.”
(b) Daniel prophesies when he shall come: “From the going forth of the word to build up Jerusalem again, unto Christ the prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks: and the street shall be built again, and the walls in straitness of times. And after sixty-two weeks Christ shall be slain: and the people that shall deny him shall not be his.” (Dan. 9:25-26). However before ... All this would be accomplished before (9:26) “a people, with a leader that shall come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary ...” |
Fulfilment
Matt. 2:6; John 1:45 (cf. Eusebius Hist. Bk.1 ch.6) (cf. Josephus Antiq. 14.1.3 & 14.7.3) Theodosius: A week of years denotes seven years, as Lev. 25 and thus seventy of these weeks would make four hundred and ninety years. From the twentieth year of king Artaxerxes, when by his commandment, Nehemias rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, 2 Esdr. 2-3. From which time according to the best chronology, there were just 69 weeks of years, that is 483 years, to the baptism of Christ, when he first began to preach and practice the office of Messiah. (cf. Josephus Antiq. 11.1.1-2 : 11.4.etc. Matt. 24; 15 : John 1; 45 : Is. 44; 28) (cf. Josephus Wars. 6.4.5-6 : Eusebius Hist. Bk.III; 5-6) |
Announced by someone a little while before?
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a) The prophet Isaias says: “The voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the wilderness the paths of our God ... the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see that the mouth of the Lord hath spoken” (40:3,5). b) Malachi also foretold the precursor of the Lord (3; 1). “Behold I send my angel, and he shall prepare the way before my face. And presently the Lord whom you seek, and the angel of the testament whom you desire shall come to his temple. Behold, he cometh, saith the Lord of hosts.” |
Matthew Chapter 3:1-3 “And in those days cometh John the Baptist preaching in the desert of Judea. And saying: Do penance: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by Isaias the prophet, saying: A voice of one crying in the desert, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” Mark 1:4-8 “John was in the desert, baptizing and preaching the baptism of penance, unto remission of sins. And there went out to him all the country of Judea and all they of Jerusalem and were baptized by him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. And John was clothed camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins: and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying: There cometh after me one mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.” Matt. 9:14 : Luke 1:17; 7:27. (cf. Eusebius Hist. Bk.1 ch.11 : Josephus Antiq. 18.5.2)
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3) What will his name be?
(a) Psalm 2 is the Messianic psalm par excellence, and the first Hebrew document which contains the technical term "Messiah", the king is called Christ (v. 2) which means the anointed one, i.e., the Messiah.
(b) Isaias says: “and his name shall be called Emmanuel” (7:14). From Is. 8:8 and 8:10, it will be seen that "Emmanuel" means "God with us."
(c) “Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people; for salvation with thy Christ... But I will rejoice in the Lord: and I will joy in God my Jesus.” (Habac. 3:13, 18)
(d) Called the Christ; or the anointed (Is. 61:1).
(e) He shall be called Son of God (Ps. 2:7): “The Lord hath said to me: Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee.”
(f) He shall even be called God. Is. 9; 6 “For a child is born to us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder, and His name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God the mighty, the Father of the World to come, the Prince of Peace.” (cf. Is. 25:9; 35:2, 4; Bar. 3:38).
Luke 1:30-31 “And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus.”
Matt. 1:23 “Behold a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
(B) Circumstances of His Birth and Youth
He will be adored by kings coming from the east, who will offer gold and incense.
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Prophecy
(a) The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer their presents: “the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts.” (Ps. 71:10). (b) “The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Madian and Epha: All they from Saba shall come, bringing gold and frankincense and showing forth praise to the Lord.” (Is. 60:6) (c) Rama, was a city near Bethlehem, receiving this name because Rachel was buried there. (Jer. 31:15): “A voice was heard on high of lamentation, of mourning, and of weeping of Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted for them, for they were not.” (d) “Because Israel was a child, and I loved him: and I called my son out of Egypt.” (Osee 11:1).
(e) Zacharias (9:9): “Behold thy king will come to thee, the just and Saviour: He is poor and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass.”
(f) Ps. 39:8: “then said I, Behold I come. In the head of the book it is written of me.”
(g) Is. 8:14: “And he shall be a sanctification to you, but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to the two houses of Israel, for a snare and a ruin to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” |
Fulfilment
(a+b) Matt. 2:1,11 “When Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of Juda, ... there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, ... 11 And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they adored him: and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
(c) The killing of the Holy Innocents: Matt. 2:16 “Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry: and sending killed all the men children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under” (d) Matt. 2:13-14 “An angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt ... Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod.” (e) Matt. 21:1-9 “And when they drew nigh to Jerusalem and were come to Bethphage, unto mount Olivet, then Jesus sent two disciples, Saying to them: Go ye into the village that is over against you: and immediately you shall find an ass tied and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to me. ... And they brought the ass and the colt and laid their garments upon them and made him sit thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way: and others cut boughs from the trees and strewed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before and that followed cried, saying: Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.” (g) Luke 2:34 “And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be contradicted.”
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(C) His Apostolic Career and Attributes
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Prophecy
(a) He will write his law in the hearts of the faithful (Jerem. 31:33).
(b) He shall exercise universal dominion (Is. 24 :26). To him shall be the obedience of nations. (Gen. 49:10). “And I will move all nations: and the desired of all nations shall come: ... saith the Lord God of hosts.” (Aggeus 2:8). “He will be King and eternal possessor of a kingdom, which will extend even to the extremities of the earth.” (Ps. 2:8). (c) “God himself will come and save you. Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart; and the tongue of the dumb shall be free ...” (Is. 35:4-6).
(d) The virtues and works of the servant of Jahveh are described: “The bruised reed he shall not break and the smoking flax he shall not quench... I have given thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles.” (Is. 42:3, 6; 4: 6). He shall be meek and peaceful (Ps. 119:7). He will console the afflicted (Is. 61:2). He will do the will of God (Ps. 39:9).
(e) Ezechiel (34:23) describes the Saviour as the Good Shepherd.
(f) He will be poor and given up to labour from His youth (Ps. 87:16).
(g) “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, the spirit of counsel, and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and of godliness.” (Is. 11:2). (h) “Rejoice, and praise, O thou habitation of Sion: for great is he that is in the midst of thee, the holy one of Israel.” (Is. 12; 6). Is. 9:1 “Land of Zabulon and land of Nephthalim, the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people that sat in darkness, hath seen great light: and to them that sat in the region of the shadow of death, light is sprung up.” (i) “He will not judge according to the sight of eyes, nor reproving according to the hearing of the ears. But he shall judge the poor with justice, and shall reprove with equity ...” (Is. 11; 4). (j) Ps. 77:2: “I will open my mouth in parables...” Is. 6:9 “By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand: and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive.” |
Fulfilment
(a) Jn. 4:21-24 “Jesus saith to her: Woman, believe me that the hour cometh, when you shall neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, adore the Father. ... But the hour cometh and now is, when the true adorers shall adore the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father also seeketh such to adore him. God is a spirit: and they that adore him must adore him in spirit and in truth.” (b) The universal spread of Christendom in history is a sufficient proof of the accomplishment of these prophecies.
(c) Matt. 11:4-5 “And Jesus making answer said to them: Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again...” The gospels are full of these kinds of miracles. (d) Matt. 5:5 “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” Gentleness and humility of the Saviour (Matt. 3:17; Matt. 12:18; 17:5).
(e) John 10:11, 14-15 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep. ... I am the good shepherd: and I know mine, and mine know me. As the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father: and I lay down my life for my sheep.” (f) Luke 2:7, 51 “And she brought forth her first born son and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger: because there was no room for them in the inn… And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject to them.” (g) John 16:30 “Now we know that thou knowest all things and thou needest not that any man should ask thee. By this we believe that thou camest forth from God.” (cf. Luke 4:22 : Josephus Antiq: 18.3.3) (h) Matt. 4:12-13 “And when Jesus had heard that John was delivered up, he retired into Galilee: And leaving the city Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capharnaum on the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and of Nephthalim...”
(i) Cf. The Samaritan woman, the adulterous woman, Mary Madeleine, etc.
(j) Matt. 13:13 “Therefore do I speak to them in parables: because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.” |
(D) His Death and its prelude.
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(a) Ps. 40:9-10 “They determined against me an unjust word: shall he that sleepeth rise again no more? For even the man of my peace, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, hath greatly supplanted me.” (b) Zach. 11:12 “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was prized, whom they prized of the children of Israel. And they gave them unto the potter's field, as the Lord appointed to me.”
(c) Zach. 13:7 “For it is written: I will strike the shepherd: and the sheep of the flock shall be dispersed.”
(d) Ps. 39:10-11 “I have declared thy justice in a great church. Lo, I will not restrain my lips. O Lord, thou knowest it. I have not hid thy justice within my heart: I have declared thy truth and thy salvation. I have not concealed thy mercy and thy truth from a great council.” (e) Is. 50:6-7: “I have given my body to the strikers, and my cheeks to them that plucked them. I have not turned away my face from them that rebuked me and spit upon me.”
(f) Is. 53:2-4, 7 “There is no beauty in Him, nor comeliness: and we have seen Him, and there was no slightliness, that we should be desirous of him: Despised and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with infirmity: and his look was as it were hidden and despised. Whereupon we esteemed him not. ... we have thought him as it were a leper, and as one struck by God and afflicted. ... He was offered because it was his own will, and he opened not his mouth. He shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter and shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearer, and he shall not open his mouth.” (g) Ps. 21:7 the sufferings of the Messiah are foretold: “I am a worm and no man: the reproach of men and the outcast of the people ... (17-18) they have dug my hands and my feet, they have numbered all my bones ... (19) they parted my garments amongst them, and upon my vesture they cast lots.”
(h) Ps. 68:22: “They gave gall for my food and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”
(i) Zach. 13:6: “What are these wounds in the midst of thy hands? These wounds were given to me by those who call themselves my friends.” (j) Ps. 21:8-9 “All those who saw me mocked me; they have spoken with the lips and shaken their head. He has placed confidence in the Lord, they say; let the Lord deliver Him; let Him save Him if it be true that He loves Him.” (Wisd. 2:18)
(k) Zach. 12:10: “...and they shall look upon me, whom they have pierced.” Other diverse references: Dan. 9; 27: in the half week - ie: 3 years; Osee 6; 3; Amos 8; 9; Tertullian, Apol. 21; Phlegon, Chron. 50; 2 (cf. St. Alphonsus: Passion and Death pg: 310) |
(a) Luke 22:21-22 “But yet behold: the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. And the Son of man indeed goeth, according to that which is determined: but yet, woe to that man by whom he shall be betrayed.. (b) Matt. 26:14-16 “Then went one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, to the chief priests. And said to them: What will you give me, and I will deliver him unto you? But they appointed him thirty pieces of silver. And from thenceforth he sought opportunity to betray him.” Matt. 27:3,7-8 “Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing that he was condemned, repenting himself, brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and ancients... And after they had consulted together, they bought with them the potter's field, to be a burying place for strangers. For this cause that field was called Haceldama, that is, the field of blood, even to this day.” (c) Matt. 26:31,56 “Then Jesus saith to them: All you shall be scandalized in me this night. ... Then the disciples, all leaving him, fled.” (d) Matt. 26:57-59, 63-64 “But they holding Jesus led him to Caiphas the high priest, where the scribes and the ancients were assembled. And Peter followed him afar off, even to the court of the high priest, And going in, he sat with the servants, that he might see the end. And the chief priests and the whole council sought false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death. ... But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest said to him: I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us if thou be the Christ the Son of God. Jesus saith to him: Thou hast said it. Nevertheless I say to you, hereafter you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God and coming in the clouds of heaven.” (e) Matt. 27:26-31 “Then he released to them Barabbas: and having scourged Jesus, delivered him unto them to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor, taking Jesus into the hall, gathered together unto him the whole band. And stripping him, they put a scarlet cloak about him. And platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand. And bowing the knee before him, they mocked him, saying: Hail, King of the Jews. And spitting upon him, they took the reed and struck his head. And after they had mocked him, they took off the cloak from him and put on him his own garments and led him away to crucify him.” (f) The whole Passion of Jesus.
(g) Matt. 27:35 “And after they had crucified him, they divided his garments, casting lots... “ John 19:23-24 “The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified him, took his garments, (and they made four parts, to every soldier a part) and also his coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said then one to another: Let us not cut it but let us cast lots for it, whose it shall be.” (h) Matt. 27:48 “And immediately one of them running took a sponge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed and gave him to drink.” (i) The Crucifixion. (cf. Josephus Antiq: 18.3.3)
(j) Matt. 27:40-43 “And saying: Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God and in three days dost rebuild it: save thy own self. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. In like manner also the chief priests, with the scribes and ancients, mocking said: He saved others: himself he cannot save. If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross: and we will believe him. He trusted in God: let him now deliver him if he will have him.” (k) John 19:36-37 “For these things were done that the scripture might be fulfilled: You shall not break a bone of him. And again another scripture saith: They shall look on him whom they pierced.”
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(E) His Resurrection and Triumph.
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(a) Is. 60:1-3 “Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem, for thy light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee ... the Gentiles shall walk in thy light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising.” Ps. 15:9 “My flesh shall rest in hope. Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell: nor wilt thou give thy holy one to see corruption.” Is. 11:10: “In that day, the root of Jesse, who standeth for an ensign of the people, him the gentiles shall beseech: and his sepulchre shall be glorious.” (b) Joel 2:28-29 “And it shall come to pass after this, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy: your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. moreover upon my servants and handmaids in those days I will pour forth my spirit.” (cf. Is. 44:3).
(c) Ps. 71:10-11 “All the kings of the earth shall adore him: all nations shall serve, him ... in him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed: all nations shall magnify him.” Daniel 7:14 records a vision of the Son of Man, to whom was given power and glory and a kingdom, and “all peoples, tribes and tongues shall serve him.” (d) Malachi: and the Sacrifice of the New Law. (1:11). “For, from the rising of the sun even to the going down, my name is great among the Gentiles: and in every place there is sacrifice and there is offered to my name a clean oblation.” |
(a) Acts 2:32 “This Jesus hath God raised again, whereof all we are witnesses.”
(b) Acts 2:4-6 “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost: and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak. Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. And when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded in mind, because that every man heard them speak in his own tongue.”
(c) John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you shall have distress. But have confidence. I have overcome the world.” Written all over the history of the world since Christendom. (d) The Sacrifice of the Mass continued the same for more than 2000 years.
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F. PROBATIVE FORCE OF MESSIANIC PROPHECIES.
1. Errors.
The fulfilment of prophecy cannot be ascribed:
(a) To chance.
It is impossible that many circumstances should concur by chance to correspond to one contingent definite prediction. The virtues of the Messiah, the principal facts of His life, the details of His Passion and Death cannot accidentally concur to the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah. A fortiori a series of such prophecies by so many different prophets, and their fulfilment cannot be set down to chance.
(b) To natural necessity.
Because the predictions are of future contingent events, which depend on the free will of many individuals, their fulfilment cannot be ascribed to natural necessity.
2. The convergence of probable indices.
We did say: "When probabilities converge on one cause, the existence of it becomes certain. Such a conclusion springs from the principle of sufficient reason, which is metaphysically certain."
This convergence goes both ways:
(1) This enormous quantity of diverse and independent prophecies all perfectly converge upon one effect (Christ).
(2) Since they all perfectly harmonise upon one effect, they themselves converge back to one cause (God).
Thus the probative force of prophecy arises from the fact that the predictions could not by any possibility have been made without the special intervention of God.
3. Objections.
■ Objection: Did not the prophets foretell the temporal prosperity and the inauguration of the Kingdom of Israel?
► Answer: Often in Scripture, divine and spiritual things are conveyed under the likeness of material images. In Messianic prophecy two things must be distinguished:
1) Spiritual future happening, e.g., inauguration of the universal Kingdom of God;
2) the material figure of the predicted event, namely, the temporal prosperity of Israel. But it is clear that the latter element was only figurative, because
(a) in some prophecies it is entirely absent, e.g., in those when the Messiah is described as about to suffer and to die, and because
(b) the Kingdom of God is predicted as universal, including all nations, and therefore separable from the temple and city of Jerusalem.
■ Objection: The incredulity of the Jews. If the prophesies were so well accomplished in Jesus, why did the Jews, who knew the Scriptures well, not see this immediately, nor do they see it now?
► Answer: Their incredulity does show a curious blindness, but it does not prove anything. Two points directly reply to this objection:
(1) It was prophesied that the Jews would be incredulous,
(2) However, many did believe (Cf. John 2:23; 4:39; 4:41; 7:31; 8:30; 10:42; 11:45; 12:11; 12:37; 12:42, etc.)
For more commentary on the accomplishment of the prophecies see St. Augustin, De Civitate Dei. 18; 27-37. ■
In conclusion; as Fr. Martin Becanus, S.J. so well states, namely that "The priests and doctors, (of the old law) who were the teachers and expounders of the law, and who were bound to know and examine everything which was written by Moses and the Prophets, should believe not only in the future coming of Christ, but also that he would redeem mankind by his passion and death, and all the other mysteries connected with his mission; for, in the absence of such belief, they would be unfit to instruct others; nor could they, in the supreme council ins which they presided, adjudicate definitively on those points of controversy, which were the subject of disputation in Moses and the Prophets, concerning the coming of the Messiah." - The Analogy between the Old and New Testament. Pg. 64.
“And I will pour upon the House of David, even upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” (Zacharias 12:10)
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