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Psa. 55:12-14...Betrayed by a friend, not an enemy...Jn. 13:18
(13) For it was not an enemy that taunted me, then I could have borne it; neither was it mine adversary that did magnify himself against me, then I would have hid myself from him. (14) But it was thou, a man mine equal, my companion, and my familiar friend;
Psa. 55:15...Unrepentant death of the Betrayer...Mt. 27:3-5; Acts 1:16-19
(16) May He incite death against them, let them go down alive into the nether-world; for evil is in their dwelling, and within them.
Is this a messianic prophecy? No! In its own context it is a song of David talking about the pains he went through, possibly when his son Absalom and his counsellor, Ahithophel rebelled against him and tried to take the kingdom from him. I am unsure what the compiler means by "unrepentant death of the betrayer." I don’t see that in the text of this psalm.
Over and over we see the Christian view of looking at the Hebrew Scriptures called type and antitype. They see scripture almost primarily (possibly totally primarily) as a prophecy concerning their messiah, Yeshua. Every character that fits their criteria, that suits their purpose, is not longer taken just as a person in himself or herself, but they are just a shadowy form, a symbolic representation of their messianic image, Yeshua. Unfortunately there is nothing inherently in the Tanakh that would give such an impression. It is just because of the added Christian theology why a living, breathing person of the Tanakh would be reduced to a shadow waiting for some future figure.
In this psalm, they would probably see that the chapter is actually talking about Ahithophel, but would reduce him to a type of Judas, the betrayer of Yeshua/Jesus. Please understand it is not exegesis that would lead a person to such a conclusion, but eisegesis, where they read in their own ideas and desires into scriptures to bring out pictures that aren’t really there.
Let’s just respect scripture for what it says and not what we want it to say.
Psa. 68:18...To give gifts to men...Eph. 4:7-16
Psa. 68:18...Ascended into Heaven...Lu. 24:51
Psalm 68:18-19 [17-18] The chariots of the Master are myriads, even thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in holiness. Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive; Thou hast received gifts among men, yea, among the rebellious also, that YHWH Deity might dwell there.
Look at the context. Is there anything about a messiah there? No! What is talked about? YHWH’s glory and his grand appearance on Sinai! The "thou" or "you" is most likely referring to YHWH receiving gifts from men, offerings and sacrifices. He is the one that ascended on high. Everything in the verse is past tense talking of something that has already happened. With the messiah being absent from the context, one has to wonder where anyone got the idea that this was a messianic text. Is it one just because Paul says so? It seems Paul is doing his favourite trick of taking a verse out of context and changing its meaning to back up his ideas, like how did with Deut 30 in Romans 10.
This is not a messianic text.
Psa. 69:4...Hated without a cause...Jn. 15:25
(5) They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; they that would cut me off, being mine enemies wrongfully, are many; should I restore that which I took not away?
Psa. 69:8...A stranger to own brethren...Lu. 8:20, 21
(9) I am become a stranger unto
my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.
Psa. 69:9...Zealous for the Lord's House...Jn. 2:17
(10) Because zeal for Thy house hath eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproach Thee are fallen upon me.
Psa. 69:14-20...Messiah's anguish of soul before crucifixion...Mt. 26:36-45
Psa. 69:20..."My soul is exceeding sorrowful."...Mt. 26:38
Psa. 69:21...Given vinegar in thirst...Mt. 27:34
(15) Deliver me out of the mire,
and let me not sink; let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the
deep waters. (16) Let not the waterflood
overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up; and let not the pit shut her
mouth upon me. (17) Answer me, O YHWH, for Thy mercy is good; according to the
multitude of Thy compassions turn Thou unto me. (18) And hide not Thy face from
Thy servant; for I am in distress; answer me speedily. (19) Draw nigh unto my
soul, and redeem it; ransom me because of mine enemies. (20) Thou knowest my reproach, and my shame, and my confusion; mine
adversaries are all before Thee. (21) Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am
sore sick; and I looked for some to show compassion, but there was none; and
for comforters, but I found none.
Psa. 69:26...The Saviour given and smitten by God...Jn. 17:4; 18:11
(27) For they persecute him whom Thou hast smitten; and they tell of the pain of those whom Thou hast wounded.
OK, I’m not gonna quote the whole psalm since it would take up too much space, and I believe if people are directed to the correct points in the psalm, they will soon see that the idea that is a messianic prophecy is ludicrous, if not dishonest.
Once again notice that is a psalm of David, and the writer is speaking of himself with "I," "me," and "my." So the simplest interpretation is that it is David speaking about the troubles he went through, which makes it something that happened in the past, before Yeshua/Jesus.
The writer of the psalm says in verse 6 [5], "O Master, you know my folly, and my trespasses are not hid from thee." Can this be talking about a sinless saviour? Very doubtful indeed!
Verse 12 [11] says that the writer wore sackcloth as a garment. Well, did that happen to Yeshua? No, unless you are wanting to add some more to the NT.
Verse 22 [21] does say that the writer was given vinegar to drink, but why do Christians take this part and ignore the first half of the verse that says "they gave me poison for food" or "they give poison in my food?"
We can see that this is something that David when through, and a significant amount of it that is incompatible to what the Christian messiah went through. It appears that they take bits and pieces to fit their messiah, changing the application and ignoring the rest of the context of the psalm. It is quite insincere. Reading the chapter simple will show you that this is just talking about David and is not a messianic prophecy.
Psa. 72:10, 11...Great persons were to visit Him...Mt. 2:1-11
Psa. 72:16...The corn of wheat to fall into the Ground...Jn. 12:24
Psa.
72:17...His name, Yinon, will produce offspring...Jn. 1:12, 13
Psa. 72:17...All
nations shall be blessed by Him...Acts 2:11, 12,
41
Psalm 72:10-11 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall render tribute; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall prostrate themselves before him; all nations shall serve him.
Psalm 72:16-17 May he be as a rich cornfield in the land upon the top of the mountains; may his fruit rustle like Lebanon; and may they blossom out of the city like grass of the earth. May his name endure for ever; may his name be continued as long as the sun; may men also bless themselves by him; may all nations call him happy.
I would ask you to look at the first verse and the last verse of this psalm. And the beginning it is called "a psalm of Solomon" (not necessarily meaning it originated from him). In the last verse it says, "The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended." It is a song about a king. I reiterate that Yeshua has ruled no country and is yet to rule. Is this fulfilled? No! Is it even a prophecy? No! It is the prayer of David expressing his wishes for his son, Solomon. When did the kings of Tarshish render tribute to him? When was he called Yinon? How can a man who had no literal children have literal offspring? Where in the verse does it talk about a corn of wheat falling into the ground?
Please, let’s have some scriptural honesty here. In the plain sense meaning of the psalm, it is David’s prayer for Solomon. If a person wishes to make messianic connotations some from it, the least they could do is give a candidate that was actually a king, and I’m not talking about a king who lives in a person’s mind or their heart, but a real king who actually ruled over real nations. These days it is evident that nations rule themselves, not under any king called Yeshua/Jesus.
Psa. 78:1,
2...He would teach in parables...Mt. 13:34-35
Psa.
78:2b...To speak the Wisdom of God with authority...Mt. 7:29
Psalm 78:1-5Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter dark sayings concerning days of old; That which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us, We will not hide from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of YHWH, and His strength, and His wondrous works that He hath done. For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;
Please read the whole chapter. It really is a wonderful and a fearful thing to read the history of Israel and their deliverance from Egypt and their subsequent rebellion against their deliverer, YHWH. Once you have read the whole chapter, read again the first verses and ask yourself who the "I" is. It is talking about the writer, the person about to recount the history of Israel. Notice that the "I" becomes "we." If this is talking about Yeshua, has he become a trinity in himself?
There is no hint of a prophecy in the verse or chapter. These words are simply saying that the author is about to recount to the reader or listener some history and this is summed up in the words "I will utter dark saying concerning the days of old."
Psa. 88:8...They stood afar off and watched...Lu. 23:49
(9) Thou hast put mine acquaintance far from me; Thou hast made me an abomination unto them; I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
Please read the whole psalm. Does the psalm itself give you any reason to think it is a prophecy applying to a specific person? No it doesn’t. It may not have been written by David, but it still shows the struggles of an individual and an earnest prayer for deliverance. According to the title, it was meant to be given to a leader to possibly sing to or for others.
Either way, the messianic idea has to read into the text, not extracted from it. All you can extract from it is an honest-hearted, desperate prayer to the Almighty.
Psa. 89:27...Emmanuel to be higher than earthly kings...Lu. 1:32, 33
Psa. 89:35-37...David's Seed, throne, kingdom endure forever...Lu. 1:32, 33
Psa. 89:36-37...His character-Faithfulness...Rev. 1:5
Psalm 89:27-28, 36-39 [26-27, 35-38] He shall call unto Me: Thou art my Father, my Master, and the rock of my salvation. I also will appoint him first-born, the highest of the kings of the earth.
Once have I sworn by My holiness: Surely I will not be false unto David; (37) His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before Me. (38) It shall be established for ever as the moon; and be stedfast as the witness in sky.' Selah (39) But Thou hast cast off and rejected, Thou hast been wroth with Thine anointed.
Is this a messianic verse? Not specifically, but it speaks of the seed of David, which is a general term for the descendants after David. This would include a/the messiah, anointed one.
OK, let’s compare the claims of the missionary to the scripture. Who is the scripture talking about verse 27-28 [26-27]? Is it "Emmanuel?" No! The scripture states in verse 4 [3] and 21 [20] that this promise is given to David, no one else. It is David who will call YHWH his Father and Master. It is David who was actually the highest of kings on the earth since he actually ruled, rather than Yeshua who ruled nothing and no one. So the claim that this is talking about "Emmanuel" is unscriptural and in the imagination of the compiler of this list.
What does the statement "David’s seed" mean? It is more than likely that this is referring to his children/descendants (v.31 [30]), not a specific person. So this promise is that there will always be a seed of David to inherit the throne and thus the throne is not totally eradicated. I don’t know where it says his kingdom will endure forever. The fact that this is talking about David’s seed doesn’t apply to Yeshua/Jesus who had no seed of David as a natural biological father, so he is no seed of David, no matter what Mary’s genealogy was. It is the genealogy of the natural father that matters in this, not the adoptive father or the natural mother as can be seen in the genealogies in scripture.
The compiler says, "his character ... faithfulness". That’s supposed to be somewhere in verses 37-38 [36-37]. If someone finds it, let me know. Give me a laugh!
Anyway, this may be a general messianic text, but it doesn’t point to Yeshua for obvious reasons.
Psa. 90:2...He is from everlasting (Micah 5:2)...Jn. 1:1
Psalm 90:1-2 A Prayer of Moses the man of the Deity. Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art Deity.
This by itself is not a messianic text. It is just a prayer of praise to the creator YHWH. You have to already have the idea that YHWH can become a man, have his name changed to something like Yeshua/Jesus, and die, all of which goes against his word, before you can even have some clue that this verse is messianic. The whole context speaks of no anointed king. It is just a song of praise.
Psa. 91:11, 12...Identified as Messianic; used to tempt Christ...Lu. 4:10, 11
Psalm 91:9-13 For thou hast made YHWH who is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent. For He will give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee upon their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and asp; the young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample under feet.
At times like these I have to wonder; what exactly is a messianic prophecy in this person’s mind? Read the context and you will find that it is about the assurances someone has who trusts in YHWH. It is not talking of a specific person in the future.
The application, the fulfilment of this so-called prophecy is worse. The devil is supposed to have used this verse to tempt Yeshua. And that makes it a messianic text? Please!
Psa. 97:9...His exaltation predicted...Acts 1:11; Eph. 1:20
(9) For Thou, YHWH, art most high above all the earth; Thou art exalted far above all gods.
I like integrity. I like a person who looks at scripture and tells you what it says, not a foreign doctrine, which is mostly what they’ve read into the text. Unfortunately the compiler is not using integrity when interpreting this text. All it says is that YHWH is exalted. That’s it! You have to believe that YHWH became a man, died, etc. In other words, you have to have a specific idea about Yeshua in order to read in that idea into this text.
‘Nuf said!
Psa. 100:5...His character-Goodness...Mt. 19:16, 17
(5) For YHWH is good; His mercy endureth for ever; and His faithfulness unto all generations.
Refer to the last answer, including the "’nuf said!" at the end.
Psa. 102:1-11...The Suffering and Reproach of Calvary...Jn. 21:16-30
(1) A Prayer of the afflicted, when he fainteth, and poureth out his complaint before YHWH. (2) O YHWH, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto Thee. (3) Hide not Thy face from me in the day of my distress; incline Thine ear unto me; in the day when I call answer me speedily. (4) For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as a hearth. (5) My heart is smitten like grass, and withered; for I forget to eat my bread. (6) By reason of the voice of my sighing my bones cleave to my flesh. (7) I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am become as an owl of the waste places. (8) I watch, and am become like a sparrow that is alone upon the housetop. (9) Mine enemies taunt me all the day; they that are mad against me do curse by me. (10) For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping, (11) Because of Thine indignation and Thy wrath; for Thou hast taken me up, and cast me away.
I would ask you to just read the context, the whole psalm. Read the title. Notice it doesn’t say anything specific to point us to a crucifixion or a messiah or anything like that. It just says it is a prayer for the afflicted or depressed, when he is overwhelmed and pouring out his meditation to YHWH. Thus anyone who is going through troubled and is wearied has a prayer. The guy wrote this for himself, and it was compiled for you. It is not a prophecy. It is not messianic. It’s just a prayer!
Psa. 102:25-27...Messiah is the Preexistent Son...Heb. 1:10-12.
Psalm 102:26-29 [25-28] Of old Thou didst lay the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of Thy hands. They shall perish, but Thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall pass away; But Thou art the selfsame, and Thy years shall have no end. The children of Thy servants shall dwell securely, and their seed shall be established before Thee.'
There is nothing about a messiah in the text or the context of the chapter. There is nothing about a pre-existent son in the text or the context of the chapter. It is simply a prayer and praise to YHWH. It has been said many times that people read ideas into the words of the Tanakh. One of the worst examples of this is with the very name of YHWH. The Tanakh makes it very clear what YHWH does and doesn’t do, who he is, and who he is not. To read a man named Yeshua/Jesus into the texts that are ascribing praise to YHWH is nothing less than theft and idolatry, since YHWH gives his glory to no one (Isaiah 42:8). Yes, the presupposition here is that divinity and humanity are essentially different modes of existence, and YHWH is not human. To read a human into a divine praise is inconsistent and a very serious crime. No apologies.
This is not a messianic text. Leave it alone! It belongs to YHWH.
Psa. 109:25...Ridiculed...Mt. 27:39
(25) I am become also a taunt unto them; when they see me, they shake their head.
Please read the context. You will see that it isn’t a messianic text. The vengeance pleaded for in this psalm is inconsistent with a dying man saying, "forgive them, Lord, for they don’t know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).
This is a psalm of David describing his pains. That’s all.
Psa.
110:1...Son of David...Mt. 22:43
Psa.
110:1...To ascend to the right-hand of the Father...Mk.16:19
Psa. 110:1...David's son called Lord...Mt. 22:44,45
Psa. 110:4...A priest after Melchizedek's order...Heb. 6:20
Psalm 110:1-7 A Psalm of David. YHWH saith unto my lord: 'Sit thou at My right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.' The rod of Thy strength YHWH will send out of Zion: 'Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.' Thy people offer themselves willingly in the day of thy warfare; in adornments of holiness, from the womb of the dawn, thine is the dew of thy youth. YHWH hath sworn, and will not repent: 'Thou art a priest for ever after the manner of Melchizedek.' The Lord at thy right hand doth crush kings in the day of His wrath. He will judge among the nations; He filleth it with the dead bodies, He crusheth the head over a wide land. He will drink of the brook in the way; therefore will he lift up the head.
OK, is this a messianic text? Maybe. It has some stronger signs of being so. But what is it saying, and whom can it apply to?
Now the inscription at the beginning says "a psalm of David." This doesn’t necessarily mean that David wrote it. Although there are a lot of psalms that are interpreted that way, the context normally helps a person to see that the psalm is speaking about David’s experiences. But we do have signs that the inscription could be "a psalm for David" or "a psalm to David." The evidence for such a view is Psalm 72 and Psalm 144. In Psalm 72, it is called a psalm of Solomon, yet we see it was a prayer of David for Solomon. In Psalm 144, we have a psalm of David, yet in verse 10 it speaks of David in the third person (meaning, as another person) as though it was written for David and not by him. Although it can be said that it is possible that this is written by David, it is also possible that it was written for David. The Hebrew bears that out, comparing it with other psalm written by someone for someone else like in Psalm 48 where the psalm is for the sons of Korah.
No matter whom the writer is it does appear that the psalm is actually talking about David. It may have some messianic connotations, but it does appear to be speaking about David. The writer is saying, "YHWH said to my master [David]." There is another idea that the psalm is talking about Abraham because of the reference in verse 4 to Melkhitzedeq who appeared in Gen 14. I don’t go with that idea, but it’s possible. Some would say it point to Solomon and that David is the author praying for his son, hoping that his life would be victorious. So it is not necessarily a prophecy but a prayer and thus Solomon doesn’t really have to fight any battles, but just live in peace because his father prayed for him. Personally, I would go for the idea that it is speaking about David, who fulfils it better than anyone. David could be speaking about himself in the third person or someone else could have written about him. Either way, it would point to David. If anyone has a problem with this when it comes to the reference to Melkhitsedeq, then don’t worry about it. The way that a person can be in the same manner of Melkhitzedeq is by being a king and being a priest. By a priest I mean a person who brings a person closer to YHWH, not necessarily by sacrifices. Israel was to be a kingdom of priests. It can be done by teaching or example, or to serve in an official capacity. Take a look at the Hebrew word for priest and its uses and meanings (including the meanings of the root verb) and you will find that it doesn’t just mean the sort of priest that does sacrifices. It can mean minister or official. Plus we know that kings can offer sacrifices too (e.g., 1 Sam 11:15)
The only possible reason why people would mistake this for Yeshua is because of their belief in his divinity and a mistranslation or misunderstanding of the first verse. It is sometimes translated as "The LORD said to my Lord." That would make it seem as though YHWH is speaking to another divine being since the second "lord" has its first letter capitalized, "L." But there is no capital letters in Hebrew, and the second "lord" has no connotations of divinity, just mastery or lordship that is mostly used for human kings or lords. The word is not a divine title.
Can it refer to Yeshua? Well, he fulfilled nothing in the final 3 verses. If the psalm is messianic, then Yeshua wasn’t a seed of David for reasons repeated to the point of triviality. He wasn’t a king and ruled nothing. All of his enemies weren’t destroyed. Even if you believe Yeshua is the messiah, you can see it isn’t fulfilled yet. So why call this a fulfilled prophecy? It must be to add to the numbers. Either way, it either has been fulfilled by David, or it is yet to be fulfilled when the true messiah shows up (Note, there would be no problem with David seeing the future as his master if that person is just human).
Psa. 112:4...His character-Compassionate, Gracious, et al... Mt. 9:36
Psalm 112:1-4 Hallelujah. Happy is the man that feareth YHWH, thatdelighteth greatly in His commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth; the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house; and his merit endureth for ever. Unto the upright He shineth as a light in the darkness, gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
The context is general as in Psalm 1. It is not messianic, but showing how blessed a man who trusts YHWH is. Verse 4 is speaking in two possible ways. Either a light shines on the upright, or YHWH shines upon them. Either way, it is saying the same thing. It isn’t speaking about a messiah, it is speaking about YHWH.
Psa. 118:17, 18...Messiah's Resurrection assured...Lu. 24:5-7:1 Cor. 15:20
Psa. 118:22, 23...The rejected stone is Head of the corner...Mt. 21:42, 43
Psa. 118:26a...The Blessed One presented to Israel...Mt. 21:9
Psa. 118:26b...To come while Temple standing...Mt. 21:12-15
Psalm 118:17-18, 22-27 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of YHWH. YHWH hath chastened me sore; but He hath not given me over unto death.
The stone which the builders rejected is become the chief corner-stone. This is YHWH'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which YHWH hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. We beseech Thee, O YHWH, save now! We beseech Thee, O YHWH, make us now to prosper! Blessed be he that cometh in the name of YHWH; we bless you out of the house of YHWH. YHWH is the Deity, and hath given us light; order the festival procession with boughs, even unto the horns of the altar.
Once again, looking at the whole psalm, the context is NOT messianic (Surprise, surprise!) It is simply a song of praise to YHWH. The writer is showing his resolve to worship YHWH no matter what he goes through.
If we’re going to take this literally and try to apply it to Yeshua, there is a slight problem. The phrase, "I shall not die," cannot apply to Yeshua who did die and he was given over to death. In fact, according to Christian doctrine, he HAD to die. The part of the psalm that talks about the stone which the builders rejected can easily apply to David, or to anyone who has been rejected and then YHWH gives them a better status. Yeshua is still chief of nothing so that is unfulfilled. Verse 26 could refer to anyone who comes in YHWH’s name. To bless, shown in the latter half of the verse, doesn’t mean to worship. Even if it did, it could still apply to David much better than anyone else.
Anyway, the text isn’t messianic. Whatever messianic connotations it is thought to have is yet to be seen/fulfilled.
Psa. 132:11...The Seed of David (the fruit of His Body)...Lu. 1:32
(11) YHWH swore unto David in truth; He will not turn back from it: 'Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.
This is a general Davidic promise. It points to the fact that the seed of David will sit on his throne. This applies to a lot of the descendants of David, including Solomon, Rehoboam, and even the wicked Ahaz. So it can apply to a future messiah.
But when it comes to Yeshua, there is a major bump in the road (a chasm actually). Yeshua had no human father, and the kingship is not passed by adoption, neither is it given through the mother; especially one whose genealogy doesn’t pass through Solomon, as Mary’s doesn’t. But then again it doesn’t really matter since the mother’s genealogy doesn’t matter. So Yeshua is not the seed of David.
If this is a prophecy concerning the messiah, then it is stamped as unfulfilled, especially in Yeshua.
Psa. 138:1-6...The supremacy of David's Seed amazes kings... Mt. 2:2-6
Psalm 138:1-6 A Psalm of David. I will give Thee thanks with my whole heart, in the presence of the mighty will I sing praises unto Thee. I will bow down toward Thy holy temple, and give thanks unto Thy name for Thy mercy and for Thy truth; for Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name. In the day that I called, Thou didst answer me; Thou didst encourage me in my soul with strength. All the kings of the earth shall give Thee thanks, O YHWH, for they have heard the words of Thy mouth. Yea, they shall sing of the ways of YHWH; for great is the glory of YHWH. For though YHWH be high, yet regardeth He the lowly, and the haughty He knoweth from afar.
Honestly, where does this talk about David’s seed? It seems to be David talking for himself. This is not a prophecy to be fulfilled by an anointed one. It’s a song to be sung to the glory of the Most High by anyone who loves him.
Psa. 147:3, 6...The earthly ministry of Christ described...Lu. 4:1
Psalm 147:1-8 Hallelujah; for it is good to sing praises unto our Master; for it is pleasant, and praise is comely. YHWH doth build up Jerusalem, He gathereth together the dispersed of Israel; Who healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He counteth the number of the stars; He giveth them all their names. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. YHWH upholdett the humble; He bringeth the wicked down to the ground. Sing unto YHWH with thanksgiving, sing praises upon the harp unto our Master; Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh the mountains to spring with grass.
No, this isn’t a messianic prophecy either. The subject is YHWH, and the song is praising him, not some messiah. When, during "Yeshua’s earthly ministry," did he have time to count the number of the stars and give them all names? You have to take that phrase just as literal as you took the previous verse about healing broken hearts. When did he gather the dispersed of Israel?
Let’s just cut to the chase. There is a possibility that this psalm refers to the messianic age since it talks of the gathering of Israel, which in its literal sense hasn’t been fulfilled yet, but in NO WAY has been fulfilled by Yeshua.
Pro. 1:23...He will send the Spirit of God... Jn. 16:7
Proverbs 1:20-25 Wisdom crieth aloud in the streets, she uttereth her voice in the broad places; Shecalleth at the head of the noisy streets, at the entrances of the gates, in the city, she uttereth her words: 'How long, ye thoughtless, will ye love thoughtlessness? And how long will scorners delight them in scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof; behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man attended, but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof;
This is not a messianic prophecy promising that the messiah will send the spirit of the Almighty. This is a metaphorical proverb showing the call of wisdom to understanding. Once a person accepts wisdom, its influence takes control. Read in context this is no messianic prophecy.
Pro. 30:4...God has a Son ... Jn. 3:16
Proverbs 30:1-4 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the burden. The man saith unto Ithiel, unto Ithiel and Ucal: Surely I am brutish, unlike a man, and have not the understanding of a man; And I have not learned wisdom, that I should have the knowledge of the Holy One. Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in his garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest?
Some christians use these verses, particularly the last part of verse 4, to prove that YHWH has a son, and thus make this a messianic text. Some would translate the penultimate clause as "what is his Son's name?" in order to really point to their Christ, Jesus who they believe to be the only begotten son of Deity. But as with the other cases, context is important here.
This is the book of proverbs, which would be a very unlikely place to find a messianic prophecy. The style of writing isn't prophetic (as in prophecying about the future) but teaching about life in the here and now. Also, why would Agur, who has just been telling us that he is a fool, then spring into telling us that Deity has a son? I don't believe that interpretation makes good sense.
So what is it really saying? All that we see from this is Agur is saying that he thinks he is ignorant. That sums up the verses 2-3. The question I would ask again is then why would he then spring into some speech about YHWH having a son. To be honest, it doesn't appear to make sense.
Let's also look at the structure of verse 4. The KJV mistranslated this by saying "who hath ascended up into heaven, OR descended?". The correct translation is "who has ascended into heaven and descended", as in, who has gone both up and down. If you notice it starts from the earth to heaven and then back. It is not who has descended and ascended, which would be a better description of Deity or a divine being who would come from above to below and back again.
There are other reasons why this can't really be talking about the Almighty. His name is already known. So what's the point in asking "what is his name?" Also when it comes to his son's name, if you had taken a good look at scripture you would notice that YHWH has already declared who his sons are, or who his son is. Exodus 4:22 clearly shows it is Israel. Deut 14:1 shows it is the individual Israelite. 1 Chronicles 22 shows that it was Solomon. Psalm 89:20,26-27 shows David as the firstborn. So even if this verse was talking about the Almighty and his son, there is absolutely no need to go to the NT to find such answers, since there are numerous candidates in the Tanakh.
So it is more likely to be talking about a man, since it takes a man on earth to ascend to heaven, and then back again. Agur is asking which person/human has done all this and the answer is no-one. It's like saying, "if any guy can do this, then name him, and tell him about his family too". The notion that Agur appears to be showing is this:
"I know I am ignorant and I cannot attain to the knowledge of the Holy One. But tell me who can? Who is so high that he can do such wondrous things? If you know him, then name him and or let me know who his relations are, so I can get to know them and know that knowledge."
So the questions given in verse 4 are rhetorical, not prophetical, letting us into the heavenly realms.
Even Keil and Delitzsch's Commentary of the Old Testament, a christian commentary, accepts this as a valid interpretation. So I don't believe Agur is talking out of "messianic prophetic inspiration" which would be out of place in a book like proverbs. If it was talking about Deity, then there is already an answer to who is his son if you read the Hebrew Scriptures. There is still no need to escape to christology or jesus-ology to get an answer. Plain scripture, in the Hebrew scripture, already tells us who the Almighty has chosen as his son.
Here's a quote from said commentary:
"By this interpretation, and this representation of the going up before the descending again, the interrogator does not appear to think of God, but in contrast to himself, to whom the divine is transcendent, of some other man of whom the contrary is true. Is there at all, he asks, a man who can comprehend and penetrate by his power and his knowledge the heavens and the earth, the air and the water, i.e., the nature and the inner condition of the visible and invisible world, the quantity and extent of the elements, and the like? Name to me this man, if thou knowest one, by his name, and designate him to me exactly by his family - I would turn to him to learn from him what I have hitherto striven in vain to find. But there is not such an one. Thus: as I fell myself limited in my knowledge, so there is not at all any man who can claim limitless können and kennen ability and knowledge."
It is only christian demands that make it messianic, demanding that it be a biological relationship, nothing in the text itself. The Hebrew word for "son" is "ben". That word in isolation doesn't necessarily mean biological relationship. Israel is called the "ben" of Deity (exo 4:22). In fact he is called the firstborn. If you were really looking for biological descendancy, then the better hebrew word would be zera' which means seed or offspring.
So to be blunt, no, this is not a clear messianic text.
Lam 4:7 ... He shall be a Nazarene ... Matt 2:23
Lamentations 4:6-7 For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands fell upon her. Her princes [Heb: nazirites] were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was as of sapphire;
OK, is this a messianic text? No! It is a person lamenting over the woes of Israel. Is it a prophecy? Not at all! Just look at the context for yourself and see that this is recounting history, not prophesying some future king. Yeshua was not a Nazarite, but a Nazarene, a prophecy that has not backing from the TaNaKh. I know people are trying to pin it on Isaiah 11, and a branch, but the original context of Isaiah 11, and the very verse of Matthew 2:23 refute that. Yeshua was a Nazarene simply because he lived in Nazareth. It’s that simple. Missionaries would like to complicate things, but the simple truth is there.
Lamentations 4:7 will not help the Christian with evidence that Yeshua is the messiah. It’s not a prophecy, neither is it a messianic text.
Song. 5:16...The altogether lovely One...Jn. 1:17
(16) His mouth is most sweet; yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.'
Who is this talking about? We can take it in two ways. I see the plain reading talking about a woman in love with a man saying that he is lovely. It is one of these young women in love with King Solomon. Others choose to take it as the love relationship between Israel, and her husband, YHWH. In both ways, it is not talking about a messiah at all, thus it is not a messianic prophecy.
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