How can I identify messianic prophecies in the Old Testament?

Question: "How can I identify messianic prophecies
in the Old Testament?"
Answer: By some counts, there are over 300
messianic prophecies in the Old Testament. That’s
why in the New Testament we often find statements
like this: “These things happened so that the scripture
would be fulfilled” ( John 19:36 ). Some messianic
prophecies in the Old Testament are fairly
straightforward; others are more indirect. Here are
some pointers on identifying prophecies of the
Messiah:
Study the Word. This should go without saying, but, in
understanding the Bible, there’s no substitute for
actually reading the Bible and prayerfully seeking
wisdom from on high (James 1:5 ). Some messianic
prophecies in the Old Testament are clearly identified
as such by the prophets who wrote them. The word
Messiah means “Anointed One” or “Chosen One,” and
those titles are found in several prophecies. Daniel
9:25–26 is an important prophecy about the
Messiah’s death. Psalm 2:2 also refers to the Lord’s
Anointed.
Of course, context is always important when we
interpret Scripture. Not every mention of an “anointed
one” in the Old Testament is a reference to the
promised Messiah. King Cyrus of Persia is called
God’s anointed one in Isaiah 45:1 , and so is King Saul
in 1 Samuel 24:10 ; both those kings were chosen by
God for special work, which is the underlying meaning
of being “anointed.”
David’s references to God’s anointed one in Psalm
132 are an example of how the title can have a dual
meaning. David prays, “For the sake of your servant
David, do not reject your anointed one” ( Psalm
132:10 ). Here, David makes reference to himself
twice, calling himself God’s “servant” and God’s
“anointed one”—David had been literally anointed by
the prophet Samuel to be king (1 Samuel 16:13 ). But
the word David uses is the Hebrew word for
“Messiah,” and Psalm 132:10 can easily be applied to
Jesus Christ in the New Testament. What makes this
passage even more fascinating is that, immediately
following the mention of David as the anointed one,
Psalm 132 starts talking about the Messiah: one of
David’s descendants will rule from the throne (Psalm
132:11 ), and David’s dynasty will be unending (verse
12). Then, a twist: the Lord Himself will rule from
Zion forever (verses 13–14); as King, the Lord will
bring abundance, salvation, and joy (verses 15–16);
this King who comes from David will have divine
strength, and all His enemies will be defeated (verses
17–18). Verse 17 contains another mention of God’s
“anointed one.” Put all this together with the fact that
the Messiah was commonly referred to as “the Son of
David” (see Matthew 22:42 ), and Psalm 132 is clearly
a messianic prophecy. David, God’s anointed one,
was promised that an even greater Anointed One
would sit on the throne of Zion forever.
Learn the various titles of the Messiah. Some
messianic prophecies in the Old Testament use
different names for the Messiah. For example, Isaiah
42:1 speaks of the Messiah as the “Servant” of the
Lord. The prophecy of Numbers 24:17 calls the
Messiah the “Star” that comes from Judah. In Isaiah
11:1 , the Messiah is a Branch that bears much fruit.
Often, the Messiah is presented in the Old Testament
as a king who will rule in righteousness (see Isaiah
9:6–7 ; 32:1 ; Jeremiah 23:5 ; Zechariah 9:9 ).
Compare Scripture with Scripture. Some messianic
prophecies in the Old Testament are identified by
New Testament writers. Matthew is especially helpful
in linking Old Testament prophecies to their fulfillment
in the life of Christ. Jesus’ birth is the fulfillment of
Isaiah 7:14 (cp. Matthew 1:18 :–23). Jesus’ flight to
Egypt turns out to be the fulfillment of an indirect
prophecy in Hosea 11:1 (cp. Matthew 2:15 ). Jesus’
triumphal entry into Jerusalem is linked to Zechariah
9:9 (cp. Matthew 21:1–5 ). Jesus’ death on the cross
fulfilled many Old Testament prophecies, including
Psalm 34:20 and Zechariah 12:10 (cp. John 19:31–
37 ).
At times Jesus quoted a messianic prophecy and
applied it to How can I identify messianic
prophecies in the Old Testament?
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