10 Prophecies You Didn’t Know Yeshua Fulfilled – #7 Will Blow Your Mind
The Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) is filled with prophecies that point toward the coming of the Messiah. For Messianic Jewish believers, these prophecies find their ultimate fulfillment in Yeshua (Jesus), who, through His life, death, and resurrection, brought to life the ancient promises made by God to His people.
While many are familiar with well-known prophecies like those found in Isaiah 53 or Micah 5:2, there are others that are often overlooked or not fully understood. In this article, we’ll explore 10 lesser-known prophecies that Yeshua fulfilled, with #7 offering a surprising revelation that will deepen your faith.
1. The Messiah Would Be Born of a Virgin (Isaiah 7:14)
Prophecy:
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)
Fulfillment:
This prophecy is well-known in the context of Yeshua’s birth, but its depth is often underestimated. In Matthew 1:22-23, we see the fulfillment of this prophecy:
“So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’
The miraculous virgin birth not only speaks to Yeshua’s divine nature but also serves as a sign of God’s presence with His people, fulfilling the promise of “Immanuel” – God with us.
2. The Messiah Would Be a Descendant of David (Jeremiah 23:5-6)
Prophecy:
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.” (Jeremiah 23:5)
Fulfillment:
Yeshua’s lineage is carefully documented in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, both of which trace His ancestry back to King David. Matthew 1:1 introduces Yeshua as the “son of David, the son of Abraham,” confirming His royal lineage. This fulfills the promise that the Messiah would come from David’s line and would reign in righteousness.
3. The Messiah Would Be Called Out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1)
Prophecy:
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son.” (Hosea 11:1)
Fulfillment:
This prophecy is fulfilled in an unexpected way in Yeshua’s early life. After the visit of the Magi, Joseph is warned in a dream to flee to Egypt to protect the young Yeshua from Herod’s wrath. Matthew 2:14-15 records this event:
“So he got up, took the Child and His mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called My Son.’”
This prophecy connects Yeshua’s story to the larger narrative of Israel’s history, showing how He embodies the experiences of His people.
4. The Messiah Would Be Rejected by His Own People (Psalm 118:22)
Prophecy:
“The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” (Psalm 118:22)
Fulfillment:
Yeshua’s rejection by the religious leaders of His time is a well-documented part of the Gospel narrative. In Matthew 21:42, Yeshua Himself quotes this verse from Psalm 118:
“Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
Despite being rejected, Yeshua became the foundation of God’s redemptive plan, fulfilling this prophetic image of the cornerstone.
5. The Messiah Would Be Betrayed by a Close Friend (Psalm 41:9)
Prophecy:
“Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” (Psalm 41:9)
Fulfillment:
This heartbreaking prophecy finds its fulfillment in the betrayal of Yeshua by Judas Iscariot. In John 13:18-21, Yeshua references this prophecy when He predicts His betrayal during the Last Supper:
“I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’”
Judas’ betrayal is a poignant reminder of how even those closest to Yeshua played a role in fulfilling the Messianic prophecies.
6. The Messiah Would Be Sold for Thirty Pieces of Silver (Zechariah 11:12-13)
Prophecy:
“I told them, ‘If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.’ So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter’—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.” (Zechariah 11:12-13)
Fulfillment:
This prophecy is fulfilled in the events leading up to Yeshua’s crucifixion. Judas Iscariot agrees to betray Yeshua for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16). After realizing the gravity of his actions, Judas returns the money, which is then used to buy a potter’s field (Matthew 27:3-10). The exact fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy in such detail demonstrates the divine orchestration behind Yeshua’s passion.
7. The Messiah’s Bones Would Not Be Broken (Psalm 34:20)
Prophecy:
“He protects all His bones; not one of them will be broken.” (Psalm 34:20)
Fulfillment:
In the Roman practice of crucifixion, it was common to break the legs of the crucified to hasten death. However, when the soldiers came to Yeshua, they found that He was already dead, so they did not break His legs. John 19:33-36 records this event:
“But when they came to Yeshua and found that He was already dead, they did not break His legs… These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: ‘Not one of His bones will be broken.’”
This detail, often overlooked, highlights the precision with which Yeshua’s suffering was foretold and fulfilled. The preservation of His bones is also reminiscent of the Passover lamb, whose bones were not to be broken (Exodus 12:46). This connects Yeshua’s death to the Passover, emphasizing His role as the ultimate sacrificial Lamb.
8. The Messiah Would Be Buried in a Rich Man’s Tomb (Isaiah 53:9)
Prophecy:
“He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, though He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:9)
Fulfillment:
Despite being crucified as a criminal, Yeshua was buried in the tomb of a wealthy man, Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin who secretly followed Him. Matthew 27:57-60 records this fulfillment:
“As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Yeshua. Going to Pilate, he asked for Yeshua’s body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock.”
This prophecy underscores the honor given to Yeshua in death, contrasting the humiliation of the crucifixion with the dignity of His burial.
9. The Messiah Would Be Pierced for Our Transgressions (Zechariah 12:10)
Prophecy:
“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on Me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.” (Zechariah 12:10)
Fulfillment:
Yeshua’s crucifixion involved His being pierced by nails and a spear. John 19:34-37 directly connects this prophecy to Yeshua:
"Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Yeshua’s side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water… and, as another scripture says, ‘They will look on the one they have pierced.’
The piercing of Yeshua’s side is a powerful image of the suffering He endured for our sins and the fulfillment of yet another prophecy.
10. The Messiah Would Ascend to Heaven and Sit at God’s Right Hand (Psalm 110:1)
Prophecy:
“The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’” (Psalm 110:1)
Fulfillment:
Psalm 110 is one of the most frequently quoted Psalms in the New Testament, and it clearly points to the Messiah’s exalted position at the right hand of God. After Yeshua’s resurrection, He ascended into heaven, as recorded in Acts 1:9-11, and is described as sitting at the right hand of God in several passages, including Mark 16:19:
“After the Lord Yeshua had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and He sat at the right hand of God.”
This prophecy underscores Yeshua’s authority and His divine role in the redemptive plan of God. Sitting at God’s right hand is a position of power and honor, signifying that Yeshua is the reigning Messiah, who will return to establish His kingdom on earth.
Conclusion: The Depth of Yeshua’s Fulfillment of Prophecy
These ten prophecies, often overlooked or not fully appreciated, provide a deeper understanding of how Yeshua fulfilled the Messianic expectations laid out in the Tanakh. Each prophecy reveals a different aspect of His mission and character, painting a comprehensive picture of the Messiah who was foretold by the prophets and who lived out those prophecies in His life, death, and resurrection.
For Messianic Jewish believers, recognizing these fulfillments deepens our faith and reinforces the truth that Yeshua is the promised Messiah of Israel. The precision with which these prophecies were fulfilled in Yeshua’s life is a testament to God’s faithfulness and His sovereign plan for redemption.
As we study these prophecies, let us be inspired to share this knowledge with others, both within the Jewish community and beyond. The fulfillment of these prophecies in Yeshua is not only a confirmation of His Messiahship but also a powerful tool for evangelism, demonstrating that the message of Yeshua is firmly rooted in the Jewish Scriptures.
May we continue to explore the richness of Messianic prophecies in the Tanakh and find in them the evidence of Yeshua’s identity as the Messiah, the Anointed One who brings salvation to all who believe.
