The Messiah in the Old Testament

by Walter C. Kaiser Jr.

Book Overview

Old Testament texts that point to the coming of the Messiah are traditionally interpreted either from the viewpoint of their New Testament fulfillment (evangelicalism) or their linguistic and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031020030X
• ISBN13: 9780310200307
• Release Date: August 1995
• Publisher: Zondervan Academic
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Good survey of the OT messianic prophecies

This book is a quick survey of the major messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. Actually, I found the first chapter on how to interpret messianic prophecy the most helpful chapter in the book. Kaiser rejects the double fulfillment approach that many have taken with the prophecies of Christ's first coming. He makes a case for the Christocentric interpretation being the the primary interpretation in each case study. I do not always agree with this approach, as his interpretation of Isaiah 7:14 is less than satisfying.But in most instances, his interpretations are very good, and you can perceive Kaiser's strong evangelical faith in the volume. Recommended.

Fascinating study of the Messiah in the Old Testament!

Walter Kaiser, Jr. has given us a very rich study regarding the Messiah. His study is very specific and unique. He focuses only on passages that deal with direct prophecies/predictions of the coming Messiah. He steers clear of typology, which can sometimes be too subjective. His approach is chronological. He begins with the Pentateuch and shows us the foundation of predictions of the Messiah that God revealed in the earliest of His revelations. He proceeds to show the reader how subsequent writers of Holy Scripture built upon this foundation and developed themes of the Messiah (e.g. Prophet, Priest, King, Servant, etc.). He follows prophecies of the Messiah through different eras of Israel's history. When he gets to the prophets themselves, he groups them by the century in which they prophesied. So, the earliest parts of this book give us prophesies of the Messiah in the order that they come in our English translations of the Old Testament. The prophets, however, are not necessarily addressed in our biblical order, as their works do not appear in chronological order in our English transations. I wish I could say this study was for everyone - I do believe it would be beneficial reading for everyone. Kaiser's study is deep, and sometimes technical. It helps to have a basic understanding of hermeneutics (biblical interpretation) before beginning this book. There are a couple of places where he discusses aspects of Hebrew grammar - the gist is attainable if the reader will press on through these brief sections. So, it is readable, but some things will be outside the grasp of the average reader. Kaiser does not overwhelm one with the technical aspects of his research, but it is sometimes present. There is another aspect of this book that may trouble some readers. Kaiser deals with the Hebrew text. In some places his conclusions are based on personal translations that imply that the English translations are actually mistranslations. Certain groups of Christians, especially the "King James" only crowd, will have problems with this approach. Kaiser seems to tackle the subject with a belief in the inspiration of Scripture, but not with the belief in the inspiration of the translators of Scripture. I agree with him at this point, but am concerned that it may cause difficulties for young believers. From the other reviews of this book, it is evident that some Jewish people will have problems with this study. It is unfortunate. Kaiser makes little attempt to convert anyone - it is not an overt aspect of his work. He simply examines the evidence and writes about his findings. Some of the passages he examines are obscure, some are more commonly understood as referring to the Messiah. Kaiser is not shy about quoting from the Jewish Targums, those that predate the life of Jesus, and showing where pre-Christian Jewish understandings of the Messiah were. All in all, this is an excellent study. I came away from this book with a deeper k

Superb and Convincing!

This is an excellent and very informative book filled with pertinent facts for the discerning Jew, Christian or anyone else interested in learning the evidence as it points to the true Messiah. The review below notwithstanding. God's chosen people--gimme a break. This is the year 2002 and I wouldn't be surprised if the Messiah lands in Israel and smites her for her arrogance. Embrace the blessed truth and humble yourselves before it's too late. Shalom!

Wow! Packed with Great Scripture References

This book is wonderful for those who want Old Testament references which point to the coming of the Messiah (Jesus). Walter Kaiser covers all the major and even some minor proof texts that point to Jesus as the Messiah. In fact, Kaiser hardly leaves any stone unturned. From the first "gospel" account in Genesis to the last prophecy of the Old Testament, Kaiser points out why these reference must be pointing to Jesus as the Messiah. Furthermore, Kaiser points out Israel's concept of the Messiah and how the Old Testament texts and their proper interpretation are necessary for understanding messianic prophecy. Some of the chapter titles are: The Study of Messianism, The Messiah in the Pentateuch, The Messiah Before and During the Davidic Monarchy, The Messiah in Psalms (part 1 & 2), The Messiah in the 9th and 8th Century Prophets, Isaiah, Exegesis, Biblical Theology, and Jesus, etc. This is not only a great reference work, but it is also a great Bible study tool for prophetic studies. Furthermore, Kaiser writes in such a way that he not only takes the complex and makes it simple, but he is thorough, concise, and clear when he writes. I highly recommend this book.

Messianic prophecy commentary that everyone can understand.

If you are doing a study on the Messianic prophecies fulfilled by Jesus at His first coming, this is one book you want to have in your collection. Approachable, engaging, easy to read and understand, Kaiser gives just enough technical treatment to stretch the average reader - but not too much. Fact is there are not many contemporary books specifically dedicated to this subject. This book is a useful tool, and Kaiser is an authority on the topic.