The Doctrine of Christ

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LESSON EIGHTEEN Prophecies Concerning the Incarnation

1. A seed was promised. Genesis 3:15; 12:7; 22:18; Psalm 89:3, 4; 2 Samuel 7:12. TDOC 50.3

2. The promised seed was Christ in the flesh. John 7:40-42; Acts 3:25, 26; 13:33; Romans 1:3; 2 Timothy 2:8; Galatians 3:16-19. TDOC 50.4

3. In the Old Testament there is a prophetic biography of Christ in the flesh. Genesis 3:15; 12:3; 49:8-10; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; 11:1-5; 2 Samuel 7; Micah 5:2; Daniel 9 Hosea 11:1; Isaiah 40:9-11; Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 42 and 53 Zechariah 11:13; 12:10; 13:7; Psalm 41:9; Exodus 12:46 Psalm 22 and 16; 68:18; 110:1; 118:22, 23. TDOC 50.5

NOTES: The purpose of the ages

“The great purpose of the ages, hidden from times eternal but disclosed through the manifestation and the mediation of Christ, was marvelous incarnation of Deity.” TDOC 50.6

The key of history

“The incarnation is no strange and sudden, isolated, unrelated fact in the history of man, but is rather the center and key of all history. All before it led up to it: all that follows grows out of it or is subordinate to it.” TDOC 51.1

Holy Scripture and the incarnation

“The whole teaching of Holy Scripture places the incarnation at the center of the methods of God with a sinning race. Toward that incarnation everything moved until its accomplishment, finding therein fulfillment and explanation. The messages of the prophets and seers and the songs of the psalmists trembled with more or less certainty toward the final music which announced the coming of Christ: All the results also of these partial and broken messages of the past led toward the incarnation.” TDOC 51.2

The historical meaning

“Do not forget the meaning of the incarnation historically. It was the invasion of human history by one who snatched the scepter from the usurper. It was the intrusion of forces into human history which dissolved the consistency of the works of the devil and caused them to break and fail.” TDOC 51.3

The answer to the world’s need

“I Back of kings. and priestly men, back of seers and psalmists, stands a silent and majestic Figure, shaping the thought of those expectant ages, and so ‘preparing and making ready the way’ for his advent and welcome who, in God’s time, came in as his personal answer to the world’s great need and hope.” TDOC 51.4

The central fact

“The central fact in human history is that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing, their trespasses unto them; for he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Corinthians 5:19, 21. All beside in history is subservient to this great act. The works of God in the world during the whole space of time from the fall to the incarnation were all preparatory to this. The separation of a particular nation from the rest of the world to receive the law, the types, and the promises, that from them the gospel might shine forth to the rest of the world, constituted the religious preparation for the advent of Christ; the Greek language and literature contributed the intellectual preparation; while Roman conquests and laws afforded the political preparation for that great event, and for the kingdom of God as founded by Christ.” TDOC 51.5

The consummation of all revelation

“While our heavenly Father left not himself without witness among the nations, all other and previous revelations of himself have been eclipsed by the incarnation and mediation of Jesus Christ, ‘who as manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, received up into glory.’ 1 Timothy 3:16. All the marvelous revelations of God given in the books of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, are consummated in the manifestation of the Christ of God.” TDOC 51.6