The Sign of the Messiah
Understand how the Torah (first 5 books of Moses) lays THE FOUNDATION for how to understand Messianic prophecy, especially the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua in 3 days!
The Sign of the Messiah
The primary purpose of the Tanakh (Old Testament) is to reveal the Messiah. We have already seen how Yeshua taught the two disciples on the road to Emmaus concerning Himself from the Tanakh. Now let’s view other scriptures which verify that the Tanakh is all about the Messiah.
46For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me (John 5:46).
39You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me (John 5:39).
In these statements, Yeshua boldly stated that the Torah of Moses was written to inform us about Him! His statement is consistent with Psalm 40, which states that the Scriptures are written about the Messiah.
6Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. 7Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. 8I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart (Psalm 40:6-8).”
What source did the New Covenant writers use for the gospel?
1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures… (Romans 1:1-2)
1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it (Hebrews 4:1-2).
There are many more Scriptures that clearly show we should believe Yeshua is the Messiah, not because of the testimony of the New Covenant Scriptures, but because the Torah, Prophets and Writings tell us so! The New Covenant Scriptures are essentially a commentary confirming the message of the Torah, Prophets and Writings! It is wrong to think that they establish Messianic truth.
We know the Tanakh teaches about the Messiah, but how? Our most important clue comes from something Yeshua stated in Matthew 12:38-40.
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:38-40)
Note how Yeshua connected His death, burial and resurrection with the story of Jonah and the big fish! In other words, Yeshua stated that the story of Jonah was actually the story of His resurrection. How so? What should have happened to Jonah when he was swallowed by the big fish? Obviously, he should have died. But instead of dying, he came forth alive in three days. The significance? It’s a picture of death, burial and resurrection. Please note the following thematic connections between the events in Jonah’s life and Messiah Yeshua’s life.
Remember, Yeshua stated the story of Jonah was a sign. A sign is a marker telling you, “Here is what you’re looking for.” In other words, the story of Jonah and the big fish is a sign telling us, “Look in this story for a picture of the work of the Messiah.” So, what is the sign of Jonah? It’s the sign of resurrection! Now here’s what’s most exciting—this sign is not unique to Jonah! The sign of resurrection is found in the life of every Messianic figure in the Tanakh. There are many people who were confronted with death, their lives were then spared, and the number three is visible. This thematic formula (life, death and the number three) is a sign indicating when a passage has Messianic significance. The number three is important because it is the number of resurrection.
From Yeshua’s own words we learn that His resurrection from the dead is the sign that verifies He is the promised Messiah. Note that it is His resurrection that brings together the powerful themes of Life and Death! I submit to you that it is this theme of The Resurrection that is the sign of the Messiah also given throughout the Tanakh! If we want to see the Messiah in the Tanakh, we need to look for the theme of Life from the Dead, or Resurrection!
As you read the Tanakh, anytime you see 1) pictures of resurrection or 2) pictures of renewed life as a result of deliverance from impending death, the Tanakh is about to present a teaching concerning the Messiah. I call these themes, The Resurrection and the Life, and they are especially strengthened when coupled in some manner with the number three (3, 30, 300, 3000, etc.). Coupled together, the theme of Resurrection and the Number Three constitute The Sign of the Messiah!
Although I could give multiple examples, please note how the following passages present veiled Messianic teachings.
The first LIVING things (plants, grass, etc.) were created on day THREE! This is not strictly life from the dead; however, the principle of life coming from a state where there is no life is clear.
The Torah's picture of the RESURRECTION of the Messiah is found in the Holy Days. The Holy Day that is a shadow of Yeshua's RESURRECTION is the THIRD Holy Day, the Early First Fruits (the Day of the Omer Wave Offering found in Leviticus 23)! The offering of the barley sheaves on the day after the Sabbath that occurs during the week of unleavened bread is a prophetic picture of the resurrection of the Messiah.
Jonah, who was in the belly of a great fish, should have been dead. But on the THIRD day he came forth ALIVE! Truly, death was swallowed up in victory!4
The Akeida (binding of Isaac) found in Genesis 22—Abraham was supposed to offer Isaac as an olah (whole burnt offering). Although Adonai prevented him from actually sacrificing Isaac on the THIRD day, the manner in which the Torah relates the story hints that Isaac died and was RESURRECTED. That's why Hebrews 11:17-19 records that Abraham received Isaac from the dead through RESURRECTION figuratively!
Most of you are probably already familiar with Joseph and Moses as pictures or types of the Messiah. Let’s look at the Sign of the Messiah in their lives and the life of David to see what we can learn from them. How do we know for sure that Joseph and Moses were types of the Messiah? We can see the Sign of the Messiah (i.e., the sign of resurrection) in their lives.
The Sign of the Messiah in Moses’ Life
Am Yisrael (the people of Israel) were proliferating abundantly in the land of Egypt before the birth of Moses. Their birth rate was so fast that Pharaoh decreed every male baby was to be thrown into the Nile River (Exodus 1:22 - 2:10). Therefore, when Moses was born he should have been thrown into the Nile River to his death. However, his mother, seeing something special about him, hid him for three months. After she could no longer hide him, she put him into a basket and set him afloat in the Nile River; whereupon Pharaoh’s daughter drew him forth, thus saving his life. This story is the Sign of the Messiah in Moses’ life because it has the theme of resurrection.
Notice that when Moses’ mother threw him into the Nile she was completing the picture of his death, because she put him where Pharaoh said male babies were supposed to be placed for their death – in the Nile River! Her placement of Moses in the basket in the Nile River is a powerful allusion to his death and burial. By taking Moses out of the river, the daughter of Pharaoh “resurrected” him, because he surely would have died were it not for her deliverance.
Thus, the Torah has painted a picture of a child, Moses, who was supposed to die. His mother hid him for THREE months, then she obeyed Pharaoh's command by casting him into the water (in the basket). But Pharaoh's death sentence was cancelled when his daughter took Moses out of the river, and he was given LIFE! This is the Sign of the Messiah – The Sign of Resurrection! Whenever you chance upon the sign of the Messiah as you read the scriptures, three things will be evident.
The Sign of the Messiah is a sign. Just like a hotel sign alerts you to the fact that you have found your hotel, likewise, a story that conveys the Sign of the Messiah alerts you that the passage contains Messianic prophecy. In other words, pay attention because Messianic prophecy is at hand.
Secondly, whenever you see the Sign of the Messiah in a passage, it is a veiled prophecy of the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah. For example, the story at hand concerning the circumstances of Moses’ birth contains all of the thematic elements of Yeshua’s death, burial and resurrection in three days. Thus, the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua in three days is the most prophesied event concerning the Messiah in the entirety of the Tanakh!
Lastly, when you happen upon the Sign of the Messiah it means that the story you are reading has Messianic significance. In other words, as you read the story, you can be assured that it will contain information about the life, work, and ministry of Messiah Yeshua.
Now that we know the story of Moses’ birth is 1) a sign alerting us to Messianic prophecy, and 2) a veiled prophecy of Yeshua’s death, burial and resurrection in three days, let’s go on to see what it can teach us about the life, work and ministry of Yeshua. This story teaches us a couple of things. It teaches us about the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah and that Moses’ life will be a shadow of the Messiah. How so? Well, since this story is about the birth of Moses, we should first guess that perhaps it is teaching us about the birth of the Messiah. And that’s exactly the point. This story in the book of Exodus is the story about the birth of Am Yisrael’s future deliverer! Now think of the events surrounding the birth of Moses, the deliverer of Israel, and Yeshua, the deliverer of mankind. Do you see any connections? Yes! At the time of Moses’ birth, the enemy of Am Yisrael tried to destroy him by killing all male babies. Now, fast forward to the birth of the Messiah. After His birth, wise men from the East came to worship him. In Jerusalem, they inquired about the birth place of the King of the Jews (Messiah), whereupon the scribes stated that He would be born in Bethlehem of Judea (Matthew 2:1-18). King Herod asked the wise men to report back to him concerning the location of the Messiah’s birth place so that he, too, could worship Him. However, this was simply a ploy by Herod to discover the Messiah so that he could kill him. After worshipping the child, the wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod. Herod, realizing that he had been tricked, slew all of the male children within Bethlehem and its environment who were two years old and younger.
Could the prophecy be any clearer? The story of the circumstances of Moses’ birth was actually a veiled prophecy of the circumstances surrounding Yeshua’s birth! The death of male children at the birth of Moses was actually a prophetic picture of future events, specifically that male children would be innocently killed in association with the birth of the Messiah. Yes, the death of male children in Bethlehem was actually a sign and a fulfillment of prophecy given in the Torah! And how were we supposed to figure out that the story of Moses’ birth was actually the story of the Messiah’s birth? There is only one way. We must understand the Sign of the Messiah, i.e., the sign of resurrection. Once we see the sign of resurrection in the life of a character in the Tanakh, we know for sure that his life will teach us about the Messiah. Let’s discover this sign in the life of Joseph.
The Sign of the Messiah in Joseph’s Life
While in jail (Genesis 40), Joseph interpreted the dreams of two of Pharaoh’s servants, the chief baker and butler. In Joseph’s interpretation of the dream, one of them was promised life in three days, while the other was promised death in three days. Although more primitive in form, this is the sign of the Messiah, the sign of resurrection, because it incorporates the themes of life, death and the number three. At this point, let me add that there are many nuances and twists concerning the basic teaching on the Sign of the Messiah. For example, sometimes the Sign of the Messiah doesn’t occur in the life of the primary Messianic figure (Joseph, in this example). Sometimes the Sign of the Messiah occurs in the life/lives of someone/people intimately associated with the Messianic figure (the cupbearer and the baker). These nuances represent different permutations of the foundation teaching on the Sign of the Messiah. At this point, I realize that these nuances may be a little confusing. However, as you continue through the book I will cover these issues in more details with pertinent examples. For now, if you think the Sign of the Messiah should exclusively occur in the life of the primary Messianic figure or if you aren’t convinced that the Sign of the Messiah can occur in the lives of others associated with the Messianic figure, then note the following amazing parallels between the lives of the baker and cupbearer and Yeshua’s life!
As you can see, we have hit the nail on the head! What a goldmine of treasures the story of Joseph’s incarceration has been! Once again, all we’ve done is noted the powerful themes of life, death and the number three. Truly, it is the Sign of the Messiah, or the sign of resurrection, which points us to Messianic prophecy in the making.
There was one slight difference between the stories of Moses and Joseph. In the case of Moses, the sign of the Messiah occurred in the life of the Messianic figure (Moses). In the case of Joseph, the sign of the Messiah occurred in the lives of those closely associated with the Messianic figure (the cupbearer and the baker). As you can see, it was the baker’s life who actually provided us with a prophecy of the Messiah’s death via hanging on a tree! Remember this. As I stated earlier, sometimes the Sign of the Messiah occurs in the life of someone associated with the Messianic figure instead of the Messianic figure himself. Also, sometimes the Messianic figure will actually be more than one person. It’s the nature of Messianic prophecy.
Thus, whenever we see the sign of resurrection, we should pay attention, knowing that Messianic prophecy is at hand. Furthermore, we now know that the sign of the Messiah may be found in the life of the Messianic figure or in the life of someone closely associated with him. With this as a foundation, let us now go on to see the sign of the Messiah in David’s life.
The Sign of the Messiah in David’s Life
I Samuel 30:1-31 is an account of how David and his men rescued their families and possessions from the Amalekites who had stolen them while David and his men were away with the Philistines. As David and his men pursued the Amalekites, they came upon an Egyptian youth in the field (I Samuel 30:11-13).
And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water; And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights. And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I fell sick (I Samuel 30:11-13, KJV).
What is the significance of these verses? Did you get it? These two verses contain the Sign of the Messiah! Notice the phrase three days and three nights. Does it sound familiar? It should. The Messiah was dead for three days and three nights in the grave before His resurrection. This picture is painted by the story of the Egyptian youth who had neither bread nor water for three days and three nights. Anyone can live on bread and water. By stating that the Egyptian hadn’t eaten bread nor drank water for three days and three nights the Tanakh is hinting at death. It’s painting a picture of the death of the Egyptian youth. Also, note the wording of verse twelve where it states, “his spirit came again to him.” Now I know that the Egyptian didn’t actually die; however, the passage is written in such a manner as to hint at his “death.” Therefore, let’s follow through on the picture of death painted by the wording. In order for his spirit to come to him again, it had to have left him. What has happened if your spirit has left you? You have died! Note what event occurred when the breath/spirit of God entered the two witnesses of the book of Revelation:
11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath (spirit) of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them (Revelation 11:11).
When the breath/spirit entered them, they rose from the dead! This is the picture being painted of the Egyptian youth when it states that his spirit came to him again. It’s painting a picture of his resurrection!
Once again, we have discovered the Sign of the Messiah in the life of someone associated with the Messianic figure. Furthermore, this story is clearly another allusion to the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah! Think of this folks. If it’s true that the gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah in three days, then shouldn’t it be the focal point of prophecy concerning the Messiah? If it’s true that salvation for mankind is only possible because of the awesome act of self-sacrifice exhibited by Yeshua our Messiah, then shouldn’t prophecies of that act be predominant in the Tanakh? The death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah is the most prophesied event concerning the Messiah in all the Tanakh! Adonai has not left us guessing about the primary work of the Messiah. It fills the pages of the Tanakh and this book will introduce you to a few of these prophecies.
Now that we have seen the Sign of the Messiah in David’s life, we can rest assured that his life will teach us about the work of the Messiah. This story in I Samuel 30:1-31 is the proof we needed to understand this fact.
In Summary
This teaching has shown us the following things:
The purpose of the Tanakh is to inform us about the person and ministry of the Messiah.
II Samuel 15:10 – 20:2 was written as a chiastic structure, a very highly organized literary technique used by the Holy One to thematically organize narratives found in the Tanakh.
The Sign of the Messiah is a teaching/understanding that helps us understand when a person’s life will teach us about the person and ministry of the Messiah. Whenever we see a person who should have died, but lives, and the number three (3, 30, 300, 3,000 etc.), we know beyond a shadow of a doubt we are into Messianic prophecy.
David has the Sign of the Messiah in his life and is therefore a Messianic figure.
As we progress through our study of II Samuel 15:10 – 20:2, we should do so with the understanding that David is a Messianic figure, and that some events in his life are Messianic in significance.
Truly, the Torah provides the foundation for understanding Messianic prophecy. Although most New Covenant believers are hard pressed to find ONE example of the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua in the first five books of the Bible, as you can see, His death, burial and resurrection is probably the most prophesied event concerning the life and mission of Yeshua, our blessed Messiah! Next, we’ll begin learning the importance of the number 3 in Messianic prophecy.