SPECIAL TOPIC: OT TITLES OF THE SPECIAL COMING ONE

SPECIAL TOPIC: TITLES FOR THE SPECIAL COMING ONE

A. Prophet – Deut. 18:15,18

B. King

1. from the tribe of Judah, Gen. 49:10; Ps. 60:7; 108:8

2. from the family of David, II Samuel 7 (from Jesse, Isa. 11:1)

3. from other texts, I Sam. 2:10; Ps. 89:3-4; Isa. 9,11; Jer. 30:8-9; Ezek. 37:21-22; Zech. 9:9-10

C. King/Priest

1. Psalm 110 (king, vv. 1-3; priest, v. 4)

2. Zech. 4:14 (the two olive trees, the two anointed ones, Zerubbabel [line of David] and Joshua [line of Aaron])

D. Anointed One (Messiah)

1. God's King, Ps. 2:2; 45:7

2. Spirit's presence, Isa. 11:2; 61:1

3. Coming One, Dan. 9:26

4. three OT leaders were anointed as a sign of God's call and empowering: kings (cf. Jdgs. 9:8,15; I Sam. 2:10; 9:16; 24:10; II Sam. 19:21; 23:1; Ps. 18:50), priests (cf. Exod. 28:41; Lev. 4:3; 6:22) and prophets (cf. I Kgs. 19:16)

E. King's Son

1. Ps. 2:7,12

2. Israel's king as a symbol of God's reign (cf. I Samuel 8)

F. Son of Man (Dan. 7:13)

1. human, Ps. 8:4; Ezek. 2:1

2. divine, Dan. 7:13

G. Special Redemptive Titles

1. Suffering Servant, Isa. 52:13-53:12

2. Suffering Shepherd, Zech. 12-14

3. Cornerstone, Ps. 118: Isa. 8:14-15; 28:16

4. Special Child, Isa. 7:14; 9:6-7; Micah 5:2

5. Branch, Isa. 4:2; 11:5; 53:2; Jer. 23:5-6; 33:15; Zech. 3:8; 6:12

The NT takes these scattered references about God's special redemptive agent and clarifies and develops them into an understanding of Jesus as God's Promised Coming One (e.g., Matt. 16:13-20; John 11:25-27). The two comings of the Messiah are the means by which these diverse functions and titles are united.

For a good discussion of the distinction in the Gospels between Son of Man as authority figure versus Suffering Servant, see George E. Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament, p. 149-158.