Christ in the Old Testament
Messianic prophecies and Christological types in the Septuagint, as identified by the apostles and the church fathers — the protoevangelium, the seed of Abraham, the suffering servant, the priest after the order of Melchizedek, the Son of Man.
- Gen 3:14-21Genesis · Moses · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
¹⁴ And the Lord God said to the serpent, Because thou hast done this thou art cursed above all cattle and all the brutes of the earth, on thy breast and belly thou shalt go, and thou shalt eat earth all the days of thy life. ¹⁵ And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed, he shall watch against thy head, and thou shalt watch against his heel. ¹⁶ And to the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy pains and thy groanings; in pain thou shalt bring forth children, and thy submission shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. ¹⁷ And to Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and eaten of the tree concerning which I charged thee of it only not to eat—of that thou hast eaten, cursed [is] the ground in thy labors, in pain shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. ¹⁸ Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. ¹⁹ In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread until thou return to the earth out of which thou wast taken, for earth thou art and to earth thou shalt return. ²⁰ And Adam called the name of his wife Life, because she was the mother of all living. ²¹ And the Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skin, and clothed them.
The protoevangelium — the first proclamation of the gospel. The seed of the woman shall crush the head of the serpent. St Irenaeus reads this as the promise of Christ, born of the Virgin, who tramples Satan by his death and resurrection.
St Irenaeus, Against Heresies III.23.7
Fulfilled in- Gal 4:1-7 · Galatians · Born of a woman — the seed of the woman come in the flesh.
Alluded to in- Rom 16:17-20 · Romans · "The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet" — the head of the serpent crushed in the body of Christ, the Church.
- Rev 12:1-2 · Revelation · The woman, the male child, and the dragon — the cosmic fulfillment of the protoevangelium.
- Gen 22:14-19Genesis · Moses · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
¹⁴ And Abraham called the name of that place, The Lord hath seen; that they might say today, In the Mount the Lord was seen. ¹⁵ And an angel of the Lord called Abraham the second time out of heaven, ¹⁶ saying, I have sworn by myself, says the Lord, because thou hast done this thing, and on mine account hast not spared thy beloved son, ¹⁷ surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is by the shore of the sea, and thy seed shall inherit the cities of their enemies. ¹⁸ And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast hearkened to my voice. ¹⁹ And Abraham returned to his servants, and they arose and went together to the well of the oath; and Abraham dwelt at the well of the oath.
"And in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." St Paul (Gal 3:16) reads "seed" in the singular as Christ. Earlier, Isaac bound on Mount Moriah is read by the fathers as a type of Christ on the cross.
St John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis 47; cf. Gal 3:16
Cited in- Gal 3:15-18 · Galatians · St Paul argues from the singular "seed" — "who is Christ."
- Gen 49:10Genesis · Moses · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
¹⁰ A ruler shall not fail from Judah,
Jacob's deathbed blessing: "A ruler shall not depart from Judah... until there come the things stored up for him, and he is the expectation of the nations." The fathers see in this the messianic expectation fulfilled in Christ, of the tribe of Judah.
St Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 52
Alluded to in- Heb 7:11-17 · Hebrews · "It is evident that our Lord has descended from Judah" — the sceptre departing from Judah at the coming of the One it pointed to.
- Num 24:17Numbers · Moses · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
¹⁷ I will point to him, but not now;
Balaam's oracle: "A star shall rise out of Jacob, and a man shall spring out of Israel." Read by the church as a prophecy of the star at Christ's nativity and of Christ himself, the dayspring from on high.
St Justin Martyr, First Apology 32
Fulfilled in- Mt 2:1-5 · Matthew · The Magi follow the star of Balaam's prophecy to the newborn King.
Alluded to in- Rev 22:12-16 · Revelation · "I am the root and offspring of David, the bright morning star."
- Dt 18:15-22Deuteronomy · Moses · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
¹⁵ The Lord thy God shall raise up to thee a prophet of thy brethren, like me; him shall ye hear: ¹⁶ according to all things which thou didst desire of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, We will not again hear the voice of the Lord thy God, and we will not anymore see this great fire, and [so] we shall not die. ¹⁷ And the Lord said to me, They have spoken rightly all that they have said to thee. ¹⁸ I will raise up to them a prophet of their brethren, like thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them as I shall command him. ¹⁹ And whatever man shall not hearken to whatsoever words that prophet shall speak in my name, I will take vengeance on him. ²⁰ But the prophet whosoever shall impiously speak in my name a word which I have not commanded him to speak, and whosoever shall speak in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. ²¹ But if thou shalt say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken? ²² Whatsoever words that prophet shall speak in the name of the Lord, and they shall not come true, and not come to pass, this [is] the thing which the Lord has not spoken; that prophet has spoken wickedly: ye shall not spare him.
Moses to Israel: "The Lord your God will raise up to you a prophet from among your brethren, like me — him shall you hear." Quoted by the apostle Peter (Acts 3:22) as fulfilled in Christ, the prophet like Moses.
Acts 3:22-23 (apostolic exegesis)
Cited in- Acts 3:19-26 · Acts of the Apostles · St Peter at Solomon's Portico applies Moses' prophecy to Christ.
- Acts 7:35-42 · Acts of the Apostles · Quoted by the protomartyr Stephen in his defense before the Sanhedrin.
- 2Kgdms 7:8-162 Kingdoms (2 Samuel) · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
⁸ And now thus shalt thou say to my servant David, Thus says the Lord Almighty, I took thee from the sheepcote, that thou shouldest be a prince over my people, over Israel. ⁹ And I was with thee wheresoever thou wentest, and I destroyed all thine enemies before thee, and I made thee renowned according to the renown of the great ones on the earth. ¹⁰ And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell by themselves, and shall be no more distressed; and the son of iniquity shall no more afflict them, as he [has done] from the beginning, ¹¹ from the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel: and I will give thee rest from all thine enemies, and the Lord will tell thee that thou shalt build a house to him. ¹² And it shall come to pass when thy days shall have been fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, even thine own issue, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He shall build for me a house to my name, and I will set up his throne even forever. ¹⁴ I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. And when he happens to transgress, then will I chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the sons of men. ¹⁵ But my mercy I will not take from him, as I took it from those whom I removed from my presence. ¹⁶ And his house shall be made sure, and his kingdom forever before me, and his throne shall be set up forever.
Nathan's prophecy to David — God will raise up his seed and establish his throne for ever. The fathers see this fulfilled not in Solomon but in Christ, the Son of David, whose kingdom has no end.
Lk 1:32-33 (the angel to Mary); St John Chrysostom, Homilies on Matthew 2
Fulfilled in- Lk 1:29-33 · Luke · The angel Gabriel announces that the Son of the Most High will receive the throne of his father David — the Davidic covenant fulfilled in Christ.
Cited in- Acts 2:29-34 · Acts of the Apostles · St Peter at Pentecost cites the oath to David as fulfilled in the resurrection of Christ.
- Heb 1:1-5 · Hebrews
- Ps 2:7Psalms · King David · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
⁷ Declaring the ordinance of the Lord:
"The Lord said to me, You are my Son, today I have begotten you." Quoted by the apostles (Acts 13:33, Heb 1:5) of Christ's eternal generation from the Father and his manifestation in the resurrection.
Acts 13:33; Heb 1:5; St Athanasius, Orations Against the Arians IV
Cited in- Acts 13:26-33 · Acts of the Apostles · St Paul at Pisidian Antioch applies the verse to the resurrection.
- Heb 1:1-5 · Hebrews · Cited to show Christ's superiority to the angels.
- Heb 5:1-5 · Hebrews · Joined to Ps 109:4 in establishing Christ's high-priestly office.
- Ps 21:1Psalms · King David · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
¹ For the end, concerning the morning aid, a Psalm of David.
The Psalm of the Cross — "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" — spoken by Christ from the cross (Mt 27:46). Continues with prophecies fulfilled in the crucifixion: parting of his garments, casting lots, the piercing of his hands and feet.
Mt 27:35,46; St Athanasius, Letter to Marcellinus 14
Quoted in- Mt 27:45-46 · Matthew · Christ's own cry from the cross: "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?"
- Mk 15:33-34 · Mark
- Ps 109:1Psalms · King David · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
¹ A Psalm of David.
"The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand." Christ himself uses this verse (Mt 22:44) to show that the Messiah is more than the son of David. The fathers read it as the Father's enthronement of the incarnate Son.
Mt 22:41-46; St Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 56; St Athanasius, Orations Against the Arians I.13
Quoted in- Mt 22:44 · Matthew · Christ uses this verse to confound the Pharisees about the Messiah's identity.
- Mk 12:35-36 · Mark
- Lk 20:41-42 · Luke
Cited in- Acts 2:29-34 · Acts of the Apostles · St Peter at Pentecost: the ascended Christ is the Lord at the Father's right hand.
- Heb 1:13 · Hebrews
- Ps 109:4Psalms · King David · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
⁴ The Lord swore, and will not repent,
"You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." Read in the Epistle to the Hebrews as fulfilled in Christ's eternal priesthood, distinct from and superior to the Levitical priesthood.
Heb 7; St John Chrysostom, Homilies on Hebrews
Cited in- Heb 5:6 · Hebrews
- Heb 7:11-17 · Hebrews · Central to the Epistle's argument that Christ's priesthood is eternal and superior to the Levitical.
- Isa 7:10-16Isaiah · Prophet Isaiah · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
¹⁰ And the Lord again spoke to Ahaz, saying, ¹¹ Ask for thyself a sign of the Lord thy God, in the depth or in the height. ¹² And Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord. ¹³ And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; is it a little thing for you to contend with men? and how do ye contend against the Lord? ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Immanuel. ¹⁵ Butter and honey shall he eat, before he knows either to prefer evil, [or] choose the good. ¹⁶ For before the child shall know good or evil, he refuses evil, to choose the good; and the land shall be forsaken which thou art afraid of because of the two kings.
"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call his name Emmanuel." The Septuagint reading (parthenos, virgin) is decisive — quoted by St Matthew (1:23) as fulfilled in the conception of Christ by the Theotokos.
Mt 1:22-23; St Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 43; St Irenaeus, Against Heresies III.21
Cited in- Mt 1:22 · Matthew · "All this happened that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet."
- Isa 9:5-6Isaiah · Prophet Isaiah · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
⁵ For a child is born to us, and a son is given to us, whose government is upon his shoulder: and his name is called the Messenger of great counsel: for I will bring peace upon the princes, and health to him. ⁶ His government shall be great, and of his peace there is no end: [it shall be] upon the throne of David, and [upon] his kingdom, to establish it, and to support [it] with judgment and with righteousness, from henceforth and forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this.
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given... and his name shall be called Messenger of great counsel, Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Father of the age to come." Read by the fathers as a christological declaration of the incarnate Word's divinity.
St Irenaeus, Against Heresies III.16; St Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Isaiah
- Isa 11:1-5Isaiah · Prophet Isaiah · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
¹ And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a blossom shall come up from [his] root: ² and the Spirit of God shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and godliness shall fill him; ³ the spirit of the fear of God. He shall not judge according to appearance, nor reprove according to report: ⁴ but he shall judge the cause of the lowly, and shall reprove the lowly of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the word of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he destroy the ungodly one. ⁵ And he shall have his loins girded with righteousness, and his sides clothed with truth.
"There shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall spring up from his root." The rod (or shoot) of Jesse is Christ; the seven gifts of the Spirit (Is 11:2) rest on him.
St Irenaeus, Against Heresies III.9; liturgical typology of the Theotokos as the unhewn rod
Alluded to in- Rev 5:1-5 · Revelation · "The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David" — the prophecy of Jesse's branch fulfilled in the Lamb.
- Rev 22:12-16 · Revelation
- Isa 40:3-5Isaiah · Prophet Isaiah · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
³ The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God. ⁴ Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low: and all the crooked [ways] shall become straight, and the rough [places] plains. ⁵ And the glory of the Lord shall appear, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God: for the Lord has spoken [it].
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord." All four gospels apply this to St John the Forerunner heralding Christ (Mt 3:3, Mk 1:3, Lk 3:4, Jn 1:23).
Mt 3:3 and parallels
Cited in- Mt 3:1-3 · Matthew · St Matthew identifies St John the Forerunner as Isaiah's voice.
- Mk 1:3 · Mark
- Lk 3:1-4 · Luke
Quoted in- Jn 1:23 · John · The Forerunner identifies himself as the voice of the prophecy.
- Isa 53:1-6Isaiah · Prophet Isaiah · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
¹ O Lord, who has believed our report? and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? ² We brought a report as [of] a child before him; [he is] as a root in a thirsty land: he has no form nor comeliness; and we saw him, but he had no form nor beauty. ³ But his form was ignoble, and inferior to that of the children of men; [he was] a man in suffering, and acquainted with the bearing of sickness, for his face is turned from [us]: he was dishonored, and not esteemed. ⁴ He bears our sins, and is pained for us: yet we accounted him to be in trouble, and in suffering, and in affliction. ⁵ But he was wounded on account of our sins, and was bruised because of our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; [and] by his bruises we were healed. ⁶ All we as sheep have gone astray; every one has gone astray in his way; and the Lord gave him up for our sins.
The Song of the Suffering Servant — "a man under affliction, and acquainted with infirmity... wounded on account of our sins, and bruised because of our iniquities." Read by the apostles (Acts 8:32-35) and unanimously by the fathers as the prophecy of Christ's passion.
Acts 8:32-35; St Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Isaiah; St John Chrysostom
Cited in- Acts 8:31-32 · Acts of the Apostles · The Ethiopian eunuch reads Isaiah 53; St Philip preaches Christ from the passage.
Alluded to in- 1Pet 2:18-25 · 1 Peter · "He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth" — explicit echo of Isaiah 53:9.
- Jer 23:5-6Jeremiah · Prophet Jeremiah · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
⁵ Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and understand, and shall execute judgment and righteousness on the earth. ⁶ In his days both Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell securely: and this is his name, which the Lord shall call him, Jehozadak among the prophets.
"I will raise up to David a righteous branch... and a king shall reign, and shall understand, and shall execute judgement and righteousness on the earth." The Branch (anatole) of David is Christ.
St Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Jeremiah
- Jer 31:31-34Jeremiah · Prophet Jeremiah · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
³¹ Therefore howl ye for Moab on all sides; cry out against the shorn men [in] a gloomy place. I will weep for thee, ³² O vine of Aserema, as with the weeping of Jazer: thy branches are gone over the sea, they reached the cities of Jazer: destruction has come upon thy fruits, [and] upon thy grape-gatherers. ³³ Joy and gladness have been utterly swept off the land of Moab: and [though] there was wine in thy presses, in the morning they trod it not, neither in the evening did they raise the cry of joy. ³⁴ From the cry of Heshbon even to Aetam their cities uttered their voice, from Zoar to Horonaim, and their tidings [as] a heifer of three years old, for the water also of Nimrim shall be dried up.
The promise of the new covenant: "I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel..." Christ inaugurates this covenant in the upper room (Lk 22:20) and seals it on the cross. The Letter to the Hebrews (8:8-12) cites this passage as fulfilled in him.
Lk 22:20; Heb 8:8-12
Fulfilled in- Lk 22:19-22 · Luke · "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." — Christ at the Mystical Supper.
Cited in- Heb 8:7-8 · Hebrews · Jeremiah 31 is quoted at length to show Christ's covenant superseding the old.
- Ezk 34:23-29Ezekiel · Prophet Ezekiel · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
²³ And I will raise up one shepherd over them, and he shall tend them, [even] my servant David, and he shall be their shepherd; ²⁴ and I the Lord will be to them a God, and David a prince in the midst of them; I the Lord have spoken it. ²⁵ And I will make with David a covenant of peace, and I will utterly destroy evil beasts from off the land; and they shall dwell in the wilderness, and sleep in the forests. ²⁶ And I will settle them round about my mountain; and I will give you the rain, the rain of blessing. ²⁷ And the trees that are in the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her strength, and they shall dwell in the confidence of peace on their land, and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken their yoke; and I will deliver them out of the hand of those that enslaved them. ²⁸ And they shall no more be a spoil to the nations, and the wild beasts of the land shall no more at all devour them; and they shall dwell safely, and there shall be none to make them afraid. ²⁹ And I will raise up for them a plant of peace, and they shall no more perish with hunger upon the land, and they shall no more bear the reproach of the nations.
"And I will raise up over them one shepherd, and he shall tend them, even my servant David." Christ identifies himself as the Good Shepherd of this prophecy (Jn 10:11), the one Lord who shepherds his flock in person.
Jn 10:11-18
Fulfilled in- Jn 10:11-18 · John · "I am the Good Shepherd" — Christ identifies himself with Ezekiel's one shepherd.
- Dan 7:13-14Daniel (Greek) · Prophet Daniel · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
¹³ I beheld in the night vision, and, lo, [one] coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of man, and he came on to the Ancient of days, and was brought near to him. ¹⁴ And to him was given the dominion, and the honor, and the kingdom; and all nations, tribes, and languages, shall serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed.
"I beheld in the night vision, and lo, one coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of Man." Christ's preferred self-designation; he applies this vision to himself before the Sanhedrin (Mt 26:64).
Mt 26:64; Mk 14:62; St John Chrysostom, Homilies on Matthew 84
Cited in- Mt 26:64 · Matthew · Christ before the High Priest: "You will see the Son of Man... coming on the clouds of heaven."
- Mk 14:62 · Mark
Alluded to in- Rev 1:12-17 · Revelation
- Mic 5:2-3Micah · Prophet Micah · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
² Therefore shall he appoint them [to wait] till the time of her that travails: she shall bring forth, and [then] the remnant of their brethren shall return to the children of Israel. ³ And the Lord shall stand, and see, and feed his flock with power, and they shall dwell in the glory of the name of the Lord their God: for now shall they be magnified to the ends of the earth.
"And you, Bethlehem, house of Ephratha, are very few in number among the thousands of Judah; out of you shall come forth to me one to be ruler of Israel; and his goings forth were from the beginning, from the days of eternity." The chief priests cite this to Herod (Mt 2:5-6) as the prophecy of the Messiah's birthplace.
Mt 2:5-6
Cited in- Mt 2:1-5 · Matthew · The chief priests cite Micah to Herod when asked where the Christ would be born.
- Zec 9:9-10Zechariah · Prophet Zechariah · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
⁹ Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; proclaim [it] aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, the King is coming to thee, just, and a Savior; he is meek and riding on an ass, and a young foal. ¹⁰ And he shall destroy the chariots out of Ephraim, and the horse out of Jerusalem, and the bow of war shall be utterly destroyed; and [there shall be] abundance and peace out of the nations; and he shall rule over the waters as far as the sea, and the rivers [to] the ends of the earth.
"Rejoice greatly, daughter of Sion... behold, your King is coming to you, just, and a Saviour; meek, and riding on an ass." Fulfilled at Christ's entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (Mt 21:5, Jn 12:15).
Mt 21:5; Jn 12:14-15
Cited in- Mt 21:5 · Matthew · St Matthew explicitly cites the prophecy at the Lord's entry into Jerusalem.
- Jn 12:14-19 · John
- Zec 12:5-10Zechariah · Prophet Zechariah · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
⁵ And the captains of thousands of Judah shall say in their hearts, We shall find for ourselves the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the Lord Almighty their God. ⁶ In that day I will make the captains of thousands of Judah as a firebrand among wood, and as a torch of fire in stubble; and they shall devour on the right hand and on the left all the nations round about: and Jerusalem shall dwell again by herself, [even] in Jerusalem. ⁷ And the Lord shall save the tabernacles of Judah as at the beginning, that the boast of the house of David, and the pride of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, may not magnify themselves against Judah. ⁸ And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the Lord shall defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and the weak one among them in that day shall be as David, and the house of David as the house of God, as the angel of the Lord before them. ⁹ And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. ¹⁰ And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and compassion: and they shall look upon me, because they have mocked [me], and they shall make lamentation for him, as for a beloved [friend], and they shall grieve intensely, as for a firstborn [son].
"They shall look upon me, because they have mocked me, and they shall make lamentation for him." St John (19:37) applies this to the piercing of Christ on the cross.
Jn 19:37
Cited in- Jn 19:31-37 · John · Applied to the piercing of Christ's side on the cross.
Alluded to in- Rev 1:7 · Revelation · "Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him."
- Mal 3:1-3Malachi · Prophet Malachi · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
¹ Behold, I send forth my messenger, and he shall survey the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come into his temple, even the angel of the covenant, whom ye take pleasure in: behold, he is coming, saith the Lord Almighty. ² And who will abide the day of his coming? or who will withstand at his appearing? for he is coming in as the fire of a furnace and as the herb of fullers. ³ He shall sit to melt and purify as it were silver, and as it were gold: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver, and they shall offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.
"Behold, I send forth my messenger... and the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come into his temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom you take pleasure in." Christ is the Lord who comes to his temple; St John the Forerunner is the messenger preparing the way.
Mt 11:10; Mk 1:2
Cited in- Mt 11:7-15 · Matthew · Christ identifies St John the Forerunner as Malachi's messenger.
- Mk 1:2 · Mark
- Lk 7:24-27 · Luke