The Prophecy and the Procession
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The Prophecy and the Procession
Up until this time, when anyone had tried to declare Jesus king, He responded “my time has not yet come”. The triumphal entry was the only time Jesus presented Himself as King – perfectly fulfilling the prophecy made by Prophet Zechariah over 500 years ago.
Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your king coming unto you; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon a donkey, even upon a colt, the foal of a donkey”
What was so significant about Zechariah’s prophecy?
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Zechariah prophesied that this person was indeed Israel’s “King.”
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And that this King was definitely “coming.” He would arrive precisely in “the fullness of time” (Gal. 4:4), and die when his “hour is come” (Jn. 7:30; 8:20; 12:23; 17:1).
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This King is just (righteous) and he is having salvation. He alone brings salvation to Israel and the rest of the world. Salvation is not found in any religion but only in this King.
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Unlike other earthly kings, He is humble and lowly.
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And he comes riding upon the colt of a donkey – signifying the nature of his Mission. He comes not for war but for peace. He is called the “Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6)
Five Hundred years later this prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus entered Jerusalem – riding on the colt of a donkey (Matt. 21:4,5). It took place on Sunday, just before his last supper with his disciples and subsequent arrest and crucifixion.
This incident was so significant that it was recorded in all four Gospel accounts. (Matt. 21:1-11, Mk. 11:1-11, Lk. 19:28-44 and Jn. 12:12-19).
Most Jews in Jesus’ day missed Him as their Messiah and King because they were expecting a different kind of Savior. They thought that Messiah would be a mighty political deliverer, who would lead Israel to military victory over Rome. They were not looking for a lowly Savior, riding on the foal of a donkey. They could not conceive of a suffering Savior, who offered Himself as the sacrifice for sinners. And so, tragically, they missed the coming of their King!
Jesus’s own disciples too had forgotten this prophecy. John 12:16 states “At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.”
Looking back at Zechariah’s prophecy and the subsequent fulfilment by Jesus, we can be absolutely certain concerning the prophecies of his second coming.
At our Lord’s ascension to heaven two men dressed in white stood beside his followers and said “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11