PSALM 22: WORDS OF FORETELLING AND FAITH
By R. Herbert
Of all the prophecies found in the Bible, none are perhaps more amazing than those found in the twenty-second psalm. The prophesied details of the death of Christ found within Psalm 22 match the New Testament accounts of the crucifixion found in the four Gospels to such a degree that they remain a central part of Christian faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Skeptics have certainly attempted to negate the prophetic aspects of Psalm 22, composed approximately 1,000 years before the life of Christ, but the reality of the foretelling in this psalm cannot be ascribed to sheer coincidence. Certainly the psalm may have had a preliminary application to events in the life of David himself, but many of its details – such as the dividing of the individual's clothes and the casting lots for them, and the piercing of his hands and feet – obviously did not. In the same way, it is clear that the crucifixion of Jesus was witnessed by a great many individuals, and it is unrealistic in the extreme to suggest that the early Christians simply said all the details mentioned in Psalm 22 occurred at the death of Jesus.
Below, highlighted in corresponding colors, are some of the essential details found in Psalm 22 and in the Gospel accounts of Jesus' crucifixion. More correspondences can be seen by reading the psalm in its entirety, but if you have not done so before, consider the following:
By R. Herbert
Of all the prophecies found in the Bible, none are perhaps more amazing than those found in the twenty-second psalm. The prophesied details of the death of Christ found within Psalm 22 match the New Testament accounts of the crucifixion found in the four Gospels to such a degree that they remain a central part of Christian faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Skeptics have certainly attempted to negate the prophetic aspects of Psalm 22, composed approximately 1,000 years before the life of Christ, but the reality of the foretelling in this psalm cannot be ascribed to sheer coincidence. Certainly the psalm may have had a preliminary application to events in the life of David himself, but many of its details – such as the dividing of the individual's clothes and the casting lots for them, and the piercing of his hands and feet – obviously did not. In the same way, it is clear that the crucifixion of Jesus was witnessed by a great many individuals, and it is unrealistic in the extreme to suggest that the early Christians simply said all the details mentioned in Psalm 22 occurred at the death of Jesus.
Below, highlighted in corresponding colors, are some of the essential details found in Psalm 22 and in the Gospel accounts of Jesus' crucifixion. More correspondences can be seen by reading the psalm in its entirety, but if you have not done so before, consider the following:
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PSALM 22
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? … 7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. 8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”… 12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. 13 Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. 15 My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. 17 All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment… 31 He has done it! |
THE FOUR GOSPELS
(Matthew 27: 31-48) ..Then they led [Jesus] away to crucify him…. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “… save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him … About the ninth hour Jesus cried…“My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?” … (Mark 15: 16-19) The soldiers led Jesus away… They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18 And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 … Then they led him out to crucify him… (John 19:28-34) 28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty"... 34they did not break his legs ... pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.…they crucified him… (John 20:23-24 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining…Let’s not tear it”, they said,”Let’s decide by lot who gets it”… John 19:30 ... It is finished! |
Psalm 22 does not end with the death of the one it describes, however. The psalm continues by speaking of a time beyond the death of that individual:
27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord
and he rules over the nations.
29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him--
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!
Notice especially the closing words of the psalm - words that refer not only to the future culmination of the purposes of God beyond the suffering and death of the promised Messiah, but also words that exactly echo the final words of Jesus recorded in John 19:30: "It is finished!"
27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord
and he rules over the nations.
29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him--
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!
Notice especially the closing words of the psalm - words that refer not only to the future culmination of the purposes of God beyond the suffering and death of the promised Messiah, but also words that exactly echo the final words of Jesus recorded in John 19:30: "It is finished!"