But I say unto you
Prophecies Concerning the New Testament and Their Fulfillment

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In the Old Testament, we see the symbolic word "islands" used in prophecies, for example, the prophet Isaiah said that "islands" would wait for the coming of Jesus Christ - 1.Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. 2.He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. 3.A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. 4.He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the "islands" shall wait for His law - Isaiah 42:1-4

Although many figurative words [code words] were used in the Old Testament prophecies, the Spirit of God Himself explains in the New Testament that the true meaning of the word "islands" is "Gentiles" as follows - 18.Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles. 19.He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. 20.A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory. 21.And in His name "Gentiles" will put their trust - Matthew 12:18-21

"Gentiles" are people who do not mix with each other because of the language they speak and the culture they have. It is right to call such people "islands"!

Although there are many prophecies in the Old Testament, why did the Spirit of God explain the meaning of this prophecy? Because this is an important prophecy about the salvation of the Gentiles, so that no one would misunderstand it, the Spirit of God himself explained the meaning of this prophecy and the meaning of the word "islands".

Thus, we can see in the book of Genesis that the word "islands" refers to gentile peoples speaking many different languages. When describing how various nations arose from Noah's descendants, the Bible calls them "islands of nations." - 1.Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood. 2.The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3.The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4.The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5.Of these were the islands of the nations divided in their lands, every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations - Genesis 10:1-5

The prophet Jeremiah also called the Gentiles "nations" and "islands" and proclaimed the salvation of Jesus Christ - 10.Hear the word of the LORD, you nations, And declare it in the islands far away, And say, He who scattered Israel will gather him, And He will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock - Jeramiah 31:10

Thus, the Bible—which foretold the salvation of the Gentiles through prophecies—also prophesied that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, would give us the New Testament[Covenant] and bring the Old Testament[Covenant] to fulfillment, declaring, "law will proceed from Me."  - 4.Listen to Me, My people; And give ear to Me, O My nation: For law will proceed from Me, And I will make My justice rest As a light of the peoples. 5.My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The islands will wait upon Me, And on My arm they will trust - Isaiah 51:4-5

In other words, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to this earth not to replace the Old Testament, but to fulfill it  - 17.Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18.For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled - Matthew 5:17-18

For example, in the Old Testament it is said that murder is a sin, but he completed that command by saying that if we are to become worthy of the kingdom of heaven, we must consider even being angry as the same as murder, That is why we see the phrase "but I say unto you" so often in the teachings of Jesus Christ -  21.You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment. 22.but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire - Matthew 5:21-22

Similarly, in the Old Testament, adultery is said to be a sin, but He completed that command by saying that if we are to become worthy of the kingdom of heaven, we must consider even looking at a woman with lust as the same sin as adultery -  27.You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery'. 28.But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart - Matthew 5:27-28

Thus, the Lord, who spoke of the sins of murder and adultery, when speaking of divorce, referred the marriage to the covenant of salvation of Jesus Christ [which refers to the grace that will not depart from us even if the mountains depart, and the covenant of peace that will not depart from us even if the mountains depart], and therefore said that divorce is something that is unacceptable to God - 7.They said to him, Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away? 8. He said to them, Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so - Matthew 19:7-8

The Jews who heard the teaching of Jesus Christ also bore witness, saying, "A new teaching with authority" - 27.And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him - Mark 1:27

But the scribes and chief priests, instead of rejoicing over the fulfillment of the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah, "The law shall come forth from the Lord," they crucified Jesus Christ and killed him - 17.Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a den of thieves. 18.And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching - Mark 11:17-18

Next Chapter: Are you the teacher of Israel?