May 21

Zechariah 9:9
 
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” — Zechariah 9:99Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. (Zechariah 9:9).
OUR Lord’s entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of His last week of public ministry had been foretold long before and was in exact accord with this prophetic Word. The joyous cries of the multitude who welcomed Him were also prophesied beforehand by David in Psalms 118:25,2625Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. 26Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. (Psalm 118:25‑26). Thus there were two distinct scriptures fulfilled on this momentous occasion. Then when Jesus cleansed the Temple (for the second time), He referred to and quoted Isaiah 56:77Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. (Isaiah 56:7) as His authority for acting as He did. All this is in keeping with the character of Matthew’s Gospel, which, as we have seen, is designed throughout to link the Old Testament promises and predictions with their New Testament counterparts. It might be said that everything Jesus did, and all He taught, was in exact accord with that which had been foretold by the voice of inspiration throughout the ages. In this, as in all else, we see the perfection of the Word of God. Prophecy is the seal of its divinely unique character. No other book is thus accredited. The Bible is in fact the only book of prophecy in the world. The so-called sacred literature of the great religions is without this mark and is puerile in the extreme when contrasted with the revelation given in the Holy Scriptures.
“Adorable Saviour! By faith I descry
The long-looked-for day of redemption draws nigh,
When the shame and contempt and the grief shall give place
To the holy rejoicings—the triumphs of grace!
Till we from this terrible desert are caught,
My heart would rejoice in this comforting thought, —
It may be tomorrow, or even tonight,
The Fullness of glory will burst on my sight!”