Old
Testament Themes Found
in the New Testament
By Dave Glover, Steve Bauer,
John McKewen,
and Todd Muller
Below is a summary of nine
themes that are common to both the Old and New Testaments. The
themes begin in the Old Testament and are either completed or
more fully explained in the revelation of the New.
Be
fruitful and multiply
(theme
chart)
In Genesis 1:28 God blesses Adam
and Eve and instructs them to be fruitful and multiply. This theme
reappears throughout the Old Testament during times of major transition.
After the flood, God blesses Noah and his sons and instructs them
to be fruitful and multiply. Jacob receives this promise after
fleeing from Esau. In addition, at the time Jacob's name is changed
to Israel, God reminds him he will be a great nation and charges
him to be fruitful and multiply. Later while in Egypt, it isthe
prolific nature and power of the Jewish people that causes the
Pharaoh to seek alternatives to curbing their growth. In spite
of the persecution at the hands of the Egyptians, God continues
to build a nation through which He will deliver the promised seed
of Abraham.
Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel speak of
this theme in the seventh century. However, they look into the
distant future and anticipate a time when the Messiah reigns on
earth. In Jeremiah 23:3, God gathers the Jewish remnant from all
the nations. Under the reign of the righteous Branch, they live
in peace and continue to multiply. Ezekiel describes this theme
as part of the Kingdom Age, when Israel will return to a right
relationship with God.
The theme "be fruitful and multiply"
includes God's blessing, a blessing not only directed at the nation
of Israel, but one that would ultimately apply to all the nations.
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The Seed (theme
chart)
Immediately after the fall
in Genesis 3, God pronounces a judgment on Satan that includes
a conflict with the woman's seed. The seed will experience a wound
on the heel, but will bruise Satan's head. Thus, we have the introduction
of the theological theme of the seed. God does not reveal the
identity of the seed, only that it is the seed of the woman.
In Genesis 22:18, God promises Abraham
that through his seed, all the nations of the world will be blessed
and vows to work through his descendents, Isaac and Jacob. At
the conclusion of Genesis, God reveals that a ruler will come
from the tribe of Judah and that his reign will not end (Gen.
49:10).
Thousands of years later, God reveals
more specifically that the seed will come through a descendent
of David. God, speaking through Nathan the prophet, promises David
that his descendent will build a house, the temple of God. More
importantly, God promises David that he will establish his house
and kingdom forever (2 Sam. 7:12-15). David recognizes this is
a promise that will affect the future of mankind.
As God's plan unfolds, the identity
of the seed becomes clearer. The promise of a descendent of Abraham,
in whom all the nations would be blessed, includes an eternal
kingdom and king who will ultimately defeat Satan.
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God's
presence with His covenant people (theme
chart)
During the patriarchal era,
God assures Jacob and Isaac, "I will be with you" in
Genesis 26:3-4 and 31:3, respectively. The patriarchs have God's
assurance that He will continue to be with them and bless them
as they followed his will. However, this promise is merely a precursor
to God's dwelling with the whole nation of Israel.
The first hint of this theme is found
in Exodus 4:22 during the Mosaic era. As God is preparing Moses
to stand before Pharaoh, He refers to Israel as "My son,
My first born". Later in Exodus 29:43-46 we find the clearest
reference to this theme in the Old Testament. God commits to tabernacle,
or dwell, with His people. This is an incredible theme! The God
of the universe dwelt among His chosen people, thus completing
a three-part promise to Israel.[1]
1. "I will be your God"
Gen. 17:7-8
2. "You will be My people" Exodus 4:22; 6:7
3. "I will dwell among you" Exodus 29:43-46
This theme continues into the ninth
century, when the prophet Joel looks forward to a day when again
God will dwell with His people during the millennial kingdom (Joel
3:21). In the eighth century, Isaiah refers to a time when God
again will dwell with His people at the first coming of the Messiah
(Isaiah 7:14).
While God dwelling with His people
is an incredible theme, the ultimate provision is that of His
Spirit indwelling the heart of the believer. Ezekiel introduces
this theme during the seventh century (Ezek. 37:14). However,
before God could dwell among the people, the temple had to be
consecrated or purified (Exodus 29:44). In the same way, for God
to dwell in the heart of man, a purification process must take
place. This, of course, was accomplished through Christ. Christ's
death and payment for sin made it possible for God to dwell in
the heart of man and is a pledge of our future inheritance (Ephesians
1:14-15).
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Nationhood,
Land, Heir (theme
chart)
God charges Abram in Genesis
12:1 to leave his country and relatives and go to a new land.
Abram left the comfort and security of his home in Ur to follow
God's leading. According to Hebrews 11:8-9, he went by faith to
a land he did not know, a land he would receive as an inheritance.
In addition to receiving the land, God promises Abram that He
will bless him, make him a great nation and that through him all
the nations on earth will be blessed (Genesis 12:2-3).
With this event, God introduces the
theme and promise that Israel, His chosen people, will become
a great nation and have a homeland. This is a prominent theme
throughout the Mosaic era. God promises His land (Lev. 25:23)
to the Jewish people 69 different times in the book of Deuteronomy
alone. He reminds the people that this promise is not new, but
one that was made to their fathers (Deuteronomy 19:8, 27:3).
Shortly after the Israelites leave
Egypt, God summons Moses to Mount Sinai and there promises him
that Israel will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus
19:3-6). God had miraculously protected the Jewish people and
allowed them to multiply while in captivity. He delivered them
from bondage in Egypt and they are now a nation that is ready
to take possession of the land God promised their fathers. However,
this was contingent on their ability to follow God's commands.
The generation that heard God's promise at Mount Sinai does not
take possession of the land because of their disobedience. In
spite of this, God did not go back on His promise. Under the leadership
of Joshua, the nation of Israel enters the promise land.
This theme continues into the Davidic
era and is a component of the covenant God establishes with David.
God promises to provide a place for His people where they will
experience rest from their enemies. In addition, David's heir
will build a house for God. However, more importantly, God will
build a house for David and establish his throne forever (2 Sam.
7:11-16, see Eternal Dynasty and Kingdom). After years
of unrest and persecution by the other nations, Israel experiences
relative peace and prosperity in their own land under the leadership
of David.
Later, the nation divides into two
kingdoms, Israel to the north with 10 tribes and Judah to the
south with 2 tribes. Assyria overtakes Israel and Judah fell captive
to Babylon. There appears to be no hope of the Jewish people regaining
their status as a nation. However, God speaks through the prophet
Ezekiel and promises to revive the nation.
(Ezek. 37:12-14) "Therefore
prophesy, and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD God, "Behold,
I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves,
My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. {13}
"Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I have opened
your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people.
{14} "And I will put My Spirit within you, and you will come
to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will
know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it," declares
the LORD.'"
This is not a bodily resurrection,
but a national resurrection before the Second Coming of Christ.
God follows through on His promise to provide a land and make
a nation for His people. In the NT, Stephen and the author of
Hebrews recount this promise to Abraham, in Acts 7:4-5 and Hebrews
11:8-9 respectively. They join with the rest of the NT authors
in looking forward to the hope of a restored nation and land,
a nation that experiences not only a political revival but also
a spiritual rebirth as described in Ezekiel 37:15-28.
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A
blessing to the world (theme
chart)
In Genesis 12:3b, God promises
Abraham that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed.
This blessing is not exclusive to Abraham or to the nation God
promises him. It applies to all nations, and tribes (go'wy). Later
in Genesis 22:17-18 God states that the source of this blessing
will be Abraham's seed.
This blessing is first evident when
the Israelites leave Egypt. In Exodus 9:20 and 12:38, Moses describes
a "mixed multitude" that includes Egyptians who fear
God. Throughout the Old Testament, God makes provision for people
from other nations who want to know Him, even placing some in
very prominent positions.[2]
This theme continues in the 9th century with the prophet Joel.
He makes it clear, "...whoever calls on the name of the Lord
will be delivered...".
In Isaiah 49:5-6, God states that
Israel will be a light to the nations and that God's salvation
will reach the ends of the earth, not just Israel. In Isaiah 52:15,
the Servant suffers vicariously for men's sin, and will "sprinkle
many nations", (go'wy) clearly an allusion to the high priest
sprinkling the blood on the mercy seat (Lev. 16:14). The Servant,
the seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ, is shown to cover the sins
of all mankind.
Another example of God's concern
for the entire world is seen as He goes to great lengths to bring
a prophet to the Gentile city of Nineveh. The Ninevites were known
enemies of Israel and Jonah is reluctant to preach to these people.
His reluctance and lack of compassion for them is evident as he
waits, with anticipation, for God to judge and destroy their city.
However, the people repent in "sackcloth and ashes"
and God withholds judgment of the city, which angers Jonah, (Jonah
3:10-4:1). The book concludes with God expressing His compassion
for the people of Nineveh, providing further evidence that God
intends the blessing promised to Abraham to apply to all nations.
Jeremiah, Zechariah and Malachi look
forward to a time when all the nations (go'wy) of the earth surround
the throne of God and worship Him as King.[3]
Clearly, these Old Testament prophets understood God's vision
of all nations receiving His message of salvation and blessing.
Therefore, this theme is not unique
to the New Testament. God intended to bless the nations from the
very beginning. In the New Testament, as in the Old, we see God
using human agency to bring the news of His blessing. Christ charges
His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations (ethnos)
(Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:44-49; Acts 1:8). Christ affirms in
the Gospel of John that there are other sheep, "not of this
fold" who must be brought in under one shepherd (John 10:16).
This theme is also prominent after Christ's ministry, through
the disciples and Paul:
- Acts 8:27-39 - The Ethiopian eunuch
receives Christ and is baptized.
- Acts 10:45 - After a vision from God, Peter delivers the gospel
to Cornelius, a Gentile and Centurion in the Roman army.
- Acts 13:46-47 - Paul, quoting Isaiah 49:6, states that he and
Barnabas will bring the message of salvation to the Gentiles.
- Romans 10:11-13 - Paul, quoting Isaiah 28:16, affirms that whoever
will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.
- Romans 10:9-12 - The "root" of Jesse provides hope
for the Gentiles
- Galatians 3:8,14 - Scripture foresees that Gentiles will be
justified by faith. In Christ, the promised blessing to Abraham
comes to the Gentiles.
- Ephesians 2:11-18 - Gentiles and Jews united in one body through
Christ.
- Ephesians 3:6-8 - Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members
of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise.
Finally, in the book of Revelation
we see the multitude praising the Lamb and counting Him worthy
to open the book. Why was the Lamb worthy? Because through His
blood He paid the price for sin for men from every tribe, tongue,
people and nation (Rev. 5:8-10). In addition, two chapters later,
John describes a multitude from all nations and tribes before
the throne of God worshipping the Lamb (Rev. 7:9-17).
From the beginning to the consummation
of the age, God desires all nations to hear and take part in the
blessing promised to Abraham. God, through His grace, gives Christians
the privilege of playing a role in seeing this theme come to fruition.
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The Law (theme
chart)
The law that God gave to
the nation of Israel through Moses serves several purposes.
- First, the law of Moses reveals
the character of God. Commands in the law begin with the phrase,
"I am the LORD your God," signifying that the commands
are rooted in God's character. The common phrase, "be holy
as I am holy," conveys the same point.
- Second, the law is given to make
clear to Israel how they can experience the blessings of God.
As Israel follows the commands of the law they "live and
prosper and prolong" their days in the land that God has
given them (Deut. 5:33).
- Third, the law points out the sin
of the people of Israel. The content of the law, in fact, contains
provisions for sacrifices which have to be made because of the
people's general uncleanness and specific sin. The prophets use
the law as the standard by which to measure the nation. God's
judgment comes because of Israel's failure to live up to the law.
Conformity to the law would lead to an end of the judgment and
the return of blessings. The prophets also speak of a future time
when God will at one point provide a sacrifice for the forgiveness
of all their sin. Nowhere is this more clear than in Isaiah 52-53
where Isaiah speaks of the "servant of the Lord," who
will "sprinkle" the nations and bear the sins of people
so as to make them righteous.
In the New Testament, we see similar
purposes for the law. Part of Jesus' purpose in preaching the
law is to restore the holy standard to which God calls His people.
The Pharisees had watered down the law, making it superficial
and robbing it of its high claims for holiness. Jesus, in his
Sermon on the Mount, seeks to expose and correct their misleading
teaching. At times, the Pharisees contradict the law by their
hypocritical actions (Mt. 15.3-7). Jesus summarizes the law: "Love
God and love your neighbor as yourself." (Matt. 19:19) That
is to be the ruling principle which most clearly reflects the
character of God and the ethic that is to guide the church.
However, the second purpose stated
above for the law in the Old Testament no longer applies in the
New. Israel had failed to obtain the full blessings of God through
obedience to the law. They had proved unfaithful and there was
no indication that they would improve given more time. Would God
then get rid of the law in order to bless his people? No. "Do
not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets;
I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them," Jesus
said (Mt. 5:17). God cannot change his character. Instead, he
provides a way for the righteous requirements of the law to be
met in his people. That solution is for Jesus to offer his life
as a sin offering, so that sin can be condemned and the requirements
of the law can be met by those who are made alive in Christ by
the Spirit (Romans 8:3-4). Christ's death is the atonement that
God had promised through Isaiah.
Lastly, it is revealed in the New
Testament that not only was the law given to make to point out
sin (Rom 7:7) but also to point people to a way to be freed from
sin through forgiveness, that is, to point to Christ. "So
the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ..." (Gal.
3:24).
Thus we see that the law serves similar
purposes in the Old Testament and the New, and that the law was
fulfilled in the New as it pointed sinners to its fulfillment
in the substitutionary atonement of Christ.
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The
eternal dynasty and the kingdom (theme
chart)
In the person of David, it
becomes clear who "the seed" will be. He will be a king,
a descendant of David, and an heir of the promised eternal throne
(II Samuel 7:11-16). Thus the promises concerning the seed are
inherent in the promise for an eternal kingdom.
The ruler of this kingdom will crush
all of his enemies and will be exalted above all other authorities
(Psalm 89, 110). Micah reveals that the king will come from Bethlehem
and that he will have an eternal destiny. Even as Israel faces
exile and is in exile, God affirms that he will be faithful to
his promise and that out of the darkness of Israel's sin and consequent
judgment, one will come who will fulfill the promise and there
will be no end to his rule. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel
clearly point to a future "David" who will completely
fulfill God's promises and bring about an eternal kingdom. It
is an awesome promise considering the circumstances God had brought
through his judgment at that time. God's people are in a foreign
land but the promise remains that God will create his own kingdom
for his people to inhabit, led by a descendant of David.
The NT begins with the announcement
that the kingdom is at hand. John the Baptist first announces
this, and as Jesus begins his ministry he reinforces it. "'The
time has come,' he said. 'The kingdom of God is near. Repent and
believe the good news!'" (Mark 1:15). There is an element
of God's kingdom that still lies in the future, but Jesus is also
saying that the kingdom is present with him (Mt. 12:28), because
the king has arrived. It is the clear teaching of the NT that
Jesus is the promised seed, the anointed one who will reign on
David's throne forever, the servant, the root, the branch, the
Messiah that the prophets have promised.
The NT makes this clear in two ways.
First, it records numerous Old Testament passages about the Messiah
and demonstrates how Jesus fulfills them. For example, Matthew
notes the fact that Jesus can cast out demons fulfills the prophecy
in Isaiah 53:4 that the servant of the Lord "took up our
infirmities and carried our diseases." (Mt. 8:16-17) The
apostles in the book of Acts make the same sorts of connections
as do the writers of the epistles. Second, the NT records the
claims, by Jesus, that he is the Christ. Jesus himself points
out prophecy that he fulfills (Mt. 22:41-45). He acknowledges
before Peter and the High Priest that he is the Christ (Mt. 16:16;
Mt. 26:64). Jesus not only identifies himself as the Christ, but
he also expounds on the nature of the king and teaches that he
is indeed God himself (John 8:58; 10:30). Thus, the revelation
of Jesus as the Son of God, the Christ, gives new meaning to the
Old Testament's witness through David that "Yours, O LORD,
is the kingdom..." (I Chronicles 29:11)
Just as the Old Testament portrays
the promised kingdom as transcending over all other kingdoms so
is Christ pictured as above all other spiritual (Col. 2:15) and
earthly rulers: "Therefore God exalted him to the highest
place and gave him the name that is above every name..."
(Phil. 2:9).
The nature of the Old Testament's
portrayal of the kingdom is also consistent with the portrayal
in the New. The kingdom will be characterized by peace, justice,
and righteousness, according to Isaiah (Isa. 9:6-7). Jesus communicates
in his parables about the kingdom that those who do evil will
not be there, but only the righteous (Mt. 13). Revelation 21 depicts
a similar kingdom.
The NT adds to the Old Testament
description of God's eternal kingdom the identity of the king
and the fact that the kingdom has come in Jesus and yet still
will come in its fullness in the future.
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The
day of the Lord (theme
chart)
As described in the Old Testament
the "Day of the Lord" will be both the most terrifying
and the most glorious day to date - terrible for those who have
not obeyed God, and awesome and glorious for those who have God's
special favor. The day of the Lord is a future day in which God
brings all of his enemies to final defeat and judgment and his
people to final prosperity. Generally, it is pictured as judgment
with the assumption that the defeat of God's enemies will be good
for God's people. Amos, however, alerts his audience that
they would stand under the judgment of God if they do not repent
(Amos 8). For the faithful, however, there is the promise of a
new heavens and a new earth which will endure forever (Isa. 66).
Zephaniah and Zechariah indicate that the day of the Lord will
involve a sacrifice which will consecrate the people and removal
sin (Zeph. 1:7; Zech. 13:1). The day of the Lord will be the end
of time in the sense that people's fates will be sealed and the
kingdom that stands will endure forever.
The appearance of Jesus adds a new
dimension to the day of the Lord. Jesus brings some of the blessings
of the day of the Lord, but without the judgment, warning that
judgment will occur in the future, in addition to the blessings
of the new heavens and the new earth.
In Luke 4:18-21 Jesus says that the
Spirit of the Lord is on him "to proclaim the year of the
Lord's favor" and that the poor will have the good news preached
to them, the prisoners will be set free, the blind will see, and
the oppressed will be released. These are the blessings of the
day of the Lord upon the faithful, and Jesus brings them in his
first coming. John 3:17 makes the same point: "For God did
not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save
the world through him." The Pentecost in Acts provides more
evidence that the blessings of the last days have come. Peter
explains the disciples speaking in tongues as a fulfillment of
a prophecy in Joel 2:28-32 regarding the last days.
However, the judgment that accompanies
the day of the Lord is still to come. Jesus and his apostles warn
that it will come in the future "like a thief in the night."
(Mt. 24; II Peter 3:10) The New Testament gives a rough blueprint
of what must occur before Jesus returns and the day of the Lord
is finished (Mt. 24, Mk. 13, Lk. 21, I Thess. 2). Wars, famines,
and natural disasters will occur leading up to it. The gospel
will be preached to the whole world. The "man of lawlessness"
or the "abomination that causes desolation" will appear.
Satan will deceive people into following him by performing false
miracles. Then, amidst all "the distress of those days,"
Christ, "the Son of Man" will appear in the clouds with
his angels to gather his people. Then fire will destroy the heavens
and earth and God will create a new heavens and a new earth (II
Peter 3:13).
The NT affirms what the Old Testament
teaches about the day of the Lord. However, it also reveals that
some of the blessings of the day of the Lord are available now
through Christ. Furthermore, the NT gives more details regarding
the events leading up to the day of the Lord.
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The New
Covenant (theme
chart)
The covenant that God made
with Israel through the law of Moses was unsuccessful, failing
to produce a covenant people who would faithfully act as "a
kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19:6) to represent
God. The people of Israel proved, by their repeated disobedience,
that they could not faithfully follow the law. But, this covenant
did succeed in pointing out the need for a different, new covenant.
This new covenant could not depend on the response of people,
but would depend alone on the faithfulness of God. As Paul points
out in Galatians 3:15-19, God had made a promise to Abraham previous
to the establishment of the law, and the law did not nullify that
promise. That promise also depended only on the actions of God;
Abraham participated in it as an individual through his faith.
Ezekiel had made the same point (Ezek. 16:59-60). The promise
to Abraham gave rise to all of the previous themes. The new covenant
is the vehicle through which all of the promises will be fulfilled.
The new covenant is first alluded
to in Isaiah and is expounded upon further primarily in Jeremiah
and Ezekiel. In Isaiah 49:8, God promises that he will use his
"servant of the LORD" to "make you to be a covenant
for the people, to restore the land." In Isaiah 55, God specifies
that this covenant will be his "faithful love promised to
David." In Jeremiah 31:31-34 God promises to make a new covenant,
not like the old one that could be broken. Rather, God's law will
be in his people's hearts and minds, and everyone will know God
for themselves and their sins will be completely forgiven. With
this, God will gather his scattered people from everywhere and
make a covenant whereby he will never stop doing good to them
and they will never turn away from him (Jer. 32:37-40). Ezekiel
36:22-28 describes how God will accomplish this miracle. Through
cleansing his people from all sin, God will give his people a
new heart and put a new spirit in them - God's Spirit which will
"move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my
laws."
Thus the New Covenant includes the
following provisions for his people in the new heavens and new
earth: universal knowledge of God, universal peace, universal
material prosperity, God's presence among his people, and universal
possession of God's Spirit.
These stunning promises come during
Israel's darkest hour. Israel was exiled. Judah is facing the
same fate. But amidst all this failure, God reassures his people
that the previous promises will still be fulfilled. God will turn
again to a covenant that depends solely on him for its success.
In the New Testament, all of these
aspects of the New Covenant are reaffirmed and some of them begin
to be fulfilled. In Jesus, there is a new mediator for a new and
better covenant (Hebrews). Jesus' blood which he shed on the cross
seals the covenant (Mt. 26:28). Jesus says he came to bring abundant
life (John 10:10), a life that would last forever (John 10:28).
This new life will come through being born again of the Spirit
(John 3:3). God's Spirit brings new life, and in fact, lives with
the believer (John 14:17). The Spirit gives the believer power
to live a life that pleases God (Gal 5:22-23) and to be a witness
for him (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit is presently at work in believers.
He is the promise of the New Covenant which will bring all the
other promises to fulfillment. God finally has a people in Christ,
through the Spirit, who are a "chosen people, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people belonging to God, [who] may declare the
praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful
light" (I Peter 3:9).
Still in the future, the ultimate
fulfillment of the New Covenant awaits when Israel will be gathered
to God (Romans 11:27) and Christ's victory over Satan and death
will be complete. God's people will have imperishable bodies (I
Cor. 15:54-55), and will live in a new heavens and a new earth
where there will be no more evil and the glory of God will be
the only light needed (Rev. 21).
Thus in the New Testament, the New
Covenant begins to be fulfilled in the person and work of Christ
and the ministry of the Holy Spirit; the final fulfillment of
the New Covenant is given more detail.
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NOTES
[1]
This three-part promise is found throughout the Old and New Testament.
Lev. 11:45; 22:33; 25:38; 26:12,44,45; Numbers 15:41; Deut. 4:20;
29:12-13; Jer. 7:23; 11:4; 24:7; 30:22; 31:1,33; 32:38; Ezek.
11:20; 14:11; 36:28; 37:27; Zech. 8:8; 13:9; 2 Cor. 6:16; and
Rev. 21:3-7 Return to Text
[2]
Both Rahab and Ruth are included in Matthew's genealogy, Matt.
1:5. In addition, Rahab is mentioned in the "Hall of Faith"
in Hebrews 11:31 and in James 2:25 as an example of faith resulting
in action. Rahab was a Canaanite from the city of Jericho and
Ruth was a Moabite. Return to Text
[3]
Jeremiah 3:16-17; Zechariah 2:10-12; and Malachi 11:1Return
to Text
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