This answer is contributed by Ray Konig, the author of Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Prophet, Jesus the Miracle Worker, and 100 Fulfilled Bible Prophecies.
By Ray Konig
Published: March 1, 2003.
Revised: August 16, 2024.
Question: A reader asks: "A friend of mine keeps bugging me to show where it says in the Old Testament that the Messiah would come a 2ND TIME. He doesn't accept the New Testament. He wants it from the Old Testament. He wants me to show him that the concept of a second coming existed before Jesus. He says that there is no Biblical evidence of a second coming until after Jesus. He wants some evidence that the Messiah was supposed to appear twice and that this was taught in the Old Testament. Thanks."
Response: Yes, the Old Testament does teach the concept of a second arrival, by virtue of having two separate prophecies that predicted two separate arrivals of the Messiah, in Zechariah 9:9 and Daniel 7:13-14. The Old Testament also teaches that there would be one Messiah, as opposed to two or more. Therefore, the one Messiah, according to the Old Testament, would have to arrive twice, meaning he would have a first arrival and a second arrival.
Let's take a look at the two arrival prophecies in the Old Testament and offer an explanation as to how they are uniquely resolved by Jesus the Messiah.
First, here is the prophecy from Zechariah, who lived about 2,500 years ago, which is about 500 years before the time of Jesus:
9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9, WEB)
This prophecy is a prediction that the promised Messiah would publicly announce himself, as the Messiah, in a most humble way, by riding a lowly donkey into Jerusalem.
The prophecy from Daniel, however, predicts a very different arrival for the Messiah, that he would arrive in a spectacular way:
13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 Dominion was given him, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his kingdom one that which will not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14, WEB)
As you can see, there are two arrivals for the Messiah, as predicted in the Old Testament. This baffled some of the rabbis of ancient times who debated how these two prophecies would be resolved by one Messiah. A discussion on that topic is recorded in the Babylonian Talmud, which is a collection of writings from Jewish rabbis that was compiled from about AD 200-600:
"Rabbi Alexandri says: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi raises a contradiction between two depictions of the coming of the Messiah. It is written: 'There came with the clouds of heaven, one like unto a son of man...and there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom...his dominion is an everlasting dominion' (Daniel 7:13-14). And it is written: 'Behold, your king will come to you; he is just and victorious; lowly and riding upon a donkey and upon a colt, the foal of a donkey' (Zechariah 9:9). Rabbi Alexandri explains: If the Jewish people merit redemption, the Messiah will come in a miraculous manner with the clouds of heaven. If they do not merit redemption, the Messiah will come lowly and riding upon a donkey." - Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 98a, The William Davidson Edition.
As reflected in this part of the Talmud, there was a sense of puzzlement as to how one Messiah could arrive in two different ways. And, the proposed solution was that the Messiah's manner of arrival would be shaped by the worthiness of the people.
But, that's not what the prophets of the Old Testament had predicted -- they predicted two arrivals.
And, the New Testament offers a solution that fulfills both arrival prophecies -- Jesus, as the Messiah, arrives twice. He fulfilled Zechariah's prophecy about 2,000 years ago, and he will fulfill Daniel's prophecy in the future, when Jesus returns.
Zechariah's prophecy was fulfilled near the end of Jesus' public ministry, when Jesus publicly announced himself as the Messiah in a most humble way, by riding a lowly donkey into Jerusalem.
When Jesus did this, in about the year AD 30, he was surrounded by Jews who realized what he was doing -- he was publicly announcing himself as the Messiah by fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. The people then gathered around Jesus and hailed him with Messianic praise (Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-38; John 12:12-19).
Jesus, who remains today the only person on record to have ever ridden a donkey into Jerusalem -- while being hailed as the Messiah -- also gave prophecies about his future return, when he is to preside over Judgment Day and the eternal Kingdom of God (Matthew 24:26-28, 26:64; John 5:22-30, 6:39-40).
In fact, when Jesus gave prophecies about his future return, he cited the prophecy from Daniel (Matthew 24:26-27; Matthew 26:64).
© 2003, 2024 Ray Konig.
Ray Konig is the author of Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Prophet, Jesus the Miracle Worker, and 100 Fulfilled Bible Prophecies.