New Testament People in the Old Testament Quiz

Answer: False

No, this has nothing to do with Judas Iscariot or any other New Testament man named Judas. In Genesis 49, Jacob, also known as Israel, was talking to his sons and prophesying over them. He said that some of them were like animals; for examples, he called Issachar a donkey and Benjamin a wolf. Interestingly, he called Dan a serpent, but it seems to be a positive portrayal of a serpent. (The serpent is often a negative symbol, due to the serpent in the Garden of Eden.)

As for Judah, Jacob said that Judah was a lion and that he (Judah) would be praised. Christians believe that this prophecy was fulfilled through Jesus Christ, who was descended from Judah. The Book of Revelation calls Jesus the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

According to the website newtestamentchristians.com, Jesus Christ fulfilled a whopping 351 Old Testament prophecies.

Answer: Isaiah 40:3

"This is the testimony of John [the Baptist], when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, 'Who are you?' And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, 'I am not the Christ.' They asked him, 'What then? Are you Elijah?' And he said, 'I am not.' 'Are you the Prophet?' And he answered, 'No.' Then they said to him, 'Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?' He said, 'I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said'" (John 1:19-23, New American Standard Bible).

Judging by the way those Jews were speaking to John the Baptist, it appears that they believed the Messiah ("Christ" is simply Greek for the Hebrew word "Messiah") and the Prophet were two different people. However, Christians believe that Jesus was both the Christ and the Prophet, assuming "the Prophet" refers to the promised prophet of Deuteronomy 18.

According to Matthew 3:11, John said that he baptized with water, but that Jesus would come and baptize with the Holy Spirit. Even though John the Baptist was an important character, he also said that he wasn't worthy to even carry Jesus's shoes.

Answer: Malachi 3:1

Malachi 3:1 is interesting for several reasons. First of all, the Lord is clearly the one speaking in this verse. While many Jews believe that the Messiah would be a mere man (they obviously interpret Malachi 3:1 differently than Christians do), Christians believe that the Messiah was none other than the Lord Himself, who allowed Himself to become flesh and be born to a woman.

Another reason it's interesting is that there are apparently two messengers. The first messenger is John the Baptist and God the Son (Jesus) is saying that he will prepare the way for Him. The second messenger is Jesus, and the speaker evidently shifts from God the Son to God the Father, which is why the pronouns change from "Me" to "He", and yet the speaker is still the Lord. Most Christians believe God is three-in-one.

Answer: Mary, the mother of Jesus

There is controversy over whether the correct meaning of the word translated as virgin really means virgin or only young woman. However, some Christians have argued that even if the original text means young woman, it would still apply to Mary, since she was a young woman when she gave birth. Furthermore, ALL young, unmarried Hebrew women were ideally expected to be virgins, according to the Law--but of course young married women weren't expected to be virgins. The real question then is not whether this mother was a young woman or not, because she was, but rather it is whether this young woman was married or not.

Gotquestions.org suggests that this is a double prophecy, because Matthew 1 connects it to Mary and Jesus, but there was also a child born during King Ahaz's reign based upon the whole chapter of Isaiah 7. This is probably why God used the general word for young woman rather than the strict word for virgin.

Answer: Out of Egypt I called My son

In Hosea 11's context, this verse appears to be about God taking the Israelites out of Egypt. However, the Gospel of Matthew does quote this verse as a prophecy of Jesus. Perhaps, like Isaiah 7:14, Hosea 11:1 contains a double meaning; double prophecy.

Joseph had to take Mary and the baby to Egypt because King Herod wanted to murder Him. After Herod's death, they returned to Nazareth.

Answer: Rachel

In Genesis, Rachel was a wife of Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. She was one of the matriarchs of the Israelites. Since the slaughtered babies were Hebrews, Matthew seems to use Rachel as a symbol for the Hebrew nation. Rachel wasn't the literal mother of the babies, but she was an ancestor.

In addition to Rachel, other mothers of the Jewish nation include Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah.

Answer: Isaiah

The original passages are Isaiah 29:13-14.

The Christian belief is that Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life based upon the Torah and the Prophets (the Old Testament). See Galatians 4:4. However, He was often at odds with the Pharisees and some other Jewish leaders, because He didn't agree with their traditions (the Talmud, oral law, etc.). It wasn't the Torah or God's Law that He had a problem with; just their traditions and added laws. Many Christians believe that by the time Jesus came along, Judaism had become corrupt, and it was no longer the pure religion that God revealed to Moses. In John 5:46, Jesus told the Pharisees that if they truly believed Moses, they would believe Jesus too, because Moses wrote about Jesus. He was basically claiming to be the God of the Old Testament and they accused Jesus of blasphemy several times for this reason.

Answer: Bread

Psalm 41:9 New American Standard Bible (NASB):

"Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me."

It's possible, even probable, that Judas ate lamb with the bread. After all, the Gospels state that Jesus and the disciples shared a Passover meal. But that is still incorrect in regards to Psalms 41:9.

Another Old Testament prophecy that Christians believe is about Judas Iscariot is Zechariah 11:12-13, which references 30 shekels.

Answer: Zechariah 13:7

Matthew 26 says that Jesus and His disciples were in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was "deeply grieved" because He knew that His crucifixion was coming soon. The Scripture says that Jesus "fell on His face" and prayed to the Father. He asked the men to simply stay with Him, and three times He found them not praying, but sleeping! He told them to wake up because He would soon be betrayed and arrested. What's more, even though they had all promised that they would die with Him if needed, as soon as He was arrested, they all ran for their lives. John, the son of Zebedee and Salome, apparently returned at some point, because John 19 suggests that there was a male disciple near the cross with His mother.

Fortunately, Christ's female disciples were a little more devout and loyal than the males were. The women loved Jesus so much that they literally followed Him to His death. In addition to His mother, the other women included Mary Magdalene, Joana, Salome, Mary, the mother of James, and nameless others.

Answer: rich

"When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave" (Matthew 27:57-61).

Interestingly, Jesus's earthly parents were named Mary and Joseph. Then there was Joseph of Arimathea and Mary Magdalene. So He had a Mary and Joseph during His birth and a different Mary and Joseph during His death and burial.

I'm pretty sure the wicked men Isaiah mentions refer to the criminals He was crucified with and not the women who sat next to His grave.