Is Hosea 6:1-3 a prophecy of Jesus?

Question

I've asked in a separate question if Hosea 6:1-3 is a quotation. Here is the ESV translation for reference:

“Come, let us return to the LORD;
    for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
    he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
After two days he will revive us;
    on the third day he will raise us up,
    that we may live before him.
Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD;
    his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
    as the spring rains that water the earth.”

For this question, I want to know if this could be a prophesy about Jesus assuming that it is a quotation by some group in Judah who was hoping for deliverance despite not changing their sinful behaviour. Can hypothetical words placed in the mouths of an unrepentant, overly-hopeful people be interpreted as prophesy?

Answer 1

If this is not a quotation of an unrepentant group, the Christology is abundantly clear (all the points below apply to this case). Even if it is a quotation from an unrepentant group:

There is Scriptural precedent for prophecy by unregenerate individuals...

1. both those who are aware that that they are prophesying (Saul)
2. and those who are not (Caiaphas)

(On the other hand, in both those cases the person who prophesied was acting from his God-ordained office.)

The doctrine of the Christological character of all of the Old Testament is very strong:

1. Christ's own statements about how to interpret the Scripture (Matthew 26:24; Mark 9:12; Luke 24:25-27, 44-46; etc.)
2. Christ and the apostle's use of Scripture in the same manner throughout the New Testament, including uses that are surprising from the original context (Matthew 2:18, 23; Galatians 4:21-31; Hebrews 1:10; etc.)

According to the index of quotations at the back of my Greek New Testament, there is no use of 6:1-3 in the New Testament, and so there is no authoritative word specifically for this passage. However, the person who would claim that it does not refer to Christ bears the burden of proof.