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The problem is this:

David was told that the Messiah would come from his body (2 Samuel 7:12), and Matthew and Luke both record genealogies from David to Joseph. There are extra-biblical arguments that the genealogies include Mary, but there are no instances in the Bible in which a genealogy is preserved through a female. In fact, the opposite is true in 2 Kings 11 when Jehosheba preserves the life of Joash to preserve the line of succession.

The question is this:

2 Samuel 7:12 reads thus: "When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will >>SET UP<< your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom."

The phrase "set up" is the Hebrew word "qum" (Strong's Heb 6965), which is the same verb used when the dead man who is buried in the tomb of Elisha returns to life (2 Kings 13:21). In the Greek Septuagint, the word used in 2 Samuel 7:12 is "anastasis," which is the same word used for "resurrection" in the New Testament (Strong's Gk 386).

The prophecy Moses gives concerning the prophet to follow him also uses the words "qum" and "anastasis" (Deuteronomy 18:15).

With these considerations, then, why is it impossible that the child born to David and Bathsheba could not be the Christ since it is a requirement that both the Prophet be raised up from "brothers," not sisters like Mary, and the Messiah must be "raised up" from the body of David?

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  • Welcome to Bible Hermeneutics SE and thank you for your contribution. When you get a chance, please take the tour to understand how the site works and how it is different than others.
    – agarza
    Apr 23, 2022 at 12:58
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    None of this agrees with the writings of the apostles of Jesus Christ. Nor does it agree with the prophecies of the prophets of Israel. It is entirely opinion-based.
    – Nigel J
    Apr 23, 2022 at 13:34
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    I’m voting to close this question because it is an answer rather than just a question. It is OK on this site to ask & answer your own question, but answers should be provided in the answer section. Apr 23, 2022 at 14:33
  • Hello, Hold To The Rod. I apologize for offering an answer in my question. Since this is my first contribution to StackExchange, I am not yet fully aware of the conventions. It is a true question I have, though, even if it seems to be offered as an "answer." I hope you can see that I was intending to submit this heremeneutical interpretation for consideration by others in order to better understand the truth. I sincerely hope this question will not be closed because I want to know the truth about this. Apr 24, 2022 at 10:54
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    You are muddling prophecies regarding Solomon (the seed of David out of his bowels) who reigned over the outward kingdom of Israel ; and prophecies regarding Jesus Christ who was 'come of' (but not begotten by) the 'seed' of David and whose rule was of an eternal kingdom, a kingdom of the heavens. The child you speak of died in infancy and no prophecy was fulfilled through him.
    – Nigel J
    Apr 24, 2022 at 17:02

2 Answers 2

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Bathsheba's first son was definitely NOT messiah for the following reasons:

  • He was NOT a prophet, according to Deut 18:15, 18-20; but according to Acts 3:21-23 - Jesus WAS.
  • He did NOT inherit the throne of David, according to 2 Sam 7:12, 13, Isa 9:7, Ps 2:6, Ps 45:6, 7; but according to Luke 1:32, 33, Rom 1:3, John 1:49, Heb 1:8, 9 - Jesus DID.
  • He was not declared by the LORD to be "My Son" according to Ps 2:7; but according to Matt 3:16, 17 - Jesus WAS.
  • He never inherited the nations to the ends of the earth according to Ps 2:8; but according to Heb 1:2 - Jesus was the heir of all things.
  • He did not fulfill Isa 6:10; but according to John 12:39, 40 Jesus did.
  • He did not fulfill Ps 8:2; but according to Matt 2:16 Jesus did
  • He died and was NOT resurrected (and thus decayed in the grave) according to Ps 16:8-11, but according to Acts 2:25-28, Jesus was not abandoned to the grave but was resurrected
  • He was abandoned to the grave and is still there; but according to Ps 16;10 and Ps 45:15 Messiah would be resurrected and this occurred according to Matt 28:5-7, 1 Cor 15:3, 4, 20
  • He did not say "My God My God why have you forsaken me?" according to Ps 22:1; but according to Matt 27:46, Jesus did.
  • He was never mocked according to Ps 22:7, 8; but according to Luke 23:35-37, Jesus was.
  • He did not have his hands and feet pierced according to Ps 22:16; but Jesus did, according to John 20:25-27
  • He did not have his garments divided and have lots cast for them according to Ps 22:18; but according to Matt 27:35, Jesus did.
  • He was not offered gall and drink vinegar according to Ps 69:21; but according to Matt 27:34, Jesus was.
  • He did not teach in parables according to Ps 78:2-4; but according to Matt 13:10-13, Jesus did.
  • He did not sit at the right hand of the LORD; but according to Matt 26:64, Heb 10:12, Jesus did and still does.
  • He did not become a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek according to Ps 110:4; but according to Heb 5:5, 6, Jesus did.
  • He was not born miraculously of a virgin according to Isa 7:14; but according to Matt 1:22, 23, Jesus was.
  • He never travelled to the land of Zebulun and Naphtali according to Isa 9:1, 2; but according to Matt 4:14, Jesus did.
  • He never ruled over the gentiles according to Isa 11:10; but according to Rom 15:10, Jesus did.
  • He did not fulfill Isa 42:1-4; but according to Matt 12:15-21, Jesus did.
  • He was not despised and rejected by men according to Isa 53:3; but according to John 1:11, 7:5, Jesus was.
  • He did not take our infirmities and get struck down by God according to Isa 53:4; but according to Matt 8:16, 17, 26:67, 68, Jesus did.
  • He did not die for the sins of the unrighteous according to Isa 53:5, 6; but according to Rom 5:6-8, Jesus did.
  • He was not oppressed and afflicted according to Isa 53:7, 8; but according to Mark 15:4, 5, Acts 8:4, 5, Jesus was.
  • He was not assigned a grave with the wicked according to Isa 53:9; but according to Matt 27:57-60, Jesus was.
  • He was not numbered with transgressors according to Isa 53:12; but according to Matt 27:38, Mark 15:27, 28, Jesus was.
  • He did not heal the brokenhearted and proclaim liberty to captives according to Isa 61:1, 2; but according to Luke 4:17-20, Jesus did.
  • He did not gather the remnant of Israel to become king according to Jer 23:3-6; but according to Luke 1:31-33, John 1:49, 50, 12:13, Jesus did.
  • He did not spend three days inside the earth according to Jonah 1:17; but according to Matt 12:40, 1 Cor 15:3, 4, Jesus did.
  • He was not born in Bethlehem Ephrathah according to Micah 5:2; but according to Matt 2:4-6, Jesus was.
  • He never rode a donkey into Jerusalem according to Zech 9:9; but according to Matt 21:4, 5, Jesus did.
  • He was not betrayed for 30 pieces of silver according to Zech 11:12; but according to Matt 26:15, Jesus was.

... and so forth. Much more could be quoted.

Now here is the crux of the matter - the fact that Jesus was born "to Joseph" but of a virgin means that according to the prophecies and the facts as revealed, Jesus could NOT have been the biological son of Joseph but must have been a miraculous child that was adopted or counted as the son of Joseph. (One cannot have it both ways!!)

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  • With the exception of Deuteronomy 18, all of the Scriptures indicated concerning Messianic prophecies in this answer follow the death of the child in question. It would be more helpful to indicate Messianic prophecies preceding the death of the child. Also, Deuterononomy 18:18 refers to a prophet who would be "raised up" (Strong's Heb 6965 & Gk 386) from among the brothers of Israel, which also indicates that The Prophet would die before he were raised. Apr 24, 2022 at 11:19
  • @BennyAtkins - what is your point - are you suggesting that the Scriptures I have quoted are mistaken? Or, perhaps there were two Messiah's?
    – Dottard
    Apr 24, 2022 at 11:54
  • There is one Messiah. He is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25). The prophecy delivered by Nathan to David was that David's son "from his body" would also be God's son. Most of the prophecies you have mentioned are taken from the Psalms, which may be inspired in part by David's understanding of God's promise of the resurrection of the boy to become the Messiah--having been born of David according to the flesh, but having been born of God according to the spirit. Likewise, Isaiah and the prophets prophesy of this Messiah after the reign of David. Apr 24, 2022 at 12:08
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In order for David and Bathsheba’s son to have been the long-awaited Messiah (or Christ) he would have had to have fulfilled some 300 prophecies before he died. Clearly, he did not. The whole Old Testament—Law, Prophets, and Writings—contains messianic prophecies. Here is an extract from an article that shows how those prophecies were not fulfilled till Jesus was born:

Jesus’ birth is the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14 (cp. Matthew 1:18–23). Jesus’ flight to Egypt turns out to be the fulfillment of an indirect prophecy in Hosea 11:1 (cp. Matthew 2:15). Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem is linked to Zechariah 9:9 (cp. Matthew 21:1–5). Jesus’ death on the cross fulfilled many Old Testament prophecies, including Psalm 34:20 and Zechariah 12:10 (cp. John 19:31–37).

At times Jesus quoted a messianic prophecy and applied it to Himself. In the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus read a messianic passage from Isaiah 61 and said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). Just before His arrest, Jesus quotes Zechariah 13:7, stating that prophecy is about to be fulfilled (Matthew 26:31). He also quotes Isaiah 53:12 (in Luke 22:37), and when we study the whole of Isaiah 53, we discover that much of that chapter corresponds directly to Jesus’ passion. When Jesus quotes an Old Testament passage and says that He is the fulfillment of it, we know for sure that passage was messianic.

Sometimes Jesus’ allusion to a passage clues us in that we’re dealing with a messianic prophecy. For example, on the cross Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). As it turns out, those are the exact words of Psalm 22:1. When we turn to Psalm 22, we find many details of the crucifixion: the mocking Jesus endured (Psalm 22:7; cp. Matthew 27:38–44), Jesus’ thirst (Psalm 22:14; cp. John 19:28), the piercing of His hands and feet (Psalm 22:16; cp. John 20:20), and the casting of lots for His garment (Psalm 22:18; cp. Luke 23:34). Jesus’ agonized cry serves as a signpost pointing us to a treasure trove of messianic prophecies in the Psalms. Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/messianic-prophecies.html

For a more detailed list of Messianic prophecies, which were fulfilled in Jesus, please read this article: https://www.gotquestions.org/prophecies-of-Jesus.html

With regard to the two genealogies of Jesus, please consider this:

Most conservative Bible scholars today take a different view, namely, that Luke is recording Mary’s genealogy and Matthew is recording Joseph’s. Matthew is following the line of Joseph (Jesus’ legal father), through David’s son Solomon, while Luke is following the line of Mary (Jesus’ blood relative), through David’s son Nathan. Since there was no specific Koine Greek word for “son-in-law,” Joseph was called the “son of Heli” by marriage to Mary, Heli’s daughter. Through either Mary’s or Joseph’s line, Jesus is a descendant of David and therefore eligible to be the Messiah. Tracing a genealogy through the mother’s side is unusual, but so was the virgin birth. Luke’s explanation is that Jesus was the son of Joseph, “so it was thought” (Luke 3:23). Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-genealogy.html

As pointed out by Nigel J, “None of this agrees with the writings of the apostles of Jesus Christ. Nor does it agree with the prophecies of the prophets of Israel. It is entirely opinion-based.”

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  • The prophecies indicated in this answer all follow the death of the child in question. It would be more helpful to answer this question with indications of prophecies of the Messiah that are made before the death of the child. Apr 24, 2022 at 11:13
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    @Benny Atkins There are many prophecies about Messiah that related to events before he was born, when and where he was born, and what would happen to the infant shortly after. Likewise beyond his control were all the prophecies giving details about his death and what would happen after his death - all equally beyond human control. None of those prophecies worked out with David and Bathsheba's firstborn son, so there's no way that baby could have been 'the Christ'.
    – Anne
    Apr 25, 2022 at 17:13
  • Thanks for the feedback, Anne. I invite specific details concerning the prophecies that are made concerning the Christ before the death of this child. You are correct that there are many prophecies of the Christ offered before the virgin birth in Bethlehem, but I do not immediately know of prophecies concerning the Christ that were provided before this event. This will give me a good direction to research the idea further to illuminate the truth. Apr 27, 2022 at 11:11

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