The Clues That Announced Christ in the Old Testament

Even before he was born in Bethlehem, Jesus was already being announced. Line after line, the Old Testament plants clues about this coming Messiah. Pastor Célestin Yao, of Impact Centre Chrétien (ICC), invites you to trace these clues to grasp a mystery that Paul calls "the hope of glory": Christ in you. This article picks up his teaching and offers you a calm, verse by verse reading, so you can see how God kept his word.

Article Outline

1. The hidden mystery revealed by Paul
2. First clue: an Anointed One, the Messiah
3. Second clue: royal standing, from the tribe of Judah
4. Third clue: an endless reign promised to David
5. Fourth clue: God wants to dwell in man
6. Fifth clue: Zechariah and the Branch who builds the temple

A mystery hidden for centuries, revealed today

1. The hidden mystery revealed by Paul

Pastor Célestin Yao points out that the apostle Paul was given grace, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to write at least two thirds of the New Testament. Paul speaks of a "mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations," something the Old Covenant could not yet perceive clearly. He states this mystery as follows: "Christ in you, the hope of glory."

In other words, what God had wanted to do all along was not merely to send an earthly king, it was to come and dwell in you through his Spirit. If you lose sight of that, two thirds of the New Testament remain unclear. Before diving into Paul's letters, you need to go through the Old Testament to spot the clues that already pointed to this coming Christ.

2. First clue: an Anointed One, the Messiah

The word "Messiah" comes from the Hebrew Mashiach, meaning "Anointed One." In the Old Covenant, three categories of people received an anointing of oil: kings, priests, and prophets. The pastor highlights an important detail: for kings and priests, the anointing of oil was mandatory, non-negotiable. For prophets, it wasn't a systematic requirement; God raised up directly whomever he wanted to send.

When we speak of Christ in the Old Covenant, we therefore see the image of oil poured on the head to set apart a man chosen by God. These were the very gestures that prepared people's hearts to recognize the One who would come, the Anointed One above all others.

In the New Covenant, oil is replaced by a Person: the Holy Spirit. It is no longer a pastor pouring a vial on your head to bring you into Christ. It is the Holy Spirit himself who anoints you wherever you are. As Pastor Célestin Yao puts it: "God democratizes the anointing." You no longer need to be born into the tribe of Judah, of Levi, into the line of David or of Aaron. The Holy Spirit comes to whoever has a willing heart.

3. Second clue: royal standing, from the tribe of Judah

The second clue is royal. The Messiah had to be a king, from the tribe of Judah. The prophecy goes back to Jacob, in Genesis, when he blessed his son Judah: the scepter would not depart from his hand until Shiloh came, meaning "the one to whom it belongs," and the peoples would obey him.

This isn't just a family blessing. It's a prophetic word preparing the ground for an eternal king, owner of all things, who would one day sit on the throne. That's why in Revelation, the angel comforts John, who was weeping because no one was found worthy to open the scroll: "See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed."

"Lion of the tribe of Judah" and "Root of David" are two essential expressions used to speak of the Messiah. Pastor Célestin Yao insists: never forget them. They are the two labels the Old Testament attaches to Jesus in advance.

4. Third clue: an endless reign promised to David

The third clue is the promise made to David in 2 Samuel 7. David had set his heart on building a house for the Lord, a temple worthy of God. But God sends the prophet Nathan with a reversed message: "It is not you who will build me a house. It is I, the Lord, who will build you a house."

The Hebrew word used designates both a building and a dynasty. God therefore promises David a royal line that will never end. His descendants will be established forever, and his throne will be firm forever. It is not only Solomon who fulfills this word; it is Jesus, the son of David according to the flesh, who reigns eternally.

5. Fourth clue: God wants to dwell in man

Pastor Célestin Yao raises a question here that puts things back into perspective. If God had truly wanted to dwell in a house made of stones, why did he command, from the very start in the wilderness, that the tabernacle be taken down, transported, and set up again endlessly, carried on the shoulders of the priests? Because his plan was never to dwell in a building.

His original plan was to dwell in the human being, created in his image and likeness. He loves David, so he agrees to his request for a temple. But from the beginning, God's intention was: "I come to dwell in him, and he carries me."

That is the heart of the mystery of Christ. The one who is the Anointed One, Christ Jesus, came through the Holy Spirit to dwell in you. When the Holy Spirit is there, the Father is there, Jesus is there. Your body becomes the temple, and you carry the presence of God wherever you go.

6. Fifth clue: Zechariah and the Branch who builds the temple

After the exile in Babylon, a remnant of the people returns to rebuild the temple. Two figures stand out in this return: Zerubbabel, of David's line, and Joshua, the priest. This Joshua is not the one from the time of Moses; he is another, a priest at the time of the return from exile.

The prophet Zechariah then receives a word for him. Zechariah 6:12-13: "Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord. It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne."

The word "Branch" is the same as "shoot," the same root as the Root of David. Wherever this Branch steps, everything will sprout; where there was desert, everything turns green again, everything is reborn. Joshua might have thought this word concerned him and Zerubbabel. But the word's reach goes beyond their era: it points to the Messiah, who will be both king and priest on his throne. A combination impossible under the Old Covenant, a king of Judah and a priest of Levi were never the same person. In Christ, the two come together.

And through him, this mystery unfolds in you. As the apostle Peter says: you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession. In Christ, you are both king and priest.

Key Takeaways

• God's hidden mystery, revealed to Paul, fits into one sentence: Christ in you, the hope of glory.
• The Old Testament plants clues: the Messiah had to be Anointed, a king from the tribe of Judah, heir to an endless reign promised to David.
• In the New Covenant, it is no longer oil that anoints, but the Holy Spirit. God democratizes the anointing: whoever has a willing heart receives it.
• God's true plan, from the beginning, was not to dwell in a house of stones, but in the human being.
• In Christ, you are called to be both king and priest, as Zechariah had announced concerning the Branch.

Personal Application

• Do you live each day aware that Christ dwells in you through his Spirit, or are you still looking for God "elsewhere" than within yourself?
• How much room do you give the Holy Spirit to anoint you, guide you, and set you apart for the work God has prepared for you?
• If you are in Christ, you belong to a royal and priestly lineage. How does this identity change the way you speak, work, and serve?
• Is there an area of your life where you're waiting for God to "dwell in a building" when he wants first to dwell in your heart?
• How can you, this week, concretely carry God's presence wherever you go, at work, in your family, in your neighborhood?

Scriptures Cited

• Colossians 1:26-27 - the hidden mystery: Christ in you, the hope of glory.
• Genesis 49:10 - the scepter will not depart from Judah until Shiloh comes.
• 2 Samuel 7:12-13 - the promise made to David of an eternal reign.
• Revelation 5:5 - the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.
• Zechariah 6:12-13 - here is the man whose name is the Branch, he will build the temple of the Lord.
• Ephesians 2 - we who were dead in our trespasses, made alive in Christ.
• 1 Kings 17 - Elijah, the widow of Zarephath, and the jar of flour that never ran out.
• John 14:6 - I am the way, the truth, and the life.
• 1 Peter 2:9 - you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is "God's hidden mystery" according to Paul?

It is the reality that remained veiled under the Old Covenant and fully revealed under the New: Christ comes to dwell in the believer through his Spirit. Paul sums it up in Colossians 1:27 with the phrase "Christ in you, the hope of glory." This is not a distant God ruling from afar, it is a God who makes his home in you.

Why is Jesus called "the Christ"?

"Christ" comes from the Greek Christos, which translates the Hebrew Mashiach, "Anointed One." To say "Jesus the Christ" is to say "Jesus the Anointed One," "Jesus the Messiah," the one who was announced, consecrated, and sent by God. In the Old Testament, kings and priests were anointed with oil; Jesus himself is anointed with the Holy Spirit without measure.

How can I concretely recognize that Christ dwells in me?

Through the work of the Holy Spirit in your life: he makes you love the Word, convicts you of sin, gives you a thirst for God's presence, and produces in you the fruit described in Galatians 5. As Pastor Célestin Yao reminds us, you don't need to belong to a particular tribe or lineage. The Holy Spirit comes to those whose hearts are willing to receive him.