Consistency between the Old and New Testaments
The Bible was written over a long period of time and by many different writers and yet there is powerful consistency to it. There are parallel accounts (more than one account of the same events), and while they allow for slightly different perspectives, they do not contradict or disqualify one another. The Bible also remains consistent in its message throughout.
There are many parallels in the Bible between the Old and the New Testaments. Jesus is found in both, because the Old Testament prophesied about him and the New Testament tells how he fulfilled those prophecies.
Here are some examples of consistency of message between the Testaments:
Jesus himself
OLD TESTAMENT: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” (Zechariah 9:9)
NEW TESTAMENT: “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me.” (John 5:39)
Love
OLD TESTAMENT: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:4,5)
NEW TESTAMENT: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30,31) “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8)
Atonement by blood
OLD TESTAMENT: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh atonement by reason of the life.” (Leviticus 17:11)
NEW TESTAMENT: “And according to the law, I may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:22)
Jesus the only Son of God
OLD TESTAMENT: “I will tell of the decree: the Lord said unto me, Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee.” (Psalm 2:7)
NEW TESTAMENT: “God hath fulfilled the same unto our children, in that he raised up Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, God hath fulfilled the same unto our children, in that he raised up Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.” (Acts 13:33)
Judgment resulting in either life or death
OLD TESTAMENT: “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:2)
NEW TESTAMENT: “And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46)
One God
OLD TESTAMENT: “Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.” (Isaiah 43:10) “I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God … Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have I not declared unto thee of old, and shewed it? and ye are my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no Rock; I know not any.” (Isaiah 44:6,8) “I am the Lord, and there is none else; beside me there is no God.” (Isaiah 45:5)
NEW TESTAMENT: There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all. – Ephesians 4:4-6
Jesus is a priest
OLD TESTAMENT: “The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:4)
NEW TESTAMENT: “Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:20) “Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25)
Resurrection is our hope
OLD TESTAMENT: “Thy dead shall live; my dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast forth the dead.” (Isaiah 26:19)
NEW TESTAMENT: “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither hath Christ been raised: and if Christ hath not been raised, then is our preaching vain, your faith also is vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:13,14)
Salvation comes through belief and faith
OLD TESTAMENT: “And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)
NEW TESTAMENT: “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one which continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them. Now that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by faith.” (Galatians 3:8-11)
Return of Jesus will be dramatic, just as God’s manifestations were dramatic in the past
OLD TESTAMENT: “For, behold, the Lord cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, as waters that are poured down a steep place.” (Micah 1:3-4)
NEW TESTAMENT: “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render unto every man according to his deeds.” (Matthew 16:27) “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking into heaven? this Jesus, which was received up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye beheld him going into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)
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