ASSEMBLIES OF GOD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY

IDENTIFYING THE THEOLOGICAL CENTER OF THE OLD TESTAMENT: WHAT IS

THE CENTER AND HOW IT RELATE TO THE GENTILE MISSION OF THE OLD

TESTAMENT

A RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT SUBMITTED TO DR. CHARLES A. ESTRIDGE IN

PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR BIB 501 OLD TESTAMENT

GENRES AND ISSUES

BY

JEFFERY AYEMBILLA

LOME, TOGO

MAY 2024
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Introduction

The Old Testament stands as a monumental testament to humanity's relationship with

the divine, offering a rich tapestry of history, prophecy, and covenant. However, its true

essence transcends mere historical narrative or cultural documentation. At its core, the Old

Testament serves as a profound precursor to the arrival of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, weaving

a narrative thread that spans centuries and cultures. From the earliest promises of redemption

in Genesis to the prophetic declarations of Isaiah and others, the Old Testament lays a

foundation for the divine plan of salvation.

The theological center of the Old Testament

Through intricate prophecies, symbolic rituals, and covenantal promises, it

foreshadows the coming of God's anointed one to redeem humanity from sin. David Filbeck

reports that the New Testament, in turn, reveals how Jesus Christ fulfills these ancient

promises and inaugurates a new era of salvation, inviting believers of all backgrounds into

the eternal kingdom of God.1 In exploring the Old Testament, we embark on a journey that

illuminates not only the historical roots of faith but also the timeless truths that find their

ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

The Old Testament, though rich in ancient history and cultural details, is not primarily

a book about those things. Kaiser points out that the Old Testament’s central purpose is to

point forward to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.2 David agrees that from the first

promise of a Redeemer in Genesis 3:15 to the detailed prophecies of Isaiah and others, the

Old Testament lays the groundwork for the arrival of God's anointed one.3 It reveals

humanity's desperate need for salvation and God's gracious plan to provide it through the
1
David E. Filbeck, Yes, God of the Gentiles, Too: The Missionary Message of the Old Testament
(Wheaton, IL: Billy Graham Center, Wheaton College, 1994), 126.
2
Walter C. Kaiser Jr., The Promise-Plan of God: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments
(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 29.
3
David E. Filbeck, 41.
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suffering of his Son. The sacrificial system, the promises to Abraham, the Davidic covenant

—all these points forward to the one who would come to deal with sin and establish God's

eternal kingdom.

When Christ came, he fulfilled countless Old Testament prophecies, types, and

shadows that had been in place for centuries. His life, teachings, death, and resurrection were

the climax towards which the whole Old Testament had been aimed. The four Gospels make

this clear, repeatedly showing how Jesus was the promised Messiah foreshadowed in the

Hebrew Scriptures. From his virgin birth to his sacrificial death to his resurrection and

ascension, Christ's earthly ministry brought to realization what the Old Testament had

promised. The New Testament writers underscore this, showing how the Old Testament's

meaning is unlocked and its promises are realized in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Not only did Christ fulfil what was promised in the Old Testament, his own teachings

affirmed the Old Testament's testimony about himself. During his earthly ministry, Jesus

repeatedly taught that the Hebrew Scriptures bore witness to him and that their ultimate

meaning and purpose was bound up with his identity as the Messiah. He came not to abolish

the Old Testament law and prophets, but to fulfil them. The Old Testament's rituals,

covenants, and prophecies all found their true significance and completion in the sufferings

and subsequent glorification of the God-man, Jesus Christ.

While the New Testament makes clear the Old Testament's central message about

Christ, it also reveals how believers now participate in the new covenant blessings that his

death and resurrection inaugurated. The church of Jesus Christ is the present-day expression

of God's kingdom on earth as it awaits the glorious return of its King to establish his kingdom

in its fullness. Just as the Old Testament prophets looked ahead to the coming Messiah, so

now the New Testament reveals how that initial revelation of Christ prepares the way for his

future return to judge and rule forever. The Old Testament's testimony is vitally relevant for
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the church today as it helps us more fully understand the glories that will be revealed in

Christ when he returns to establish God's eternal kingdom.

The relationship to the Gentile Mission

The story of the Old Testament centers on God's covenant relationship with the nation

of Israel, his chosen people. However, woven through this narrative is the promise that God's

redemptive plan extends far beyond just the Jewish people to encompass the Gentile nations

as well. This universal scope of God's redemptive purposes finds its basis in the revelation of

the coming Messiah who will inaugurate an everlasting kingdom. David opines that the

Abrahamic covenant, with its promise that all nations will be blessed through Abraham's

offspring (Gen 12:3, 22:18), pointed ahead to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and his

accomplishments.4 The Old Testament makes clear that the blessing guaranteed to the

patriarchs would eventually be extended to the Gentiles through the ministry of the promised

Deliverer.

This ingathering of the nations into God's kingdom program is a theme that appears

repeatedly in the Old Testament prophets' visions of the last days. Passages like Isaiah 2:2-4

and Amos 9:11-12 foresee a time when the Gentiles will stream to Zion and be incorporated

into the people of God under the Messiah's reign. The prophets proclaimed that the scope of

the king's redemptive work would extend far beyond Israel to the entire world. Certain

details, like the inclusion of the Gentile women Rahab and Ruth in the genealogies of Christ,

foreshadow this universal impact. Though the Old Testament's focus is on ethnic Israel, its

storyline repeatedly hints that the Messiah's redemption will be extended to the nations.

When the Messiah finally arrived in the person of Jesus Christ, both his teachings and

actions confirmed this universal scope of his redemptive mission. Christ taught that God's

salvation was being extended to the Gentiles in fulfilment of Old Testament expectations

4
Ibid, 53.
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(e.g. Luke 24:47, Acts 26:23). He welcomed Gentile seekers like the Syrophoenician woman

and the Roman centurion. His final commission to the disciples was to make disciples of all

nations (Matt 28:19). The apostles understood their ministry in the book of Acts to be the

long-awaited ingathering of the Gentiles made possible by the death and resurrection of the

promised Messiah. Ultimately, the universal Gentile mission finds its seeds planted in the Old

Testament's testimony about the coming Messiah. While the Old Testament focused

primarily on ethnic Israel, it revealed that through the ministry of God's anointed king, people

from every tribe, tongue and nation would eventually be incorporated into the covenant

people of God.

Conclusion

The New Testament not only confirms the Old Testament's central message about

Christ but also emphasizes the ongoing relevance of the Old Testament for believers today. It

serves as a guide, illuminating the past, present, and future realities of God's redemptive

purposes, and underscores the importance of understanding the Old Testament's role in

shaping our understanding of Christ and his kingdom. As the church awaits the glorious

return of Christ, the Old Testament continues to inspire and instruct, reminding believers of

God's faithfulness throughout history and pointing us towards the ultimate consummation of

his kingdom, where people of every nation will gather in worship and praise before the throne

of the eternal King.