This is confirmed by the Apostle Paul: "... became for all those who obey Him the author of eternal salvation, having been called by God High Priest after the order of Melchizedek" (Heb., chapter 5, verse 10).

5) The Holy Prophet Jeremiah: "Behold, the days are coming, saith the Lord, and I will raise up a righteous branch for David, and a King will reign, and he will act wisely, and will execute judgment and righteousness on earth."

And now, Rabbi Samuel, I will acquaint you with other prophecies that, as history testifies, were fulfilled in Christ.

About the betrayer of Christ - Judas, who was one of His twelve disciples, in the 108th Psalm of King David it is said: "Let his days be short, and let another take his dignity." This is confirmed by the Evangelist Matthew! Listen: "Then Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He was condemned, and repented, and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned in betraying innocent blood... and having cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, he went out, and went and hanged himself" (Matthew, ch. 27, v. 3-5). And the Holy Apostle Luke writes in the "Acts of the Apostles" (chapter 1, verses 15-20): "And in those days Peter, standing in the midst of the disciples, said, "And there was a congregation of about a hundred and twenty men: men brethren, it was necessary to fulfill that which the Holy Spirit had foretold in the Scriptures by the mouth of David concerning Judas, the former leader of those who took Jesus; He was numbered among us and received the lot of this ministry; but he bought the earth with an unrighteous reward, and when he was cast down, his belly was split, and all his intestines fell out; And this became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that this land in their native dialect is called Akeldama, that is, "the land of blood." In the book of Psalms it is written: "Let his court be desolate, and let there be no one who dwells in it"; and "let another take his dignity."

The holy prophet Zechariah in the 11th chapter of verse 12 testifies: "And I will say to them, If it pleases you, give me my wages; but if not, do not give; and they shall weigh thirty pieces of silver to pay me. And the Lord said to me, Cast them into the storehouse of the church, the high price at which they valued Me! And I took thirty pieces of silver, and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter." This is confirmed by the holy Evangelist Matthew: "Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, 'What will you give me, and will I deliver Him to you?' They offered him thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought an opportunity to betray Him" (Matthew, chapter 26, verses 14-17). In chapter 27, verses 3-10, the Evangelist Matthew says: "Then Judas, who betrayed Him... repenting, he returned thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders... And he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple, and went out, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the pieces of silver, and said, It is not lawful to put them in the treasury of the church, for that is the price of blood. And when they had taken counsel, they bought with them the potter's land for the burial of the strangers. For this reason that land is called "the land of blood" to this day. Then was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, who says: "And they took thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him who was valued, Whom the children of Israel valued, and gave them for the potter's land, as the Lord had told me."

This is not the only thing that the Holy Spirit prophesies. Thus the words uttered by the Messiah-Christ on the cross: "Or! Or! Lama, Savakhfani! that is, my God! My god! why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew, ch.27, p.46) exactly foreshadows the 21st Psalm of King David: "My God, My God! why hast thou forsaken me? Far from the salvation of My word, My cry." This psalm describes the sufferings of the Messiah on the Cross with amazing depth and accuracy. "... All who see Me mock Me; they speak with their lips; nodding his head: He has trusted in the Lord, let him deliver Him; let him save him, if he is pleasing to him... Do not depart from Me; for sorrow is near, but there is no helper... They have opened their mouths against Me like a lion hungry for prey and roaring. I poured out like water; all my bones are scattered, my heart is made like wax, melted in the midst of my inward parts. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; my tongue cleaved to my throat, and thou hast brought me down to the dust of death. For the dogs have surrounded me, the crowd of the wicked has surrounded me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. One could count all My bones, and they look and make a spectacle of Me; They divide My garments among themselves, and they cast lots for My garments."

Listen to how a living witness of these events, the Evangelist Matthew, tells us about this: "And when they mocked him, they took off his scarlet robe, and clothed him in his garments, and led him away to be crucified... And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means "the place of the skull," they gave Him vinegar to drink, mingled with gall; and when he had tasted it, he would not drink. And those who crucified Him divided His garments, casting lots... and those who passed by cursed Him, shaking their heads, and saying, He that destroyeth the temple, and in three days buildeth it! save thyself; if you are the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise, the chief priests, with the scribes, and the elders, and the Pharisees, mocking, said, "He saved others, but he cannot save himself!" if He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross and believe in Him; Trusting in God, let Him deliver Him now, if He is pleasing to Him. For He said, I am the Son of God" (Matthew, 27:31-43).

The Holy Spirit through the prophets also testifies to the Ascension of the Messiah-Christ and to the exodus to the preaching of Christ's disciples. Thus the holy prophet Zechariah says: "And His feet shall stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, which is before the face of Jerusalem towards the east." The Holy Prophet David speaks of the same in Psalm 67, verse 19: "Thou hast ascended on high, hast taken captivity captive, hast received gifts for men."

The explanation of the meaning of these words is found in the Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Ephesians chapter 4: "Wherefore it is said, Having ascended on high, he took captivity captive, and gave gifts to men." And what does "ascended" mean, if not that He descended first into the lowest places of the earth? He who has descended, He is also He who has ascended above all the heavens, that He may fill all things."

What was foretold in the prophets was exactly fulfilled in history. Thus, the holy Evangelist Mark says: "Therefore the Lord, after conversing with them, ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God" (chapter 16, verse 19).

Saint Luke in his Gospel relates: "And He brought them out of the city as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands, He blessed them, and began to depart from them, and ascend into heaven. They worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they were always in the temple, glorifying and blessing God. Amen" (chapter 24, verses 50-53).

The same Evangelist Luke in his "Acts" tells us interesting details of this event: "Having said this. He rose up in their eyes, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. And as they looked up into heaven, while he was ascending, suddenly two men in white robes stood before them, and said, Men of Galilee! Why do you stand and look up to heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you saw Him go into heaven. Then they returned from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, at the distance of the Sabbath journey..." (Chapter 1, verses 9-12).

Regarding the spread of the light of Christ's Gospel in the pagan world, we find the following in the prophets:

1) Zechariah: "And it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall flow out of Jerusalem, half of them to the sea of the east, and half of them to the sea of the west."