December - Episode 1: Echoes of Promise: Understanding Prophecy in the Old Testament

Podcast Series: Promised & Fulfilled: Christmas Through the Eyes of Prophecy Episode 1: Echoes of Promise: Understanding Prophecy in the Old Testament

Step back into the world of ancient Israel as Greg and Nathan launch their four-part Christmas series, Promised & Fulfilled. In this opening episode, “Echoes of Promise,” the hosts explore how the earliest hints of Christmas were woven into the fabric of Israel’s story long before a manger ever held a child.

Greg and Nathan unpack what “prophecy” meant to the original hearers—ordinary Israelites who listened to God’s word through His appointed messengers. They discuss the prophet’s dual task of forth-telling (calling God’s people back to faithfulness) and foretelling (revealing what God would do in the future), laying the groundwork for understanding how Old Testament promises point both to immediate events and to the long-awaited Messiah.

Drawing from key passages like Deuteronomy 18:15, Isaiah 7:14, the Davidic Covenant in 2 Samuel 7:12–13, and Hosea 11:1, the hosts explore the concept of dual fulfillment—how one prophecy can hold both a near-term, historical meaning and a far-reaching, messianic one. They also shed light on why many in Jesus’ day expected a political liberator rather than a suffering Savior.

To deepen the conversation, Greg and Nathan tackle questions such as: • What did Old Testament believers really expect when they heard promises of a coming deliverer? • How did the idea of dual fulfillment develop in Jewish thought? • Why do some prophecies seem to stretch across centuries? • And what misconceptions do modern Christians often bring to biblical prophecy?

Whether you’re new to Old Testament prophecy or looking to see the Christmas story with fresh clarity, this episode invites you to hear the echoes of promise that shaped Israel’s hope—and still shape ours today.