Did Jews in the Old Testament Understand the Promises of the Messianic Age?

Email From a Visitor Concerning My Essay on
The New Birth in John Chapter 3
and Whether the Jews Understood the Promises of the Messianic Age

I recently received the following questions from a visitor responding to Jesus discussion with Nicodemus in John 3

1. You assert, "Since the concept of the new birth is frequently attested to in the Old Testament, especially with reference to the blessings of the age to come." Where are these many, frequent passages?

2. The passage you cite in Ezekial is open to various interpretations. More clearly it points to the restoration of Israel or the formation of the Church, corporate activity (albeit for their to be so there must be individual restoration also). Even if the passage should be interpreted as you suggest, how was Nic supposed to know this? In Jn 3:10, which is my real issue, Jesus rips him a new one for not knowing this, but again, how was he supposed to? Regeneration is an obscure concept, at best, in the OT, much like the Trinity, and can only be seen in light of the revelation in the NT, isn't it?

3. Point 2 above, brings me to the "impatience" and "intolerance" of Jesus. Here Nic comes, takes time out of his day to learn from Jesus, and he gets reprimanded. The disciples, not English Lit majors, were berated by our Lord for not appreciating analogies and metaphors. I noticed this in The Passion where Christ returns from His prayer to find the disciples asleep. Instead of say, "Hey, guys, I know you've had a physically and emotionally draining week, and it's after a big meal, late at night, but things are about to happen. You'll need your rest to prepare for the trauma of the next couple days. Take care." No, He lets them have it.

Here's my take and I'd appreciate your thoughts: Jesus never wants us to be content with our present state. He's a football coach, and like Vince Lombardi, He pushes, cajoles, challenges, etc, when necessary (also encourages, when appropriate), to create spiritual winners. Regeneration is buried in the OT. But when our Lord says, "Hey, you: delve into My revelation and find truth," we'd better do it.
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Have a look at the following passage where Jesus rebukes some Jewish leaders for failing to recognize Him:

This is the foundational text. Unless your study, however diligent, leads you to see that all Scripture points to Him, your study is in vain. The importance of the Old Testament is that it testifies about Jesus. The meaning of the Old testament is not to be found within it but beyond it. How do you determine whether someone has understood the OT? By whether he embraces Jesus as the Messiah. If a person rejects Jesus he/she demonstrates ignorance of the OT. Jesus never condemns the Pharisee for taking Moses too seriously. They take him far less seriously than they should. He says, "If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for He write of Me. But if you don't believe His writings, how will you believe My words. Your accuser is Moses." (John 5:46). So to understand Moses of to come to Christ when He is revealed. Abraham saw Jesus day and was glad. Furthermore, "foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU."

The book of Hebrews even shows the hall of faith of many that were truly regenerate who actually did understand the shadows, the types and prophesies of the OT to be pointing to something beyond themselves to God's provision, when he would send the Messiah and pour out his Spirit on mankind, renewing their hearts that they would desire to obey, no longer having a stone-like uncircumcised heart. Their hopes were fixed on this. But the promise was delayed ... "And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect." (Heb 11:39, 30) . So the true Jews, according to the Scripture itself, did understand enough so that Jesus was perfectly right to rebuke them for not apprehending the time of his arrival and the associated promises of the Old Testament..

Where are these many, frequent passages in the Old Testament that Discuss the New Birth and was this something that the Jews were anticipating?

The need for regeneration is a commonplace of both Testaments. This was widely understood to be one of the promises of the messianic age. Jeremiah anticipates the new covenant when God will put His law in the minds of his people, and even write it on their hearts (Jer 31::31-34). A new heart and a new spirit is promised by God in Ezekiel (Ezk. 36:24-26). The prophet Joel looks forward to the time when God will not only pour out His Spirit on the Jews but Gentiles as well (Joel 2:28). The fulfillment of these promises is announced in John's Gospel (3:5; 14:26-27).

Here are some more texts which demonstrate the importance of the promise of renewal, just to name a few:

You may find it interesting that traditionally the Jews took these promises very seriously and even had festivals centered around celebrating these promises. The Feast of Tabernacles (or booths), for instance, in which Jesus celebrated in Jerusalem in John 7 and says:

Here again, as in John 3 & Ezekiel 36:25-27, water is closely associated with the Spirit. This metaphor is entirely appropriate for the setting of the Feast of Tabernacles since the culmination of the Feast was a water-pouring rite. A golden flagon was filled with water and carried by a group led by the High Priest to the temple. When approaching the water gate there would be three blasts of a trumpet-like instrument (sopar). At this time the Priests would sing Psalm 113-118 which was called the Hallel. When giving thanks to the Lord water was offered to God at morning sacrifice along with a drink offering of wine. These were poured into their separate bowls and then poured out before the Lord. These ceremonies at the Feast of Tabernacles were specifically related to the Lord's provision of water in the desert and an anticipation of the Lord pouring out the Spirit in the last days. This act of pouring was symbolic of the Messianic age where the Jews believed a stream would flow out of the sacred rock and spill out over the entire earth. This water rite appears to have gone back several hundred years (1 Sa 7:6).

When Jesus says, "if anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink He is, no doubt, referring to Isaiah 55:1: ""Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters..." This day was a festival which was seen as a foretaste of God's promise to pour out spiritual rain in the messianic age as foreseen by the prophets. Jesus is announcing that he is the one to whom these texts and traditions point. Jesus is the one who provides the means to quench our thirst. Taken together these passages richly anticipate the eschatological blessings of the Spirit in those God came to save. - a spring welling up to eternal life and streams of living water flowing within them.

You said: "More clearly it points to the restoration of Israel or the formation of the Church"

I have no argument with you here. But that only makes my point and does not detract from it since the promises are not, in any way, limited to the meaning you here ascribe to it. The remnant of Israel is a remnant of one - Jesus Christ. All the promises are fulfilled in Him. The restoration of Israel is often spoken in the OT of in terms the "pouring" out of the Sprit. The Kingdom of God was inaugurated in Christ who is the source of living water which will be poured out on His covenant people. The restoration of Israel and the promise of the regeneration of all things is such a frequent concept in the prophets that Jesus was saying that Nicodemus was dull for not seeing it. Nicodemus should have known that YHWH promised a time when he would pour out His Spirit and circumcise their hearts to obey Him -- to be "born from above' as Jesus puts it.

You said: "this can only be seen in light of the revelation in the NT, isn't it?"

All these promises of God in the OT which talk about God granting the Spirit so they would obey and follow his commands are not things hidden away. The New Testament may shed more light on the promises but from the passages I showed you along with MANY more, it should have been absolutely clear to the Jews of the Old Testament that God would give a new heart, and new affections for Himself in the coming Messianic age. How he would accomplish this may not have been totally clear to everyone. The real problem was with unbelief, not because there was not enough data. There were still many Jews (His Sheep) who immediately recognized who He was. The light may have been more dim in the Old Testament with regard to the new birth but it was certainly spoken of in some prominent places and the hope of which was incorporated into their festivals. As B.B. Warfield once said:

Thus the OT revelation is not corrected by the fuller revelation which follows it but is only perfected, extended and enlarged.