This is a large topic which can only be touched upon here and will be referred to again in the study of individual prophets. We should notice the following important points, however:

(a) The revelation given to the prophets by God of his character and will reaches its climax in Jesus Christ. Jesus fully reveals God's character and will in human terms; he embodied that divine character and will in himself (Hebrews 1: 1-2). The greatest of the Old Testament prophets could only communicate the revelation which he had received as a man with all his human limitations; those who received his message received the revelation of God at second-hand. Those who know Jesus Christ receive the revelation of God at first hand. Jesus said of himself, 'Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets. I have not come to do away with them but to make their teachings come true' (Matthew 5: 17).

(b) The prophets prepared the way for the full revelation of God in Jesus Christ. Jesus may be called the last and greatest of the prophets. He was understood by his contemporaries to be in the line of the great prophets of the Old Testament: 'A great prophet has appeared among us!' (Luke 7:16). 'This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee' (Matthew 21: 11). In particular, the Gospel of John understands that the word of God is embodied in the person of Jesus in a unique way. The prophets received the word of God but Jesus is the word of God (John 1: 1-14): 'The Word became flesh  ... .' (RSV Bible translation); 'The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us.' Peter's preaching to the first Christians referred to Jesus as the prophet whose coming had been foretold by Moses (Acts 3:22-26, Deuteronomy 18: 18-19).

(c) The hopes expressed by different prophets that God will establish his righteous rule over the earth are fulft1led in the establishment of the Kingdom of God by Jesus. 'The right time has come', he said, 'and the Kingdom of God is near!' (Mark 1: 15). Prophecies concerning the coming of a righteous king, a descendant of David, anointed and sent by God, are fulft11ed in Jesus.

(d) The new and inner, personal covenant of which Jeremiah and Ezekiel speak is made between Jesus Christ and mankind in his death and resurrection. This everlasting covenant supersedes the earlier covenants.