Thank you for the question on the prophesy of the Messiah/Christ, “In which Old Testament book is the arrival of Christ riding on a colt into Jerusalem foretold?”
The prophesy of the coming Messiah begins with the promise to King David of a descendant who will rule over Israel. That promise is the foundation for a king and a righteous kingdom that will last forever.
Relating to this question is that God will raise up or from David’s descendant a son who will have an enduring kingdom. There is implication/inference that with the throne being established forever that there would be a ruler who will live forever.
I Samuel 7 says this, ““‘The LORD declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me[b]; your throne will be established forever.’” 17 Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation” (NIV).
The descendants of David’s, not even, Solomon, had a fully righteous rule. Many of kings sought the Lord God but tolerated idolatry in Israel. God sent prophets after prophets to call the Israelites to repentance otherwise judgment will come. Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel spoke of the impending judgment of the Assyrians and the Babylonians unless the Israelites repented. And yet in the judgment, God reveals that there will come a child who will restore Israel.
Isa. 9:1–7 says this, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this” (NIV).
The question becomes for the Israelites of how they will recognize the one that is to come, who will rule over David’s throne and his kingdom. In part, Isaiah declares that the Israelites will proclaim the one who is to come with these words.
Thus Isaiah 62:11 says this, “Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. 11 The Lord has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.’” 12 They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord; and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted” (NIV).
There is a coming Savior/Messiah who will bring or give his reward to his people. They were to look for the coming Savior/Messiah and prepare the way for him.
Israel goes into exile and the question becomes for them, “Will God still fulfill his promise of a coming Savior/Messiah for Israel?” The Israelites returned to the Promised Land whereby Zechariah 9 raises a hope in the midst of their discouragement by their enemies.
Zephaniah 9 says this, “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River[b] to the ends of the earth” (NIV).
The declaration by God is that there will come a future king of Israel who is both righteous and yet lowly, riding on the colt of a donkey. The imagery of King David’s children riding on donkey is a flashback for the Jews (II Kings 13:29). It appears that it may have been a custom that a newly anointed king of Israel will ride on a donkey that has never been rode on before by a person.
Were there proclamations of a “king” since the return of the exiled Jews from 500 BCE to the first century? It appears not since there wasn’t a righteous person who entered Jerusalem from the lineage of David.
Jesus entered Jerusalem many times as recorded in the Gospels for the various feasts including the Passover. What made this final entry of Jesus before his trial and crucifixion the fulfillment of that declaration? The Jews were divided in their opinion as some thought he was a Prophet while others thought he was or may be the Messiah.
The Gospels recorded the triumphal entry of Jesus as the crowd surged together to welcome this Teacher and Healer, who raised Lazarus from the tomb. Many thought he was a prophet and the religious leaders rejected him as the king of the Jews. They him as a teacher or prophet, but not as The King of Israel. The Gospels also recorded that they didn’t fully understand this event until after the resurrection in reflection of the triumphal entry of Jesus.
John 12 says this, “The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[e] “Blessed is the king of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: 15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”[f] 16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. 17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” (NIV).
The Gospel’s writers under the guidance of the Holy Spirit wrote that Jesus fulfilled that prophesy of Isaiah and Zechariah. If one believes that Jesus is not the Savior/Messiah, then that declaration by God is still unfulfilled. If one believes that Jesus is the Savior/Messiah, then that declaration by God is fulfilled. The reader of the Gospels has to determine for oneself whether the biblical record is true and trustworthy or false and to be discredited.
The Gospel writers believed that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise by God of a righteous Jews who is from the line of David and his words and works reflects the character of God himself. Is Jesus the Savior and Messiah who rode into Jerusalem? The Scriptures states that he is that person. The reader has to decide for oneself whether that is true or false.
SUMMARY: The Gospel writer believed that Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah and Zechariah’s declaration by God of their lowly King.
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