When did the prophets say “He shall be called a
Nazarene”?
The Old Testament mentions neither this prophecy nor even the name of the town
“Nazareth,” so “He shall be called a Nazarene”
is not a prophecy recorded in the Old Testament.
Then is it an unwritten verbal prophecy from the Old
Testament era?
It could be, but after the arrival of the wise men
in Jerusalem and before the
slaughter of the
innocents, when
King Herod
gathered
“all the chief priests and scribes of the people”
and “asked them where the Christ was to be born”
(see
Bethlehem of Judea), their reply made no mention of this prophecy,
although it should be noted that they were responding to Herod’s question,
which was specific to where Jesus was to be born, not whether or not He
shall be called a Nazarene - i.e., Jesus could be and was called a
Nazarene because He grew up in Nazareth, not because He was born in
Nazareth.
What is the other possibility?
“He shall be called a Nazarene” could be a
prophecy issued through New Testament-era prophets some time between
Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem and His arrival in Nazareth.
Then why did Nathanael say, “Can anything good come
out of Nazareth?” when Philip told him, “We have found Him of whom Moses
wrote in the law, and also the prophets: Jesus, the son of Joseph, from
Nazareth”?
A prophecy doesn't need to be told to a whole nation. A prophecy can be
given to a small group of people, even to just one person, like Mary for
example, in which case Nathanael wouldn't have known about it before he
met Jesus.
How many “prophets” (Matthew 2:23) spoke this
prophecy?
At least two.
Who could be one of them?
Anna the
prophetess