What is the first line of Old Testament prophecy about the coming Messiah?
The context identifies not a single first line but two parallel lines of Old Testament prophecy about Messiah: one promising a suffering Savior who would suffer and die for Israel's sins, and the other a King and glorious Kingdom over which the Son of God Himself would rule and reign.
Les teaches that all through the Old Testament there are two parallel lines of prophecy, which he calls like railroad tracks. On one line was a suffering Savior, one coming who would suffer and die for the sins of Israel. On the other line was the promise of a King and a Kingdom, a glorious Kingdom over which the Son of God Himself would rule and reign, with Israel as the top dog of the nations. He explains that Israel should have known when Jesus presented Himself as the King of Israel, because it was plain as day in the Old Testament, but they were unbelieving and refused to search the Scriptures. When the wise men came asking where He that is born King of the Jews was, Herod asked the priests where the King of Israel was to be born, and they had to dig up the Old Testament Scriptures and found in the book of Micah that He would be born in Bethlehem. Les notes they should have answered right off the top of their heads. He says Israel wanted the King and the Kingdom but did not want the suffering Savior, because that would mean dealing with their sin, and the same is true today.