From:
To: Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup ; Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup 2 ; Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup 3
Subject: Messianic Expectations: Looking for Messiah (Part 1 of 3)
Date: Saturday, 18 March, 2000 23:31
From: Dean and Susan Wheelock
To: heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject: Messianic Expectations: Looking for Messiah (Part 1 of 3)
Dean and Susan Wheelock have a ministry called Hebrew
roots. They produce a quarterly magazine called Hebrew roots. If you
would like to receive the magazine, please send an e-mail to Dean and
Susan at: (dewheelock@aol.com) or write them at the following address:
Hebrew Roots
P.O. Box 98
Lakewood, WI 54138
1-715-757-2775
Messianic Expectations: Looking for Messiah
(Part 1 of 3)
From the website:
http://www.oocities.org/~hebrew_roots/html/hr-3-2-01.html#Looking
~ Introduction ~
Judaism and Christianity share many of the same points of view.
In fact, there is probably more that unites these two great religions
than divides them. After all, the Old Testament Scriptures are held
as the Word of God by both religions. Likewise, both parties look
forward to the coming of the Messiah to rule, bringing the One World
Government of Almighty God to this earth. However, years of enmity
between Jews and Christians (including the persecution and death of
millions of Jews by people who called themselves 'Christian') has
created a great gulf that is hopefully, beginning to be healed.
Today, many doctrinal differences do exist between Judaism and
Christianity. However, the main source of disagreement revolves
around the person of 'The Messiah." Christians claim that one Jesus
of Nazareth (we prefer to call Him by His Hebrew name, Yeshua) is the
prophesied Messiah. They believe that He (Messiah Yeshua) came to
earth as a man, was crucified for the sins of all the world, was
buried and then, after three days in the grave, was resurrected back
to life by Almighty God. His Father in heaven. Christians also
believe that Jesus (Messiah Yeshua) is now sitting at the right hand
of God the Father in heaven, and that He will soon return to this
earth to set up a one thousand year reign as King of kings and Lord
of lords over the Kingdom of God on earth.
Judaism refutes all of these claims concerning Yeshua. However,
the orthodox Jewish community does expect a Messiah to come. They
often call him King Messiah, because they believe he will be a
descendant of King David of the tribe of Judah. They too believe that
King Messiah will reign over all the earth for a one thousand year
period, and that during this time all nations will learn the ways of
God through Torah living.
~ When Will Messiah Come? ~
Today, many Jews and Christians are expecting the Messiah to
come within their lifetime. However, this is not the first time in
history in which the Messiah was expected to appear. During the late
first century BCE and the early first century CE there were great
expectations, among many of the Jewish people, that the
promised Messiah would soon arrive. To demonstrate this fact, the
following quotes have been selected from a book entitled; A History of
Messianic Speculation in Israel, by Abba Hillel Silver, pub. by Beacon
Press, Boston, 1927.
" The first century [CE], however, especially the generation
before the destruction [of the Temple], witnessed a remarkable
outburst of Messianic emotionalism. This is to be attributed, as we
shall see, not to an intensification of Roman persecution but to the
prevalent belief induced by the popular chronology of that day that
the age was on the threshold of the Millennium." (p. 5; italics are
the author's; brackets are mine.)
" It seems likely, therefore, that in the minds of the people the
Millennium was to begin around the year 30 C.E" (Ibid., pp. 6-7)
" Be it remembered that it is not the Messiah who brings about the
Millennium; it is the inevitable advent of the Millennium which
carries along with it the Messiah and his appointed activities. The
Messiah was expected around the second quarter of the first century
C.E., because the Millennium was at hand. Prior to that time he was
not expected, because according to the chronology of the
day the Millennium was still considerably removed." (Ibid., p. 7)
" It should be borne in mind that Messianism was essentially a
political ideal. It was bound up with the restoration of the Davidic
dynasty and with the reconstitution of the independence of
Israel." (Ibid.,p. 13)
Those who became 'Believers' saw the coming of Messiah as taking
place in the person of Yeshua of Nazareth; who lived a Torah perfect
life, was crucified, buried, and resurrected to life by His Father,
the Creator of the Universe. While a great number of Jews did become
Believers in Yeshua (some estimates range as high as one million in
the first century), the majority of Jews did not accept Him. One of
the reasons for this lack of universal acceptance of Yeshua among 1st
century CE Jewish people, is because they were looking for the
immediate entrance of the Millennium along with the promised Kingdom
of God. While this may have been the chief reason so many Jews failed
to recognize Yeshua as Messiah, in reality there were quite a number
of different Messianic concepts going around at that time. However,
since Yeshua revealed Himself in a very different manner than most
people expected, the fact that He did not immediately restore the
Kingdom caused many to deny His Messiahship.
In order to more fully understand why there were so many
differing concepts about the nature of the Messiah, and about what He
would do upon arrival, we need to examine some of the
messianic writings of that time. But first we need to know the
different methods for understanding scripture.
~ Section One ~
~ Four Ways ~
~To Read the Scriptures ~
According to the teaching of the Jewish sages, there are four
different ways in which any passage of scripture may be understood.
All four methods are said to be valid, and all four may produce
somewhat different conclusions. This may seem confusing o those of us
who have been educated in the culture of Western Civilization, where
it is common to believe that communication can and should have only
one meaning. This is not the case with the Hebrew mind set, where
different meanings are not only accepted, but diligent searches are
sometimes made to locate those differences.
The four methods of interpretation are listed below, from the
simplest to the most complex:
Pashat (pah-shat) is the literal or surface meaning of the text.
All students of the Scriptures are expected to learn the pashat
thoroughly before delving into the other meanings. Thus, a
passage of Biblical history, such as the story of Joseph in
Egypt, is to be understood in its simplest (literal) fashion
before one begins to draw lessons from it. By the way, pashat is
the 'safest' method of interpreting the Scriptures.
Remez (rah-mehz) is sometimes called the 'esoteric' meaning of
the scriptures, in other words, it is a meaning which is not
apparent from the surface or pashat meaning. Often it involves
the connecting of different scriptures together, based upon key
words or concepts. This is what commonly takes place when Bible
students do word studies by searching out all of the uses of a
word in Scripture in order to better understand its full meaning.
However, this method can also be used to connect differing
concepts concerning the same subject, such as the different
literary devices used to describe the Messiah.
Drash (drahsh), from which comes the Hebrew word Midrash
(Meed-rahsh), are the moral lessons to be learned from the
various stories and parables found in Scripture. In Yeshua's day
the Rabbis tended to be divided into two different types of
teachers; those who taught the law, and those who taught moral
lessons based on the law, through stories and examples. The
former method was called halacha (hah-lah-cah = the 'way one
walks'), while the later was called aggadah (ah-gah-dah). Yeshua
was primarily an aggadic teacher, as witnessed by His many
parables.
Sod (sohd) is the deeper meaning of Scripture. It is often
associated with the Kabblistic teachings of medieval Jewish
mysticism. Sod includes various methods of addressing scripture
text from a completely non-literal position. For example,
Gamatria (gah-mah-tree-ah) is a common form of sod. This is where
a different meaning, of a word or passage, is derived based on
the numerical values of the Hebrew letters. Sod, in some of its
forms, can be a dangerous form of study because it can lead the
student down wrong paths of understanding. From this writer's
perspective the 'New Age' form of Judaism falls into the category
of sod study.
By using these four different methods of interpretation, the Sages
were able to understand that many of the Scriptures, which seemed to
have been written in a very literal fashion, also contained layers of
more profound meanings. As a result of this viewpoint many orthodox
Rabbis might say that all of the Hebrew Scriptures, right down to the
letter level, teach in some way about the Messiah and how He is to
come to redeem Israel and the world.
~ Section Two ~
~ Scriptural Definitions ~
Before proceeding, it would be best to take some time and explore
the pashat (literal meanings) of certain terms. This will assist our
understanding as to why Yeshua was not universally accepted as the
promised Messiah in the land of Judea, among His very own people, the
Jews.
~ Messiah ~
The First word, with which we must come to terms, is one that is
used universally by both Jews and Christians: that word is 'Messiah.'
In the Greek New Testament, the Hebrew word 'Messiah' becomes the
Greek word 'Christos.' from which comes the English word 'Christ.'
Thus. the word 'Christ' literally means 'Messiah' or 'anointed.'
'Christ is not a surname for Jesus, rather it is a title that
describes His calling or 'anointing.'
In the King James Version of the Bible, the English word 'Messiah'
is found only twice; in Daniel 9:25 and 26. The reason the word
'Messiah' is only found in these two places, is because the
translators of the KJV chose to use the English equivalent
word 'Messiah' for the Hebrew word mashiach (mah-she-akh; Strong's
#4899), instead of the word 'anointed.' which is the more common
translation.
The Hebrew word mashiach actually appears forty-two times in the
Hebrew Scriptures. Strong's defines it as: "anointed, usually a
consecrated person (as a king, priest, or saint), spec. the Messiah:
-- anointed, Messiah."
The word Mashiach comes from a root word. mashach (mah-shahkh;
Strong's #4886). This word means; "to rub with oil, i.e, to anoint,
by impl. to consecrate, also to paint - anoint, paint."
So, the word Messiah, which is used so freely in Christian circles
to refer to the person of Jesus (Yeshua), actually means "the
anointed," It is important to remember that the anointing
of a person or object has the effect of setting it apart from all
others of the same type or kind for a special service or function.
* Priests *
There are a number of people mentioned in the Scriptures who are
said to have been set apart by being 'anointed,' (mashiach). The
first of these is Aaron and his sons, who were to serve as the
priests of the Tabernacle.
"'So you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons
with him. You shall anoint (mashach) them, consecrate them, and
sanctify them, that they may minister to Me as priests'" (Ex. 28:41)
King David gave us a very beautiful and graphic picture of the
anointing of Aaron:
"Behold how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell
together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron. Running down on the
edge of his garments. ..." (Psalm 133:1-2)
* Kings *
The next category of people who were mashiach or 'anointed,' were
the kings of Judah and Israel. While the anointing of royalty began
with Israel's first king, Saul (see I Sam. 9:16; 10:1). the truly
'anointed kings' were those descended from King David, to whom God
gave the promise of perpetual dynasty.
"So he sent and brought him (David) in. Now he was ruddy, with
bright eyes, and good-looking. And the LORD said, 'Arise, anoint him;
for this is the one!' "Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed
(mashach) him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the
LORD came upon David from that day forward. ..." (I Sam. 16:12-13)
Even though David had been anointed (mashach) to be king over all
of Israel, his anointing did not invalidate that of King Saul. After
Saul died, an Amalekite man came to bring David the news of his
death, In the process of questioning him, David learned that the
Amalekite had (at Saul's own request) assisted Saul in his
death. (See I Sam.1:1-10). However, David was not impressed. The
Amalekite man probably thought that he would receive a great reward
for finishing off Saul, who was David's avowed enemy. However, David's
reaction was far different than the Amalekite ever expected:
"Then David said to the young man who told him, 'Where
are you from?' And he answered, 'l am the son of an alien, an
Amalekite.' "And David said to him, 'How was it you were not afraid
to put forth your hand to destroy the lord's anointed (mashiach)?'
"Then David called one of the young men and said, 'Go near, and
execute him!' And he struck him so that he died." (II Sam. 1:13-15)
An example like this brings to our attention how extremely
important an 'anointing' was considered to be.
* Prophets *
The third category of people who were mashiach (anointed), during
the time of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, were the true prophets
of YHVH. The most obvious example is that of the prophet Elisha, who
was anointed by his spiritual mentor, Elijah.
"'Also you (Elijah) shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king
over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall
anoint as prophet in your place.'" (I Kings 19:16)
* Other Kings *
It is quite remarkable that in at least two instances foreign
kings were designated mashiach (anointed). This seems
to have only occurred when God had specific tasks that He wanted
accomplished.
"Then the LORD said to him (Elijah): 'Go, return on your way to
the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint (mashach)
Hazael as king over Syria. ... it shall be that whoever escapes the
sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes from the sword
of Jehu, Elisha will kill.'" (I Kings 19:15, 17)
The second case is the mashach (anointing) of the Persian king
Cyrus. lie was the king who gave the-decree for the Jewish people to
return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple after it had been
destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar.
"Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of
the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD
stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a
proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing,
saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: "All the kingdoms of the
earth the LORD Cod of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to
build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is there among
you of all His people? May the LORD his God he with him, and let him
go up!"'" (I Chron. 36:22-23)
What is truly amazing about this proclamation is that the man who
issued it. King Cyrus of Persia, was actually named by God some 150
years prior to his birth. That fact was reported by the prophet Isaiah:
"'Thus says the LORD to His anointed, (mashiach) To Cyrus,
whose right hand I have held-... I have even called you by your name;
I have named you, though you have not known Me.'" (Isa. 45:1,4)
As might be expected, the fact that Isaiah spoke and recorded this
prophecy from HaShem, and it carne to pass as given, causes some
'scholars' to teach that this latter portion of the Book of Isaiah
was written by someone else at a much later date. Scholars call this
portion of the book of Isaiah, Deutero / Isaiah.
* Other Anointings *
The children of Israel were also considered to be mashiach
(anointed).
"When they went from one nation to another, And from one kingdom
to another people, He permitted no main to do them wrong; Yes, He
reproved kings for their sakes, Saying 'Do not touch My anointed
(mashiach) ones, And do My prophets no harm.'" (I Chron. 16:20-22)
Also, many of the objects used in Tabernacle and Temple worship
were anointed. The tabernacle itself, the altar, the laver, and the
garments of the priests arc among those items mentioned. (Ex.
40:9-13).
~ 'The' Anointed One ~
Despite all of these references to various people and things which
were mashiach (anointed) long before Yeshua's day; it was evident to
the Rabbis, through the process of remez, that all of these various
'anointings' pointed in some way or another to the mashiach
(anointing) of one who was to be far greater than any of the kings,
priests, or prophets who had come before. In other words,
all of those previous anointings were types and shadows of the great
King Mashiach ("Anointed King") whose coming was prophesied throughout
the Hebrew Scriptures.
In the first century it was commonly taught that 'King Messiah'
was to come through the lineage of King David. This 'King Messiah'
was to have the most special of all anointings, which would enable
Him to bring 'redemption' to His people, the children of Israel. In
fact, the very First prophecy that is recognized by the Jewish Rabbis
as pertaining to a 'Messiah,' was given in the Garden of Eden by
Elohim Himself, just prior to the expulsion of Adam and Eve:
"So the LORD God said to the serpent: 'Because you have
done this, ... "'... I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And
between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.'" (Gen. 3:14-15)
Anciently, the Rabbi's taught that this passage referred to the
time when 'King Messiah' (who was to come from the seed of Eve but
not from the seed of Adam) would destroy HaSatan (Satan) the
adversary. However, they also taught that at some point in
time prior to that event, there was to be a Messiah (again from the
seed of the woman) who would 'suffer' for the sins of His people. This
is what is said to be meant by the phrase; "And you (HaSatan) shall
bruise His heel."
Keep in mind that the purpose of anointing someone or something
was to set that person or object apart from all others for a very
special task. All of the examples given so far support this
viewpoint, including the two 'anointed' Gentile kings, Cyrus and
Hazael. Thus, it would have been unthinkable for the 'Great
King Messiah' (who was to rule Israel in the golden age to come) to
not be anointed.
There are many Scriptures that point to this great future figure,
however only one specifically identifies "the Most Holy" as being
called Mashiach (Anointed). That passage is found in the book of
Daniel:
"'Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your
holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To
make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up the vision and prophecy, And to anoint (mashach) the Most
Holy.
"'Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth
of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah (mashiach
= anointed) the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two
weeks; ... "'And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah (mashiach =
anointed) shall be cut off, but not for Himself; ..." (Dan. 9:24-26)
Here, the word mashiach (anointed) is directly tied to
'the Prince.' It was this future King, who was to come and
rule the earth, whom the ancient rabbis called "King Messiah."
~ Son of Man ~
The next biblical term to be examined is 'Son of Man.' This is the
term by which Yeshua most often referred to Himself. Many times, in
the Old Testament, the usage of the term 'son of man' is in contrast
to the greatness of God.
"'God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that
He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He
spoken, and will He not make it good?'" (Num. 23:19)
On one hand the appellation (name or title) 'Son of Man' indicates
that Yeshua was human, for that is the way in which this phrase is
most often used in the Hebrew Scriptures, where it is found a total
of forty-seven times. However, on the other hand, the book of Daniel
again shows that there can be a much greater application to the
meaning of this phrase as well.
"'I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of
days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His
head was pure wool. ... "'The court was seated, And the books were
opened.
...
"'I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like
the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the
Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him
was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples,
nations, and languages should serve Him.
"'His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not
pass away, And His kingdom the one Which will not be destroyed.'"
(Dan. 7:9-10,13-14)
The prophet Daniel, under the direct inspiration of Almighty God,
once again takes a simple phrase that normally refers to a human
being, and applies it to an individual who is characterized as being
far greater than any mortal man could ever hope to be. Thus, the
phrase 'Son of Man' came to be another euphemism for the great King
that was to come and restore the kingdom to Israel; the 'King Messiah.'
For this reason it was not unusual that Yeshua used the term 'Son
of Man' to not only indicate that He was fully human in nature, but
that He also was the promised 'Prince' who was expected at that time.
~ Son of God ~
A term which finds wide usage in the New Testament, but very
limited in the Old Testament is "Son of God." Many believe this to be
only a New Testament term, where it is used repeatedly to identify
the position which Yeshua holds in the scheme of things.
"'For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life.'" (John 3:16)
The phrase 'Son of God,' in its singular form, is not found in the
Hebrew Scriptures. However, this phrase is found five times in its
plural form (sons of God), where it is used to refer to either men or
angels, depending on the context. Genesis 6 tells the story about
conditions as they existed prior to the Noachian Flood.
"Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of
the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw
the daughters of men. that they were beautiful; and they took wives
for themselves of all whom they chose. "And the LORD said, 'My Spirit
shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his
days shall be one hundred and twenty years' "There were giants on the
earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in
to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were
the mighty men who were of old, men of renown." (Gen. 6:1-4)
The 'sons of God' spoken of in Genesis refers to those men who
were "...mighty men ... of old, men of renown" who took wives for
themselves from among the beautiful women who were both
descendants and followers of the corrupt worship of Cain. It is clear
from Yeshua's own words that spirit beings, whether good angels or
fallen angels, cannot take wives unto themselves. (See. Matt.
22:28-30). It was through this mixture of the righteous men ('mighty
men') and the corrupt women ('daughters of men'), that true worship of
God was perverted and eventually almost died out. By the time of the
flood, only Noah "found grace in the eyes of the LORD." (Gen. 6:8).
The other three occurrences of the phrase 'sons of God' are found
in the book of Job. All of these refer to angels being presented
before God's throne in heaven, with HaSatan sometimes
being among them. (see. Job 1:6; 2:1,38:7).
The fact that scripture does refer to men as 'gods' and as
'children of God' is verified in the Psalms:
"I said, 'You are gods (elohim), And all of you are children of
the Most High. But you shall die like men, And fall like one of the
princes.' Arise, 0 God, judge the earth; For you shall inherit all nations."
(Psalm 82:6-8)
Yeshua used this scripture as an example when the Jewish
leadership took issue with His claim that He and the Father were
indeed one. Because of His claim, some of the Jews in this
group wanted to stone Him.
"Jesus answered them, 'Many good works I have shown you from My
Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?' "The Jews
answered Him, saying, 'For a good work we do not stone You, but for
blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, Make Yourself God.' "Jesus
answered them, 'Is it not written in your law, "I said, 'You are gods?'" If
He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture
cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and
sent into the world. "You are blaspheming," because I said, "I am the
Son of God?" If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe
Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that
you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him'"
(John 10:32-28)
Even though the singular phrase 'Son of God' is not found in the
Hebrew Scriptures, there are several places where an individual is
said to be God's Son. The Psalms contain a number of references of
this type, which serve to give clues (via remez) as to the identity
of the enigmatic "Messiah the Prince" mentioned earlier. While many
of these 'Messianic' Psalms can be attributed (via pashat) to King
David (who is now resting in his grave awaiting resurrection),
the ultimate fulfillment (the deeper meaning or sod), implied by the
Psalmist, involves someone far greater.
"Why do the nations rage, And the people plot vain a thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel
together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed (Mashiach),
saying, 'Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords
from us.'...
"'Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion. "'I will
declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, You are My Son, Today
I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for
Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in
pieces like a potter's vessel.'" "Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
... Serve the LORD with fear, ... Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And
you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him." (Psalm 2:1-3, 6-12)
(End Part 1 of 3)
**********************************************************************