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To: Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup ; Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup 2 ; Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup 3
Subject: Messianic Prophecies: Genesis (Part 2 of 2)
Date: Monday, 27 March, 2000 03:30
From: Dean and Susan Wheelock
To: heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject: Messianic Prophecies: Genesis (Part 2 of 2)
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
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1-715-757-2775
Messianic Prophecies: Genesis
(Part 2 of 2)
From the website:
http://www.oocities.org/hebrew_roots/html/hr-3-3-04.html
THE MESSIANIC PROPHECIES
THE TORAH
And beginning at Moses and all the
Prophets, He expounded to them in all the
Scriptures The things concerning Himself.
Luke 24:27
"Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau
was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he
divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two
maidservants." (Gen. 33:1)
Edersheim: "The Midrash conjoins this with Is. lxvi. 7, and
notes that, before the first oppressor was born, the last Redeemer
was already born." (p. 712). Ancient Source. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan.
"`Before she travailed, she gave birth; Before her pain came,
She delivered a male child.'" (Isa. 66:7)
Esau is viewed as a type of the False Messiah (Anti-Christ in
Christian terms), while Jacob is seen as a type of the Messiah. This
interpretation of the Rabbis indicates that both the Messiah and the
False Messiah have pre-existed, with the true Messiah
predating that of His false counterpart.
~ ~
"Then Israel journeyed and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder."
(Gen. 35:21)
Edersheim: "The Targum ... paraphrases `the tower of Eder' (at
Bethlehem) as the place whence the Messiah would be revealed." (p.
712). Ancient Source: Targum Pseudo-Jonathan. This is quite an
amazing admission by the ancient writers of the Targum. The phrase
`tower of Eder' in Hebrew is Migdol Eder (Mig-dohl Eh-dehr) and its
full translation is `Tower of the Flock.' Migdol Eder was a specific
building on the north side of Bethlehem and is near the very place
where Yeshua was born.
"... So the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on,
even forever. And you, O tower of the flock, (Migdol Eder) The
stronghold of the daughter of Zion, To you shall it come, Even
the former dominion shall come, The kingdom of the daughter of
Jerusalem." (Micah 4:7-8)
Here we see that the `former dominion' will come to Migdol Eder.
This is a direct prophecy to the fact that the Messiah, Yeshua, who
was the embodiment of the Kingdom of God, would come first to this
location. The `Tower of the Flock' was located in a section of Bethlehem
called `Ephrathah.'
"`But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the
thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The
One to be ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old,
From everlasting.'" (Micah 5:2)
The term `everlasting' literally means, `the days of eternity.'
Once again we see the prophecies of the Messiah hinted at in the book
of Genesis and clarified in the Prophets and the Writings.
So it was to Bethlehem that the Magi were directed when they
came looking for the Messiah, who's star they had seen in the east.
"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of
Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to
Jerusalem, saying, `Where is He who has been born King of the
Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to
worship Him.' "So they said to him, `in Bethlehem of Judea, for thus
it is written by the prophet: ...'" (Matt. 2:1-2, 5)
Another striking fact about the location of Yeshua's birth at
Migdol Eder in the Ephrathah region of Bethlehem, is that is where
the lambs were raised for Passover sacrifice. All of the sacrificial
lambs had to be born and raised within a certain distance from the
Temple. Bethlehem Ephrathah falls within that distance, while
the major part of Bethlehem (which lies to the south) does not. Thus
we see the intricate planning of God in relationship to the birth of
His Son, Yeshua HaMashiach, and how it was all prophesied ahead of
time.
~ ~
"It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his
brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite whose name was
Hirah. And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite
whose name was Shua, and he married her and went in to her."
(Gen. 38:1-2)
Edersheim: "...there are very remarkable Messianic comments in
Ber. R. 85." (p. 712). Ancient Sources: Bereshith Rabba, on Genesis.
Unfortunately, Edersheim fails to tell us what those `remarkable
comments might be, and we do not currently possess the reference
materials needed to discover them.
~ ~
"And Jacob called his sons and said, `Gather together, that I
may tell you what shall befall you in the last days:'"
(Gen. 49:1)
Edersheim: ". ..the end for which the Messiah would come was not
revealed to Jacob. A similar statement is found in the Midrash on the
passage where it is said of Jacob and Daniel that they saw the end,
and yet it was afterwards hid from them. The passage quoted in the
case of Daniel is Dan. xii. 4." (P.712.) Ancient Sources: Targum
Pseudo-Jonathan; Bereshith Rabba, on Genesis.
~ ~
"`Judah, is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who
shall rouse him?'" (Gen. 49:9)
Edersheim: "The expression `lion's whelp,' is explained of the
Messiah in Yalkut no less than five times; while the term `he
couched,' (bows down) is referred to the Messiah." (p. 712). Ancient
Sources: Yalkut 160; Bereshith Rabba, on Genesis. (See the commentary
on the following verse.)
"`The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from
between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the
obedience of the people. Binding his donkey to the vine,
And his donkey's colt to the choice vine,
He washed his garments in wine,
And his clothes in the blood of grapes.'"
(Gen. 49:10-11)
Edersheim: "This well-known prediction is ... applied to the
Messiah, with a quotation of Ps. ii. 9. The expression `Shiloh' is
also applied to the Messiah, with the curious addition, that in the
latter days all nations would bring gifts to Him. ...
"... the Midrash on the passage, and that on Prov. xix. 21, and
on lam. i. 1 6. where it is rendered shelo, `whose it is,' refer the
expression `Shiloh,' and, indeed, the whole passage, to
the Messiah; ... with special reference to Is. xi. 10, while the
promise with reference to the ass's colt is brought into connection
with Zech. ix. 9, the fulfillment of this prophecy being expected
along with that in Ezek. xxxvi. 25 (`I will sprinkle clean water')."
(p. 712). Ancient Sources: Yalkut; Targum Onkelos; Targum
Pseudo-Jonathan; Jerusalem Targum; Talmud, Sanhedrin 98b; Bereshith
Rabba, on Genesis.
"`Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.'"
(Zech. 9:9)
"`Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you
shall be clean; I will cleanse
you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.'"
(Ezek. 36:25)
"Another remarkable statement applies the verse to the coming of
Him of Whom it is written, Zech. ix. 9. Then He would wash his
garment in wine, which is explained as meaning the teaching of the
Law to Israel, and His clothes in the blood of grapes, which is
explained as meaning that He would bring them back from their
errors (p. 712-713). Ancient Sources: Yalkut; Targum Onkelos; Targum
Pseudo-Jonathan; Jerusalem Targum; Bereshith Rabba, on Genesis.
Obviously these verses are overflowing with Messianic implications.
~ ~
"`His eyes are darker than wine,
And his teeth whiter than milk.
...
"`I have waited for your salvation, O LORD!'"
(Gen. 49:12, 18)
Edersheim: "Gen. xlix. 17 is also applied to the Messiah. ... So also
is verse 18, although not in express words." (p.712). Ancient Sources:
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan: Jerusalem Targum.
~ ~
"`Dan shall be a serpent by the way,
A viper by the path,
That bites the horse's heels
So that its rider shall fall backward.'"
(Gen. 49:17)
Edersheim: "...last clause, in its connection with ver. 18, the
Midrash sees a reference to the disappointment of Jacob in mistaking
Samson for the Messiah." (p. 713). Ancient Source: Bereshith Rabba,
on Genesis. Another tradition sees this passage as predicting the
False Messiah is to come from the tribe of Dan.
~ ~
"`Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him,
But he shall triumph at
the last.'"
(Gen. 49:19)
Edersheim: "there is an allusion to Messianic days, as Elijah
was to be of the tribe of Gad. ..." (p.713). Ancient Source:
Bereshith Rabba, on Genesis.
~ ~
"Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which
is beyond the Jordan, and
they mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation.
He observed seven days of mourning for his father." (Gen.
50:10)
Edersheim: "as they had mourned, so in Messianic days God would
turn their mourning into joy, quoting Jer. xxxi. 13 and Is. li. 3." (p. 712).
Ancient Source: Bereshith Rabba, on Genesis.
"`Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance,
And the young men and the old, together;
For [will turn their mourning to joy,
Will comfort them,
And make them rejoice rather than sorrow.'"
(Jer. 31:13)
"For the LORD will comfort Zion,
He will comfort all her waste places;
He will make her wilderness like Eden,
And her desert like the garden of the LORD;
Joy and gladness will be found in it,
Thanksgiving and the voice of melody."
(Isa. 51:3)
The end result of the Messianic Kingdom will be a time of
comfort and joy.
~ ~
~ Summary ~
It is evident that the ancient Rabbis looked at prophecy in
quite a different light than do most modern day Christians. They
searched the subtleties of the Scriptures, making
connections with other verses in ways that are not readily apparent in
the surface reading of the text.
It is our suggestion that if you had trouble following some of
the reasoning that Edersheim has found in the ancient
Jewish writings that you study the material again, with a very open
mind. The connections are there, even if they do not jump out at the
first reading.
To begin to comprehend the ancient Jewish mind, is to begin to
know the mind of Yeshua, for lie lived in that very
time, and fully appreciated their thought processes and taught in a
manner they could understand. Therefore, if we are to fully understand
the teachings of our Savior, we must be able to understand how the
people of His day thought. A study such as this helps us to accomplish
that end.
Next time we will discuss the Messianic prophecies that are
found in the remainder of the Torah (Leviticus" through Deuteronomy).
~ Sources ~
Edersheim, Alfred, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Wm.
B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1990.
Green, Jay P., Sr., The
Interlinear Bible, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, 1985. The
Open Bible, The New King James Version, Thomas Nelson
Publishers, Nashville, 1985.
Strong, James, S.T.D., L.L.D.,
Strong's New Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, World Bible
Publishers, Inc., Iowa Falls, 1986.
Wigram, George V., The
Englishman's Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance of the Old
Testament, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1980.
(End Part 2 of 2)
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