The Messiah Prophecies (continued)

The Prophecy:
"And the one who offered his offering on the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, from the tribe of Judah."
(Num. 7:12)

Edersheim: "In connection with this it is marked that the six blessings which were lost by the Fall are to be restored by the son of Nahshon, i.e. the Messiah." (p. 714)
Ancient Source: Bemidbar Rabba, the Midrash or commentary on Numbers.

The genealogy of Yeshua lists Nahshon as one of his ancestors.
"Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon."
(Matt. 1:4)

"the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,"
(Luke 3:32)

The Prophecy:
"But the two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who had not gone out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp."
(Num. 11:26)

Edersheim: "the prophecy of Eldad and Medad is supposed to have been with regard to the wars of the latter days against Jerusalem, and to the defeat of Gog and Magog by the Messiah." (p.714)
Ancient Source: Targum Jerusalem.

    One of the major points of this scripture is that prophesy and visions are not limited to a select group of God’s people. Rather it is YHVH who decides who will speak for Him in this manner.
    "But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, ‘Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
        ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
        That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
        Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
        Your young men shall see visions,
        Your old men shall dream dreams.
        And on My menservants and on My maidservants
        I will pour out My Spirit in those days.’"
        (Acts 2:14-18)

    The Prophecy:
    "‘He has not observed iniquity in Jacob.
    Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.
    The LORD his God is with him,
    And the shout of a King is among them.’"
(Num. 23:21)

    Edersheim: "... the term ‘King’ is expressly referred to the Messiah. See also Num. xxiv. 7.” (p. 714)

    Ancient Source: Targum Pseudo Jonathan and Jerusalem Targum.

    As Believers we understand that Yeshua is to be King of kings and Lord of lords.
    "And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
        KING OF KINGS
    AND LORD OF LORDS."
    (Rev. 19:16)

Edersheim: "Balaam’s prediction of the Star and Sceptre is referred to the Messiah.... Similarly, verses 20 and 24 of that prophecy are ascribed ... to the Messiah.” (p. 714)
Ancient Source: Targum Onekelos and Pseudo Jonathan, and the Jerusalem Talmudic Tractate; Taanith.

    "Then he looked on Amalek, and he took up his oracle and said:
        ‘Amalek was first among the nations,
        But shall be last until he perishes.’ ...
        "‘But ships shall come from the coasts of Cyprus,
        And they shall afflict Asshur and afflict Eber,
        And so shall Amalek, until he perishes.’"
    (Num. 24:20, 24)

As we saw previously, while the nation of Amalek is no longer identifiable, the spirit of Amalek is rampant in the modern world. We see it manifested in the Middle East by the intense hatred that the Palestinians have for the Jewish people, wanting, like Hitler, to see them destroyed. ‘There will be no relief from this kind of blind hatred (in whatever country it might manifest itself) until Messiah comes and sets up His righteous Kingdom over all the earth. ‘This is the true ‘One World Government’ for which we look and hope and expect very soon.

The Prophecy:
"‘Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, ...’"
(Num. 27:16)

Edersheim: "In connection with this verse it is noticed that His one Spirit is worth as much as all other spirits, according to Is. xi. I.” (p. 714)
Ancient Source: Yalkut, (vol. i. p. 247a).

According to the testimony of the gospels, the Spirit of the Lord did rest upon Yeshua.

"Then Jesus, when He had been baptized, came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him."
(Matt. 3:16)

"So he came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when Lie had opened the book, lie found the place were it was written:

"Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’"
(Luke 4:16-2 1)

This same Spirit is available today to the Believer:
"Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are."
(I Cor. 3:16-17)

The Prophecy:
"‘See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers--to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob--to give to them and their descendants after them.’"
(Deut. 1:8)

Edersheim: "...is applied ... to the days of the Messiah." (p. 714)
Ancient Source: Siphre (the some what older commentary on Numb. and Deuter.)

When Messiah comes to set up the fullness of the Kingdom of God, then those who are His at His coming will enter in to take possession of the promised land.

The Prophecy:
"‘Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply and go in and possess the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers.’"
(Deut. 8:1)

Ancient Source: Tanchuma - the Midrash commentary on the Pentateuch (Torah).

Here, entering into the land is tied to the keeping of the commandments (mitzvoth or good deeds).
"‘For I say unto you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.’"
(Matt. 5:20)

"‘Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.’"
(Matt. 7:21)

"For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things contained in the law, these, although not having the law are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.’"
(Rom. 2:12-16)

The Prophecy:
"‘...that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth.’"
(Deut. 11:21)

Edersheim: "is applied ... to the days of the Messiah." (p. 714)
Ancient Source: Siphre.

This is the concluding verse in the passage that contains the instruction to teach the word of God to one’s children and to write them on the doorposts of one’s house. The traditional manner in which the Jewish people observe this command is to attach a mezuzah (mehzoo-zah) to the door frame which internally contains this passage of scripture written on a parchment. In light of Matt. 5:17-18, which follows, we as Believers might ask ourselves: How do we fulfill this command?

"‘Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets, I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.’"
(Matt. 5:17-18)

The Prophecy:
"‘You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, that is, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), that you may remember the day in which you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.’"
(Deut. 16:3)

Edersheim: "...the record of the deliverance from Egypt is supposed to be carried on to the days of the Messiah..." (p. 714)
Ancient Source: Siphre and the Talmudic Tractate Berakhoth.

The Prophecy:
"‘Now if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you the land which He promised to give to your fathers, and if you keep all these commandments and do them, which I command you today to love the LORD your God and to walk always in His ways, then you shall add three more cities for yourself besides these three.’"
(Deut. 19:8-9)

Edersheim: "...it is noted ... that as three of these cities were in territory never possessed by Israel, this was to be fulfilled in Messianic times." (p. 714)
Ancient Source: Siphre and the Talmudic Tractate Berakhoth.

The original promise to Abraham was that his descendants would receive all of the land from the Nile to the Euphrates. This occupation by Israel has not yet been fulfilled.
"On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: ‘To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates--’"
(Gen. 15:18)

The Prophecy:
"‘When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it.’"
(Deut. 20:10)

Edersheim: "...the offer of peace to a hostile city is applied to the future action of Messiah to the Gentiles, in accordance with Zech. ix. 10; Is. ii. 4; and Ps. lxviii. 32; while, on the other hand, the resistance of a city to the offer of peace is likened to rebellion against the Messiah, and consequent judgment, according to Is. xi. 4.” (p. 714)
Ancient Source: Tanchuma - the Midrash commentary on the Pentateuch (Torah).

It is evident from studying these passages which the Jewish sages applied to the Messianic age, that they saw the entire experience of the nation of Israel as prefiguring (being a type of) the coming Kingdom of God under the rule of the Messiah.

The Prophecy:
"‘But it shall be, when evening comes, that he shall wash himself with water; and when the sun sets, he may come into the camp again.’"
(Deut. 23:11)

Edersheim: "...is typically applied to the evening of time, when God would wash away the filth of the daughters of Zion (Is. iv. 4); and the words: ‘when the sun is down’ to when King Messiah would come." (p. 714)
Ancient Source: Tanchuma.

"When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, ..."
(Isa. 4:4)

As the rabbis say; "Every book, chapter, verse, and word of the Scriptures speaks of the Messiah."

The Prophecy:
"‘Therefore it shall be, when the LORD your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget.’"
(Deut. 25:19)

"‘If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you.’"
(Deut. 30:4)

Edersheim: "...are referred ... to Messianic times. In the latter passage the gathering of dispersed Israel by Elijah, and their being brought back by Messiah, are spoken of." (p. 714)
Ancient Source: Targum Pseudo Jonathan and Bemidbar Rabba, a commentary on Numbers.

Once again the reference to Amalek is brought forth. The Messianic age will be a time when all evil is put out of the earth, when the spirit of Amalek is put away.
"Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’"
(Rev. 11:15)

    The Prophecy:
    "‘Remember the days of old,
    Consider the years of many generations.
    Ask your father, and he will show you;
    Your elders, and they will tell you:’"
(Deut. 32:7)

Edersheim: "...makes the beautiful observation, that in all Israel’s afflictions they were to remember the good and comfortable things which God had promised them for the future world, and in connection with this there is special reference to the time of the Messiah." (p. 714-15)
Ancient Source: Siphre.

Our real hope is in the resurrection from death which is made possible through faith in the resurrection of Yeshua HaMashiach.

"Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is vain and your faith is also vain. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up--if in fact the dead do not rise.
"For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable."
(I Cor. 15:12-19)

    The Prophecy.
    "‘How could one chase a thousand,
    And two put ten thousand to flight,
    Unless their Rock had sold them,
    And the LORD had surrendered them?’"
(Dent. 32:30)

Edersheim: "...marks its fulfillment in the days of the Messiah." (p. 715)
Ancient Source: Siphre (the somewhat older commentary on Numb. and Deuter.).

    We must put our complete trust in our Father in heaven, and our Messiah, Yeshua. For they will deliver us from all of our enemies.
    "A thousand may fall at your side,
    And ten thousand at your right hand;
    But it shall not come near you.
    Only with your eyes shall you look,
    And see the reward of the wicked."
(Psalm 9 1:7-8)

    The Prophecy:
    "‘And He was King in Jeshurun,
    When the leaders of the people were gathered,
    All the tribes of Israel together.’"
(Deut. 33:5)

    Edersheim: "...speaks of a king whom the tribes of Israel shall obey, this being evidently the King Messiah." (p. 715)
    Ancient Source: Jerusalem Targum.
    "And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed."
(Rev. 7:4)

"Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’"
(Rev. 11:15)

    The Prophecy:
    "‘His glory is like a firstborn bull,
    And his horns are like the horns of the wild ox;
    Together with them
    He shall push the peoples
    To the ends of the earth;
    They are the ten thousands of Ephraim,
    And they are the thousands of Manasseh.’"
(Deut. 33:17)

Edersheim: “...applies to the Messiah” (p. 715)
Ancient Source: Tanchuma - the Midrash commentary on the Pentateuch (Torah) and the Midrash Bemidbar Rabba, on Numbers.

This passage is the prophecy given by Moses for the descendants of Joseph. During the time of Yeshua many of the sages taught that two Messiahs would have to appear on the scene in order to fulfill the disparate prophecies. Thus, they looked for a ‘Messiah ben Yoseif’ (Messiah son of Joseph) to come first, followed by a ‘Messiah ben David’ (Messiah son of David). They taught that Messiah ben Yoseif would come from one of the tribes of Yoseif, while Messiah ben David would come from the tribe of Judah. (See Hebrew Roots Issue 98-3 for more details.)

    The Prophecy:
    "Of Benjamin lie said;
    ‘The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him,
    Who shelters him all the day long;
    And he shall dwell between His shoulders.’"
(Deut. 33:12)

Edersheim: "The expression, ‘he shall cover [shelter] him’ is referred to this world; ‘all the day long,’ to the days of the Messiah; and ‘he shall dwell between his shoulders’ to the world to come." (p. 715)
Ancient Source: The Talmudic tractate Zebhachim.

All of us, whether Christian or Jew, look for the coming of the Messiah. But we all realize that ultimately, our ability to be a part of the world to come is entirely in the hands of YHVH. Therefore, we look to Him to provide us with the protection, the comfort and the salvation that we must have in order to reach that glorious goal.

"‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’"
(Matt. 23:37-39)

    It is evident that the ancient Rabbis looked at prophecy in quite a different light than do most modem 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 He 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 portions of The Writings.

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.

"You are the Salt of the earth ..." Matthew 5:13
Yahshua told His followers they were to be the “salt of the earth.”
Here is some of what He meant:

    SALT PRESERVES: Believers are supposed to have a preserving, purifying, anti-corrupting influence on the society in which they live.
    SALT MAKES A DIFFERENCE: A little bit of salt sprinkled on food brings out the flavor. It doesn’t take billions of believers to make a difference. A few -- even one (YOU) -- can have a Godly impact.
    SALT IS VALUABLE: Believers are valuable in a society that has spurned Yahweh and the true riches.
    SALT ENDURES: Extreme cold does not change it. Very hot temperatures -- 1,470 degrees Fahrenheit -- are necessary to melt salt. Believers are to endure affliction, holding fast to Messiah who never leaves us nor forsakes us.
    SALT IS A PRECIOUS COMMODITY: We are precious to Yahweh. We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood (I Pet. 2:9). There is even a different type of salt to represent Yahweh’s people: Kosher Salt!
    SALT MAKES LAMPS BURN BRIGHTER: In biblical times a pinch of salt was placed in a lamp’s oil to make the flame brighter. The believer’s presence in this dark world should make it a better and brighter place.
    SALT CAN CARRY ELECTRICITY AND TRANSMIT POWER WHEN DISSOLVED IN WATER: Believers can carry the power of the Ruach Ha-Kodesh (Holy spirit) to a lost and dying world that is desperately in need of Yahweh’s power.

(Received by Hebrew Roots in an e-mail from Bill Sansone.)

Mangled Scriptures

"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."
(James 1:27)

Some seem to prefer the following mangled version:
"Impure and defiled religion is this: to argue doctrine until it become an affliction and to refuse fellowship to those with whom you disagree."