What The Scriptures Teaches About

THE PROMISED MESSIAH

The Hope of Israel

One of the 13 great tenets of Judaism is belief in the Messiah. While there are many opinions and teachings about who the Messiah will be, and when he will come, none are more certain and worthy of trust than what is said in the Law and the Prophets. In ages past God spoke to the People of Israel through holy men and prophets. Their teachings were recorded for posterity in the Scriptures, which are commonly known in non-Jewish circles, as the Old Testament of the Bible. To obtain a correct understanding of the Messiah it is important to recognize the authority of these sacred authors, the men God sent to teach His People. Messiah is the English translation of the Hebrew word meaning "The Anointed One." The Greek equivalent is Christos. According the Prophet Isaiah 41:25, the Messiah is a particular man chosen by God to accomplish a redemptive mission (Isaiah 45:11-13) and to bring judgement upon the enemies of God's people (Isaiah 47). He will be given dominion over the nations (Isaiah 45:1-3).

Like Adam and Moses

The Messiah will be like Adam, for he will restore the prosperity of Edenic times (Amos 9:13; Isaiah 4:2; 32:15,20; 55:13; Psalm 72:16), and the Edenic harmony of world (Isaiah 11:6-9; 32:1-8), which Adam had over created things (Gen 1:28; 2:19-20), and which he lost by his disobedience (Genesis 3:13). The Messiah will also be like Moses, as Moses himself prophesied: The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like myself (Deuteronomy 18:15-19). As it was when Moses led forth God's people from Egypt (Hosea 2:14-23; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezechiel 20:33-44) so it shall be in the days of the Messiah (Isaiah 51:9-11; 52:12; Jeremiah 23:5-8). As a true prophet the Messiah will speak against sin (Jeremiah 23:9ff; Ezechiel 13:1-14:11). And as Moses was unique and received a new covenant, so therefore the Messiah will also be unique (Deuteronomy 34:10) and will be like Moses on Horeb (Deuteronomy 18:16).

Like King David

As Jacob prophesied particular importance for the House of Judah (Genesis 49:9-10), and as all kings after David were compared to Him (1 Kings 11:4,6; 14:8; 15:3,11-14; 2 Kings 18:3; 22:2) so the prophet Nathan prophesied a special stability to House of David (2 Samuel 7:12-16) and the prophet Ezechiel taught that another David would come after him (Ezechiel 34:23). This Messiah King, chosen by God, will be opposed by the world (Psalm 2:1-3; 110:1) and yet victorious (Psalm 45:3-5; 89:22-23). He will act by God's power (Psalm 2:6,8; 18:46-50; 21:1-13; 110:1-2) to establish world wide rule (Psalm 2: 8-12; 18:43-45; 45:17; 72:8-11; 89:25; 110:5-6) centered at Zion (Psalm 2:6). This Kingdom will be characterized by morality, not immorality (Psalm 45:4,6-7; 72:2-3,7; 101:1-8) and this Messiah King will reign for ever (Psalm 21:4; 45:6; 72:5) in peace (Psalm 72:7), in prosperity (Psalm 72:16), and in loyalty to God (Psalm 72:5). The Messiah King will be preeminent among men (Psalm 45:2,7) and a friend of the poor and defender of the oppressed (Psalm 72:2-4,12-14). Under this King the righteous will flourish (Psalm 72:7). He will be remembered forever (Psalm 45:17), have an everlasting name (Psalm 72:17) and be the object of unending thanksgiving (Psalm 72:15). The Messiah King is the recipient of God's everlasting blessings (Psalm 45:2) and the Heir of David's covenant (Psalm 89:28-37; 132:11-12) and Melchizedek's priesthood (Psalm 110:4). He will belong to God (Psalm 89:18), be devoted to God (Psalm 21:1,7; 63:1-8,11) and will be God's son (Psalm 2:7; 89:27). He will sit at God's right hand (Psalm 110:1), is himself divine (Psalm 45:6) and will be called God (Ps 45:7).

The Identity of the Messiah

The Prophet Isaiah (7:14) reveals that the Messiah will be born of a young woman and given the name Immauel "God is with us". He will be of Jesse's lineage (Isaiah 11:1,10) and the origin of Jesse's family, and be called "Mighty God" (Isaiah 9:7) which is a Name of God Himself (Isaiah 10:21). As God's servant (Isaiah 42:1) the Messiah will bring revelation (Isaiah 42:1,3-4) and salvation (Isaiah 49:6) to the Gentiles, by means of his self-sacrifice (Isaiah 53:4-6,8,1-12). Although Israel has fallen into infidelity (Isaiah 42:18-25), the promised spiritual redemption (Isaiah 43:22-44:23) will be brought by the Messiah, who will inherit Israel's forfeited name (Isaiah 49:3; cf. 48:1). The Messiah will be distinguished from the Remnant of God's faithful people by his international victory (Isaiah: 52:13:15) and rejection (Isaiah 53:1-3). Innocent though he bears the sins of others (Isaiah 53:4-6) and suffers as one who is wicked, buried with the rich (Isaiah 53:7-9), the Messiah will receive as his portion for victory a multitude of people (Isaiah 53:10-12). The Messiah will be both man (Isaiah 53:2-3) and the Arm of the Lord (Isaiah 53:1) who is God Himself (Isaiah 52:10).

The Prophet Jeremiah tells us the Messiah's name: Yahweh sidquenou which shortened is Yeshua, a Hebrew name which means "Yahweh Saves". The Latin form of Yeshua is Jesus. The prophet Micah says that this Messiah will be born in Bethelehm-Ephrathah (Micah 5:1-3). Jeremiah teaches that the Messiah will inaugurate a new covenant: Behold the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah: not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand from the Land of Egypt, the Covenant which they made void...(Jeremiah 31:31-34; 23:7-8; 16:14). Because the Covenant which God made with Levi was made void by the sins of the priestly class (Malachi 2:8), The Messiah will establish worthy sacrifices and purify the priestly class (Malachi 3:2-4). This New Covenant will have Divine Authority (Isaiah 59:16-21) and only the portion of Israel which accepts it, will be saved (Obadiah 1:17; Zepheniah 3:11-12).

The Fulfillment of All Prophecies

Jesus Christ's name, birth, life, death, teachings and Church fulfill all these prophecies. Before he was born, God sent His Angel to announce his comming, and to give him the Name, "Yeshua" (Mattehw 1:21; Luke 1:31); he was born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1;Luke 2:4-7); he was of the House of David (Matthew 1:6-16; Luke 3:23-31); he was truly the son of Adam (Luke 3:23-38) and the Son of God (Luke 1:32; 1:41-43) and the promissed Messiah (Luke 2:10-12; 2:26-32). He openly admitted that he was God's Son (Luke 2:41-49) and God Himself testified to this (Luke 3:21-22; Matthew 3:16-17). He openly admitted that He was the Messiah promised to the Jewish People (Luke 4:17-21), and he proved this by the miracles he performed (Luke 4:33-36,41), which were not done in secret, but were publically known to all the Jews of his day (Luke 4:37; 7:17; 8:34; Matthew 4:23-25; 9:26,32). He had profetic knowledge (Luke 5:4-9), and proved by miracles that the God of Israel had given him His own power to forgive sins (Luke 5:17-26; Matthew 9:1-8) and to interpret the Law (Luke 6:1-10). Like Moses he taught God's the Jewish People to observe the moral law (Luke 6:17-38). He healed the sick (Luke 4:38-40) exorcised the possessed (Luke 4:41; 8:26-33; 9:37-43; Matthew 9:32-33; 17:17), to testify to his messianic mission (Luke 11:14-2), and he rebuked Satan (Luke 4:1-12; Matthew 4:1-11). He raised the dead (Luke 7:11-16; 8:49-56) and openly asserted that he worked these miracles to prove that he was the Messiah promised by God (Luke 7:17-23). He had power to control the weather (Luke 8:22-25) and to give his own power of healing and exorcising to men (Luke 9:1-6; 10:1-19). Like Moses he miraculously feed thousands of Jews (Luke 9:12-17; Matthew 14:13-20). Moses and Elijah appared and spoke with him of the Redemption he was to work by his death (Luke 9:28-31; Matthew 17:1-4), and God confirmed him as the Teacher of All (Luke 9:31-36; Matthew 17:5-8). He foretold the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans (Luke 11:49-51; 13:34-35; 21:5-24) on account of the infidelity of those Jews who rejected the teaching of the Law and Prophets (Luke 11:29-30; Matthew 23:29-37), and that his own death at the hands of his contemporaries would inaugerate the Kingdom of God (Luke 17:20-25; Matthew 20:18-19). The night before he died, he inaugerated the sacrifice of Melchisedek (Luke 22:19-20; Matthew 26:26-28). At the instigation of the High Priests of the Jewish People, He was crucified by the Romans for being the King of the Jews (Luke 23:1-38; Matthew 27:1-37). But on the third day, as he has foretold, he rose from the dead (Luke 24:1-53; Matthew 28:1-9) and was seen by hundreds of witnesses. Before he ascended to the right had of God in Heaven, he sent his disciples to preach the good news to all nations (Matthew 28:16-20).