Bible Study Library

A Jewish Understanding of the Messiah

What follows is provided as an example of how an orthodox Jew might understand who the Messiah is and how modern Jews might view biblical prophecies about the Messiah.

 

As there are among Christians, there are wide differences between Jewish beliefs about many topics, including this one. These excerpts are for illustrative purposes only and were offered as a handout in this lesson regarding OT prophecies about the Messiah.

 

A Jewish Messiah

· The man destined to be the Messiah will be a direct descendant of King David (Isaiah 11:1) through the family of Solomon, David’s son (1 Chronicles 22:9-l0). He will cause all the world to serve God together (Isaiah 11:2), be wiser than Solomon (Mishnah Torah Repentance 9:2), greater than the patriarchs and prophets (Aggadah Genesis 67), and more honored than kings (Mishnah Sanhedrin 10), for he will reign as king of the world (Pirkei Eliezer).

· Amongst the most basic missions that the Messiah will accomplish during his lifetime (Isaiah 42:4) are to:

o Oversee the rebuilding of Jerusalem, including the Third Temple, in the event that it has not yet been rebuilt (Michah 4:1 and Ezekiel 40-45)

o Gather the Jewish people from all over the world and bring them home to the Land of Israel (Isaiah 11:12; 27:12-13)

o Influence every individual of every nation to abandon and be ashamed of their former beliefs (or non-beliefs) and acknowledge and serve only the One True God of Israel (Isaiah 11:9-10; 40:5 and Zephaniah 3:9)

o Bring about global peace throughout the world (Isaiah 2:4; 11:5-9 and Michah 4:3-4).

· There are over a dozen additional prophecies which the Messiah will also achieve (there is no mention of any “second coming” in the Tanach or the New Testament). In order to avoid identifying the wrong individual as Messiah, the Code of Jewish Law dictates criteria for establishing the Messiah’s identity (Mishnah Torah Kings 11:4):

o “If a king arises from the House of David who meditates on the Torah, occupies himself with the commandments as did his ancestor King David, observes the commandments of the Written and Oral Law, prevails upon all Israel to walk in the way of the Torah and to follow its direction, and fights the wars of God, it may be assumed that he is the Messiah.

o If he does these things and is fully successful, rebuilds the Third Temple on its location, and gathers the exiled Jews, he is beyond doubt the Messiah. But if he is not fully successful, or if he is killed, he is not the Messiah.”

The Messianic Prophecies

Descendant of David

“See, a time is coming — declared the Lord — when I will raise up a true branch of David’s line. He shall reign as king and shall prosper, and he shall do what is just and right in the land.” — Jeremiah 23:5 (See also Ezekiel 34:23-24, 37:21-28; Isaiah 11:1-9; Jeremiah 30:7-10; Jeremiah 33:14-16; and Hosea 3:4-5)

 

Preceded by Elijah

“Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome [the messiah], fearful day of the Lord. He shall reconcile parents with children and children with their parents, so that, when I come, I do not strike the whole land with utter destruction.” — Malachi 3:23-24

 

World Peace

“And he [the messiah] shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” — Isaiah 2:4

 

“Then the inhabitants of the cities of Israel will go out and make fire and feed them with the weapons — shields and bucklers, bows and arrows, clubs and spears; they shall use them as fuel for seven years.” — Ezekiel 39:9

 

Universal Knowledge of G-d

“For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” — Isaiah 11:9

 

“And no longer shall one teach his neighbor or shall one teach his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord, for they shall all know Me, from their smallest to their greatest’ says the Lord.” — Jeremiah 31:33

 

“Thus said the Lord of Hosts: In those days, ten men from nations of every tongue will take hold — they will take hold of every Jew by a corner of his cloak and say, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that G-d is with you’.” — Zechariah 8.23

 

“And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and His name one.” — Zechariah 14:9

 

“All who survive of all those nations that came up against Jerusalem shall make a pilgrimage year by year to bow low to the King Lord of Hosts and to observe the feasts.” — Zechariah 14:16

 

Building of the Third Temple

“And I will set My sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My temple also shall be with them. Yes, I will be their G-d and they shall be My people. And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.” — Ezekiel 37:26-28 (See also Ezekiel 40-48; Isaiah 33:20)

 

Death Will Cease

“He will swallow up death forever.” — Isaiah 25:8

 

Resurrection of the Dead

“Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust, for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.” — Isaiah 26:19

 

“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” — Daniel 12:2

 

“Therefore, prophesy and say to them, ‘So says the Lord G-d: Lo! I open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves as My people, and bring you home to the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and lead you up out of your graves as My people’.” — Ezekiel 37:12-13

 

Ingathering of Israel

“I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give up’, and to the south, ‘Keep not back, bring My sons from far, and My daughter from the ends of the earth’.” — Isaiah 43:5-6. (See also Jeremiah 16:15; 23:3; Isaiah 11:12; Zechariah 10:6; Ezekiel 37:21-22)

 

The Nations Will Help the Jews Materially

“Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall fear and expand; because the abundance of the sea shall be overturned upon you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.” — Isaiah 60:5

 

“Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you. Men shall bring you the wealth of the nations with their kings led in procession. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste.” — Isaiah 60:10-12

 

“But you shall be called ‘priests of the Lord’, men shall say of you, ‘ministers of our G-d’; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their riches you shall glory.” — Isaiah 61:6

 

Eternal Joy and Gladness Will Characterize the Jewish Nation

“And the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion in song; everlasting joy shall be upon their head; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee.” — Isaiah 51:11

 

The Jews Will Be Sought For Spiritual Guidance

Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men out of all the languages of the nations shall take hold and seize the robe of a Jew, saying: ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that G-d is with you’.# — Zechariah 8:23

 

All Weapons Of War Will Be Destroyed

“Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go forth and set fire to the weapons and burn them, shields and bucklers, bows and arrows, handspikes and spears, and they will make fires of them for seven years.” — Ezekiel 39:9

 

The Enemy Dead Will Be Buried

“For seven months the House of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land.” — Ezekiel 39:12

 

The Egyptian River Will Run Dry

“And the Lord will utterly destroy the tongue of the sea of Egypt and wave His hand over the river with His scorching wind, and smite it into seven channels, and make men cross dryshod.” — Isaiah 11:15

 

Trees Will Yield New Fruit Monthly in Israel

“And on both sides of the bank of the stream, all trees for food will grow; their leaves will not wither nor will their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because their waters flow from the Sanctuary; their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.” — Ezekiel 47:12

 

Each Tribe of Israel Will Receive It’s Inheritance

“Thus says the Lord, G-d: ‘These are the boundaries by which you shall divide the land for inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions. And you shall divide equally that which I swore to give your fathers, and this land shall fall to you as your inheritance’.” — Ezekiel 47:13-14

 

All Warfare Will Cease

“And He shall judge among the nations and decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” — Isaiah 2:4