How could Jesus be the Messiah?
The Messiah comes once and rules over the Jewish people. Jesus didn’t meet many of the scriptural requirements of the Messiah. He didn’t cause the dead to rise from the grave, all the Jews did not return to Israel, the Jews did not know the Torah without study, all weapons of war were not destroyed, the ancient Jewish court was not reestablished, hunger was not ended, etc.
American Eagle: I was raised conservative Presbyterian and have read the entire Bible.
answer: You’re right, he didn’t fit the bill. That’s why Jews rejected him as the Messiah and then his story got twisted into something supernatural which took him totally out of the running. Jews will not worship a human being. G-d cannot become human. G-d cannot have human offspring (or divine offspring). G-d does not accept human sacrifice. No one can take on the sins of another. Basic Christian belief is contrary to Judaism.
The ACTUAL prophecies about the Messiah are small in number (and "virgin" birth isn’t one of those – that’s a mistranslation of the Tanakh).
* The Sanhedrin will be re-established (Isaiah 1:26)
* Once he is King, leaders of other nations will look to him for guidance. (Isaiah 2:4)
* The whole world will worship the One God of Israel (Isaiah 2:17)
* He will be descended from King David (Isaiah 11:1) via King Solomon (1 Chron. 22:8-10)
* The Moshiach will be a man of this world, an observant Jew with "fear of God" (Isaiah 11:2)
*****In other words – this must all be accomplished in a human lifetime*****
* Evil and tyranny will not be able to stand before his leadership (Isaiah 11:4)
* Knowledge of God will fill the world (Isaiah 11:9)
* He will include and attract people from all cultures and nations (Isaiah 11:10)
* All Israelites will be returned to their homeland (Isaiah 11:12)
* Death will be swallowed up forever (Isaiah 25:8)
* There will be no more hunger or illness, and death will cease (Isaiah 25:8)
* All of the dead will rise again (Isaiah 26:19)
* The Jewish people will experience eternal joy and gladness (Isaiah 51:11)
* He will be a messenger of peace (Isaiah 52:7)
* Nations will end up recognizing the wrongs they did to Israel (Isaiah 52:13-53:5)
* The peoples of the world will turn to the Jews for spiritual guidance (Zechariah 8:23)
* The ruined cities of Israel will be restored (Ezekiel 16:55)
* Weapons of war will be destroyed (Ezekiel 39:9)
* The Temple will be rebuilt (Ezekiel 40) resuming many of the suspended mitzvot
* He will then perfect the entire world to serve God together (Zephaniah 3:9)
* Jews will know the Torah without Study (Jeremiah 31:33)
* He will give you all the desires of your heart (Psalms 37:4)
* He will take the barren land and make it abundant and fruitful (Isaiah 51:3, Amos 9:13-15, Ezekiel 36:29-30, Isaiah 11:6-9).
Thanks to Mark S and Plushy Bear
hang in there soon very soon.
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The word "Messiah" means "Anointed One," the name given to the promised Deliverer who would some day come to the people of Israel as their great Savior and Redeemer, "anointed" as Prophet, Priest, and King by God Himself.
Some, of course, are still looking for the fulfillment of these Old Testament promises in the future, when the "Messiah" will come to establish a world kingdom of peace and justice centered around the chosen nation, Israel.
On the other hand, the group of Jewish believers who became the first founders of Christianity were convinced that Jesus of Nazareth was their promised Messiah. The name "Christ" is the Greek equivalent of "Messiah," so that the name Jesus Christ really means "Jesus the Messiah," or "Jesus the anointed." They preached this truth with such conviction and power that not only many Jews but, later, a still greater host of Gentiles, believed on Jesus, both as the Christ and also as the Lord and Savior of all men.
And indeed they had good reason for such faith. The Old Testament Messianic prophecies were found to be uniquely fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. There are hundreds of these prophecies, so that the possibility of their accidental convergence on any ordinary man is completely ruled out by the laws of probability.
Some of the prophecies are so framed, in fact, as to preclude their fulfillment by anyone living after the first century A.D. For example, the patriarch Jacob said, in Genesis 49:10, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come." The name "Shiloh" is a title of the Messiah, and the prophecy states that Judah’s tribe would remain the chief tribe in Israel, in particular providing their kings, until Messiah would come. The prophecy must have been fulfilled prior to the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem in A.D. 70, by which time certainly all semblance of a scepter had departed from Judah.
Similarly the promise was given to King David that the Messiah should be one of his descendants, as the King eternal, the one of whom God said, "I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever" (II Samuel 7:13). Isaiah said, "There shall come forth a rod out of the stem (literally ‘stump’) of Jesse (that is David’s father), and a Branch shall grow out of his roots" (Isaiah 11:1). This is another name of the Messiah, and indicates that, even after it would appear that the family tree of Jesse has been cut down, yet one Branch will grow out of the stump. Evidently the very last one who could be known to have come of this lineage would finally prove to be the promised Messiah!
This was fulfilled uniquely in Jesus. His foster father, Joseph, was in the royal line from David and thus held the legal right to the throne (Matthew 1:1-16). His mother, Mary, was also a descendant of David, as shown by her genealogy in Luke 3:23-31. But ever since the time of Jesus, it would be quite impossible to establish the legal or biological lineage of any pretender to David’s throne, as all the ancient genealogical records were destroyed soon after that.
An even more striking prophecy is given in Daniel 9:24-27. There Daniel was told explicitly that Messiah would come 69 "sabbaths" (that is, 69 sabbatical years – a total of 483 years) after the decree was given to rebuild Jerusalem, which at that time lay in ruins after Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had destroyed it.
Such a decree was given later by the Persian emperor. Although the exact date of the decree is somewhat uncertain, the termination date of the prophecy must have been some time in the first century A.D. In fact, it must have been before the destruction of the city and the temple by the Romans in A.D. 70, because the prophecy said quite explicitly: “After (the 483 years) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself; and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” (Daniel 9:26). Not only must Messiah come before this destruction, but He was also to be“cut off,” rejected and killed, before it came.
It is obvious that no one but Jesus could have fulfilled these prophecies. The prophecies absolutely preclude any still future Messiah, except that even that hope also will find its fulfillment in the second coming of Christ.
And then, of course, there are still hundreds of other prophecies, all of which were fulfilled by Jesus Christ: His virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14); His birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); His sacrificial death (Isaiah 53:5); His crucifixion (Psalm 22:14-18); His bodily resurrection (Psalm 16:10); and many others. All of these unite in their witness that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31).
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The Hebrews would have never worshiped the messiah they would have continued worshiping Yahweh just like in the days when they sacrificed bulls for forgiveness but continued worshiping Yahweh.
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ISA pub (Jesus) was a messenger of GOD to jewish people as the people has deviated from the right path. He was intended to bring back the people on the right path. since his mission was half complete the GOd will send him again in future to continue his work.
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The Scriptures indicate two comings – once for our sins (see Daniel and Isaiah), and once again as the conquering King of kings and Lord of lords.
Just because some didn’t believe, that doesn’t nullify God’s Word or make it of no effect.
When He returns, the Scripture says that they shall look upon the one who was pierced and mourn as one would mourn for their only child. But in that day, all of Israel will be saved, because they will once and for all accept the Messiah God sent the first time, when He returns the second time "with the tens of thousands of His saints."
Thank you for asking.
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Jesus rose Lazarus from the dead. Among others who were raised from the dead the day he was crucified.
He is coming a second time.
Look in your bible it says in Isaiah 52 of the Messiah: "And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken."
See he had to die to suffer for our sins and then return to establish his kingdom on earth permanently.
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You obviously have Jewish views. "Jesus didn’t meet many of the scriptural requirements of the Messiah." Oh my goodness, he met every one! You should do some research, like try the entire Bible.
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answer: You’re right, he didn’t fit the bill. That’s why Jews rejected him as the Messiah and then his story got twisted into something supernatural which took him totally out of the running. Jews will not worship a human being. G-d cannot become human. G-d cannot have human offspring (or divine offspring). G-d does not accept human sacrifice. No one can take on the sins of another. Basic Christian belief is contrary to Judaism.
The ACTUAL prophecies about the Messiah are small in number (and "virgin" birth isn’t one of those – that’s a mistranslation of the Tanakh).
* The Sanhedrin will be re-established (Isaiah 1:26)
* Once he is King, leaders of other nations will look to him for guidance. (Isaiah 2:4)
* The whole world will worship the One God of Israel (Isaiah 2:17)
* He will be descended from King David (Isaiah 11:1) via King Solomon (1 Chron. 22:8-10)
* The Moshiach will be a man of this world, an observant Jew with "fear of God" (Isaiah 11:2)
*****In other words – this must all be accomplished in a human lifetime*****
* Evil and tyranny will not be able to stand before his leadership (Isaiah 11:4)
* Knowledge of God will fill the world (Isaiah 11:9)
* He will include and attract people from all cultures and nations (Isaiah 11:10)
* All Israelites will be returned to their homeland (Isaiah 11:12)
* Death will be swallowed up forever (Isaiah 25:8)
* There will be no more hunger or illness, and death will cease (Isaiah 25:8)
* All of the dead will rise again (Isaiah 26:19)
* The Jewish people will experience eternal joy and gladness (Isaiah 51:11)
* He will be a messenger of peace (Isaiah 52:7)
* Nations will end up recognizing the wrongs they did to Israel (Isaiah 52:13-53:5)
* The peoples of the world will turn to the Jews for spiritual guidance (Zechariah 8:23)
* The ruined cities of Israel will be restored (Ezekiel 16:55)
* Weapons of war will be destroyed (Ezekiel 39:9)
* The Temple will be rebuilt (Ezekiel 40) resuming many of the suspended mitzvot
* He will then perfect the entire world to serve God together (Zephaniah 3:9)
* Jews will know the Torah without Study (Jeremiah 31:33)
* He will give you all the desires of your heart (Psalms 37:4)
* He will take the barren land and make it abundant and fruitful (Isaiah 51:3, Amos 9:13-15, Ezekiel 36:29-30, Isaiah 11:6-9).
Thanks to Mark S and Plushy Bear
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Jesus Christ—The Promised Messiah
TO HELP us identify the Messiah, Jehovah God inspired many Bible prophets to provide details about the birth, the ministry, and the death of this promised Deliverer. All these Bible prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. They are amazingly accurate and detailed. To illustrate this, let us consider a few prophecies that foretold events related to the Messiah’s birth and childhood.
The prophet Isaiah foretold that the Messiah would be a descendant of King David. (Isaiah 9:7) Jesus was indeed born in David’s line.—Matthew 1:1, 6-17.
Micah, another prophet of God, foretold that this child would eventually become a ruler and that he would be born in “Bethlehem Ephrathah.” (Micah 5:2) At the time of Jesus’ birth, there were two towns in Israel that were named Bethlehem. One was situated near Nazareth in the northern region of the country, and the other, near Jerusalem in Judah. Bethlehem near Jerusalem was formerly called Ephrathah. Jesus was born in that town, exactly as the prophecy foretold!—Matthew 2:1.
Another Bible prophecy foretold that the Son of God would be called “out of Egypt.” The child Jesus was taken into Egypt. He was brought back after the death of Herod, thus fulfilling the prophecy.—Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:15.
In the chart on page 200, the scriptures listed under the heading “Prophecy” contain details concerning the Messiah. Please compare these with the scriptures listed under the heading “Fulfillment.” Doing so will further strengthen your faith in the truthfulness of God’s Word.
While you examine these scriptures, keep in mind that those of a prophetic nature were written down hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth. Jesus stated: “All the things written in the law of Moses and in the Prophets and Psalms about me must be fulfilled.” (Luke 24:44) As you can verify in your own copy of the Bible, fulfilled they were—in every detail!
[Chart on page 200]
PROPHECIES REGARDING THE MESSIAH
EVENT PROPHECY FULFILLMENT
Born of the tribe of Judah Genesis 49:10 Luke 3:23-33
Born of a virgin Isaiah 7:14 Matthew 1:18-25
Descended from King David Isaiah 9:7 Matthew 1:1, 6-17
Declared by Jehovah to be
his Son Psalm 2:7 Matthew 3:17
Not believed in
Isaiah 53:1 John 12:37, 38
Entered Jerusalem riding an ass Zechariah 9:9 Matthew 21:1-9
Betrayed by a close associate Psalm 41:9 John 13:18, 21-30
Betrayed for 30 silver pieces Zechariah 11:12 Matthew 26:14-16
Silent before his accusers Isaiah 53:7 Matthew 27:11-14
Lots cast for his garments Psalm 22:18 Matthew 27:35
Reviled while on the stake Psalm 22:7, 8 Matthew 27:39-43
None of his bones broken Psalm 34:20 John 19:33, 36
Buried with the rich Isaiah 53:9 Matthew 27:57-60
Raised before corruption Psalm 16:10 Acts 2:24, 27
Exalted to God’s right hand Psalm 110:1 Acts 7:56
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What Does The Bible Really Teach
His mission was to save the Jews from the Devil not the Romans from He raised a girl from the dead and many other things. He was Victorious He did not fail. He planted the Armor of God. The people were Hungry for Truth to be saved.
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If you have a bible, and read it – then you’ll know that Jesus indeed was the messiah. Everything that happened, from the birth, to his death on the cross(tree), was prophesied in the old testament. And there is going to be a 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus said it, and it’s spoken about in the new testament. Another good explanation is Revelation. When Jesus returns, then he will end all sin and evil, hunger,and will raise the dead,etc. In heaven there will be no tears.
Before Jesus came, they had to offer animals like sheep, and doves etc. to pay for the penalty of their sins. And Jesus was that perfect sacrifice for the whole world, because he was sinless, sent by god in human form. According to the new testament, we have to believe that Jesus died for us on the cross of Golgotha, and after 3 days was raised to life from death(according to old testament prophesy) by God himself. Everything that Jesus did, from the beginning to the end, was prophesied about in the old testament. And he didn’t just come for the jews, but for the whole world to be forgiven and made righteous through the sacrifice of his life.
I would love to get more into details but that would be days of explaining. And in order to really understand it, you have to read the whole bible.
But you can also ask Jesus to show you that he lives, and that he is real. He will show up. He can be trusted. He won’t let you down. But you have to be willing to believe. And it doesn’t matter if you don’t understand it all, as long as you believe the gospel and ask him into your heart, and be you lord and saviour – he will be all that.
Best of luck. I will pray for you tonight, that Jesus will show you he is reall.
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You’re absolutely spot on.
And given the Christian ingenuity in trying to back engineer Jesus into Hebrew scriptures, we probably shouldn’t be terribly surprised at their creativity in writing off these requirements.
Curious though, how the idea of a Jewish liberator was miraculously transformed into this image of docility and acceptance, teaching his followers to Render unto Caesar and to Turn the Other Cheek, and that suffering in this lifetime would be rewarded in the great hereafter.
Rather convenient for the Romans, eh?
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Dear Christians, before you thumb me down again, show me ONE single ‘prophecy’ which Jesus ‘fulfills’ that isn’t based on dodgy translations or partial readings of the text. Do that and I’ll attend church this Sunday.
From a Jewish reading of the book, you see what we see. (And it was our book first so we’re not likely to reinterpret…) Maybe there is a religion or version that will fit you better. Unitarians from my understanding are likely to accept or agree with your prespective on this.
Fran included the Jewish details early. I wish I could say more that would be helpful.
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Your impression of what Jesus was supposed to accomplish isn’t worth much.
Your Presbyterian background doesn’t help your case much, either.
Nor does the fact the you have read the WHOLE Bible.
Next?
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