| Subject: Chapter 1 |
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dori
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Date Posted: 16:17:44 02/21/15 Sat
In reply to:
dori
's message, "God's Festivals (prelude)" on 16:15:54 02/21/15 Sat
Chapter One
THE DUAL CONCEPT OF THE MESSIAH
"Then said I (the Messiah), Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of Me." Psalm 40:7
The volume of material contained in the scriptures and the Jewish writings concerning the Messiah is unlimited. G-d not only outlines the work Messiah will perform, but He also tells us many details about Him (His lineage, birthplace, nature, etc.) History records that in the period shortly before and for a brief time after the first century C.E., Messianic expectation had reached its greatest peak. The prophet Daniel, over four hundred years before the time of Yeshua, had foretold that the Messiah would appear in the midst of the fourth kingdom from the time of his prophecy. The Messiah, according to Daniel seven, would then establish His own kingdom that would be without end. From the days of Daniel, four kingdoms had successively risen on the earth. They were the Babylonian, Media-Persian, Greek, and Roman Empires. In another prophecy, Daniel 9:24-27, Daniel had told the time of the Messiah's coming as being approximately 400 years after the return of Nehemiah and Ezra. This expectation is seen in Luke 3:15-16.
"And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of Yochanan (John) whether he were the Messiah, or not; Yochanan answered, saying unto them all, I indeed immerse you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: He shall immerse you with the Ruach haKadosh (the Holy Spirit) and with fire." Luke 3:15-16.
By the time of Yochanan (John), the anticipation of the Messiah had generated a highly developed eschatological theology. This was expressed by numerous apocalyptic writings as well as the Targumim (Aramaic paraphrases of the scriptures) and orally transmitted rabbinic teachings. The exposition of scripture known as Midrash would tie together both obvious and obscure passages to present tangible doctrines of the Coming One. For thorough treatment of the eschatological doctrines of the first century, consult Judaism in the First Centuries of the Christian Era / The Age of the Tannaim, by George Foot Moore, Cambridge Harvard University Press; and Palestinian Judaism in the Time of Jesus Christ, by Joseph Bonsirven, S.J., Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
As the ancient Jewish scholars and Rabbis began to study the scriptural information about the Messiah, they encountered a serious problem; many of the passages seemed to contradict one another. Often the Messiah is seen as a conquering king, coming in judgment to establish a reign of peace on earth from Jerusalem, as in Zechariah Fourteen, Psalm Two, Isaiah 63-66, Jeremiah Twenty-three, for example. Other passages speak of a suffering servant who would come in humility, would be rejected and despised by His people, would die for the sins of men, and would then be resurrected by G-d: Isaiah Forty through Fifty-three, Sixty-one, Psalm Twenty-two, and Daniel Nine. From this paradoxical description of the Messiah came a First Century Common Era (A.D.) rabbinical teaching of two Messiahs.
Most of the messianic passages of the Bible, as well as the majority of rabbinic commentary on the Messiah, are centered in the Conquering King. These passages present Him as a dynamic personality, who is anointed by G-d, not only to crush His enemies, but also to regather the dispersed of Israel and usher in her golden age. Diametrically opposed to this, another personality was also identified as the Messiah: lowly, humiliated, despised and persecuted.
This one, labeled the Suffering Servant by modern commentators, was anciently known as Messiah ben Joseph. His life ends in death, unlike His counter-part, the Messiah ben David (the ancient name for the Conquering King), who is immortal. An example of rabbinic commentary showing the Messiah ben Joseph and His death are found in Succah 52a, where the Gemara ask a question concerning the structure of the Temple having been altered as stated in the corresponding Mishnah. This authority, according to the Gemara, came from Zechariah 12:12-14, where describing a period of mourning, says:
And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimel apart, and their wives apart; all the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. Zechariah 12:12-14
Rabbi Dosa explained in this Gemara that the reason for the future mourning mentioned in the verse will be the slaying of the Messiah of the house of Joseph, the herald of the Messianic Age, who will precede the Messiah of the house of David.
A further development of the rabbinic doctrine of the Messiah ben Joseph (also known as Ephraim, who was the son of Joseph) is found in Midrash Pesiqta Rabba 36. Here, the Messiah is being informed by G-d of what awaits Him on the earth:
Their sins will be upon you like a yoke of iron. They will choke your spirit. Because of their sins, your tongue will cleave to the roof of your mouth. Do you accept this? If not, I will remove the decree from you.
The Messiah replies: Master of the worlds, how long will this last?
G-d replies: Ephraim, My true Messiah, ever since the six days of creation you have taken this ordeal upon yourself. At this moment, your pain is My pain.
Messiah replies: Master of the worlds, I accept this with gladness in my soul, and joy in my heart, so that not a single one of the house of Israel should perish. Not only for those alive, but also the dead. It is enough that the servant be like the Master. Midrash Pesiqta Rabbah 36
Evidence from the gospels showing that the suffering servant was identified with the Messiah is found in Luke 24:13-35. In this passage Yeshua, on the day of His resurrection is found in journey with two men traveling to Emmaus. The two travelers with Yeshua, despondent over His death, but not having realized His resurrection, are suddenly rebuked by Yeshua as He says:
O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Messiah to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory? Luke 24:25-26
This statement by Yeshua shows that the people interpreted the suffering servant passages as pertaining to the Messiah, as well as those of the conquering king, indicating their belief in two separate Messiahs.
This anticipation of two Messiahs by the Jewish people of the first century is the background for the question posed by Yochanan the Immerser (John the Baptist) to Yeshua as to whether He was the Messiah (indicating one, singular), or if they were to expect another. Many well-meaning people have incorrectly assumed and taught that Yochanan was going through a time of doubt. The truth is that Yochanan knew Yeshua was the Messiah, for G-d had told him so, and he himself had already been used by G-d to identify Yeshua as the Messiah. His question was specifically whether Yeshua would fulfill all of the prophecies concerning Messiah, or whether the Rabbis, who said there would be two Messiahs, were right. Yeshua's answer is a paraphrase of various passages that Rabbis identified as referring partially to Messiah ben Joseph and partially to Messiah ben David. Therefore, Yeshua was expressing, in dramatic language that was clear to His listeners, that He would fulfill all of the Messianic prophecies. Rather than send two Messiahs with two different roles, G-d would send one Messiah in two separate appearances or comings. Messiah's first coming fulfilled the prophecies of the Suffering Servant, while the second coming will fulfill those of the Conquering King.
Often the prophecies concerning the second coming of the Messiah, in which He is seen as the Conquering King, are told in combination with prophecies of His first coming as the Suffering Servant. Sometimes there is not a clear distinction between the two comings, and it is only through the unfolding of history that we are able to separate the two. Traditionally, the prophecies have been studied by taking a chapter here and there and applying it to either the first or second coming. The bulk of scripture, especially within the Tanach (the Hebrew Bible), is usually not dealt with. Vast areas of scripture from this type of exegesis will only produce Jewish history.
It is important to keep in mind that the Messiah was supposed to perform His role in two different missions on earth. The significance of it to the festivals is that G-d divided them into two groups, and it shall be demonstrated in another section how the two groups of festivals relate to the first and second comings of the Messiah. Specifically, this book concerns Rosh haShanah, the festival of Messiah's kingship, his judgment of the world, and his wedding.
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