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We said in an earlier article that the Christian Messiah (Christ) and Hebrew Messiah (Moshiach) are two different entities! Now, let's read carefully the Hebrew Bible passages about the Messiah and see if Jesus fits these Messianic expectations. At a later time, and already on another website, the "man-made 'fulfilled' prophecies" have been addressed and it is not my intention to address them in this article. What I do wish to do, however, is to acquaint the Christian reader with what the Jew was told to expect from the Messiah, because until they know this in detail then they do not possess understanding why the Jews reject their "Christian" Jesus.
Daniel 7:13-14, ". . . one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, . . . And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."
Zechariah 9:9-10, ". . . thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, . . . and he shall speak peace unto the heathen; and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth."
It seems, curiously, two very different appearances of the Messiah are depicted in the Bible, as interpreted by Christianity. But actually, Daniel describes the Messiah's arrival before God in heaven, not on earth. Read it again and see. The arrival can be described fancifully, as in Zechariah, because it lacks relevance to the Messianic expectations. What is completely relevant is what he achieves. And both Daniel and Zechariah agree that the Messiah is to have an earthly kingdom, whose dominion shall be throughout the world. It shall be a non-ending kingdom, teaching peace. The Messiah will have great honor and service from all people, and he will save the people of Israel from earthly troubles. These are the descriptions of the Messiah and his rule.
I we can be honest we must admit that Jesus does not fit these descriptions because of several reasons:
God will create a kingdom which will last for all time. In it the Messiah and those after him will rule His Chosen People, Israel. The Messiah is to build a Temple for God which will be everlasting, as the kingdom will be everlasting.
If it somehow escaped you let me be the first to tell you that there is no such kingdom created. There is no such Temple built. Jesus did not make this happen. Also, note that the Messiah himself is not to exist forever. It is his kingdom which will last forever, not he. And it is given that the saints of the most High, which are the Israel People, will eventually self-rule. That is what these passages impart.
All countries and people will look to the Messiah of the Hebrew people and serve him. Again we must be honest with the facts and admit that besides Jesus' lack of rule over an earthly kingdom, he never had dominions under him, serving and obeying him. Moslems, Hindus, and Buddhists, etc., certainly are not under his rule, in this world or any other. In fact, not only was he not served by nations, but the Romans put him to death. Not only was he not obeyed and glorious, but Jesus' death was apparently against his own desires and certainly inglorious, hanging between two thieves.
The Hebrew Messiah will properly administer God's desires for human beings' goodness and virtue. He will, with excellence, judge, rebuke, and punish the evil-doers in this world. He will perform justice and righteousness for the poor and meek. Notice that the designation of his rule is "the earth" and "in the land." This eliminates Christianity's interpretation of heavenly judgment. And plainly, Jesus was not then, and is not now, in the land righteously judging in the Messianic kingdom on earth as described.
Answer for yourself: In addition, can it be said in any rational manner that God the Son of the Trinity possesses "the fear of the Lord," when he is supposed to be the selfsame in a unity?
In the thriving kingdom of the Messiah, there will be endless peace and justice. He will have a government ruling over righteous people who flourish and know the God of Israel, who is their rescuer. Again it must be said that Jesus did not establish peace on earth or rule over a kingdom of righteous people. Note also, the "child" is not Christianity's Christ child at all, who had no government.
These verses are presented to show that there is a clear differentiation between the Lord God and the Messiah. Please take note that Christianity has joined the two and made their Messiah God himself. Such is idolatry of the highest magnitude!
The Messiah is to function as the servant of God. He will be God's shepherd. Again please take notice that God and His servant are separate entities, with God bringing the Messiah into his position. Nothing is said here, or elsewhere in the Hebrew Scriptures, about the Messiah being the substance of the Lord God, which Christianity believes. Even the New Testament similarly makes a clear differentiation between God and Jesus Christ, but in practice accepted Christian doctrine and dogma does not. Nevertheless, Christianity has blended the two.
The Messiah of the Hebrew people is sent by God to rescue God's Chosen People. Jews will have deliverance through the Messiah. What is unfortunate, but true, is that Christianity's Messiah has been made the cause of great troubles for the people of Israel, rather than the opposite. God promised deliverance, not further oppression.
With the Messiah as king, the Jewish people are to inherit the Promised Land forever. The Davidic dynasty of the Messiah is established as God's royalty for all time. And the people will follow the laws of God and do them in this Messianic kingdom. Please take time to notice that for two thousand years after Jesus there has not been any Jewish kingdom in the Promised Land with the Messiah and those following ruling.
In the time to come, the Messiah and his Davidic descendants will rule forever over the people of Israel who will have kept God's Covenant. The Messiah will supervise and dispense justice and judgment in the earth. It says, "in the earth."
People will have plenty and live in abundance, with no fear. They will be rescued and live in safety. Please take time to notice these questions:
The quotes of the passages above state that in the time of the Messiah the people of Israel "shall dwell safely." As this is the description of the Messianic age for the Hebrew people, it is obvious that it has not arrived! As Jesus does not fit this outline of Messianic achievement, it is similarly obvious that he is not the Hebrew Messiah! The Hebrew Messiah has not come as of yet. The Holy Bible is our source and we must never forget that we are speaking of the Jewish Masoretic Text and not the corrupted versions which we find in the Christian Old Testaments which provide the quotes for the Christian New Testaments. Whatever else he may be in Christianity, Jesus is not the Messiah of the Hebrew Scriptures awaited in Judaism.
In summary, from the Biblical passages about the Messiah as taken from the Jewish Tanakh, it is evident that Jews reject Jesus as the Messiah because they know he did not perform the role or accomplish the tasks of the Messiah, as written. We are not in the Messianic Era. We do not have the Messianic expectations fulfilled. Neither Jews nor the earth has peace, abundance, safety, and happiness.
The real question is not why Jews do not believe Jesus was the Hebrew Messiah but why Christians do, when the Messianic times did not unfold as prophesied in the Jewish Book of God! There is really no answer they can offer which can satisfy this simple question. It is clear that the Christian Christ has a supposed function which differs from the one given in the Hebrew Bible for the Messiah. Christ's mission, as explained in Christianity, is to offer personal salvation through vicarious atonement. The Messiah's mission of earthly redemption is changed by Christianity into heavenly salvation. But, their belief does not concern us here. We just want to make it understood that Judaism's Messiah and Christianity's Messiah are not the same in essence or function.
The Hebrew Scriptures' Messiah is Judaic. The early followers of Jesus did hope he was this Messiah. His Jewish followers fully understood the need for the Messiah to accomplish his mission of being the ruler in God's earthly Messianic kingdom. This was their hope. When he died without the Messianic hopes being achieved, they must have been very disappointed. But, instead of complete discouragement at his execution by the Romans, they were somehow prompted to expect his imminent return. In this return, he would fulfill the expectations. Needless to say, Jesus did not return in their lifetime as they had expected and the New Testament reported was to occur.
The early Church had to minimize Messianic expectations and orientation and postulate that Jesus would return at some future unknown time. They still await his second coming. The trouble with this is that, although Christians can await his return to earth, they have absolutely no basis for this happening in any of the Hebrew Bible's prophesies! Nothing at all is written about a second coming to complete what a first coming left undone. Their await is Christologic, not Messianic.
With great hope and reason, Jews also await. But, as non-Jews also await what God has promised in the Hebrew Scriptures. The Messiah is to come to fulfill all the marvelous expectations as written. Judaism is permeated with the faith of his coming, and though he tarry, he shall surely appear. It it turns out that the Messiah, when he appears is "Jesus" then I shall be very happy that it is so because the identity of the person is not nearly as important as what he will accomplish. However, if it turns out to be another "so be it," for after all God is behind it and not man. I think we can intelligently live with this. The only thing that saddens me is the corrupted Sun-Worship of the Essenes contained in the New Testament and applied to Jesus which the unsuspecting and unknowledgeable reader accepts without question and thus is erroneously led to believe that such personified events of solar-worship are "fulfilled prophecies" that proves the Messiahship and identity of Jesus as God. Such is blatant idolatry and millions never know...that is until they die and are tole face to fact by YHVH.
If you have both the desire and courage for such a difficult study into how Sun-Worship became "fulfilled prophecies" in the Greek Old Testament and later became the very substance for the Christian's Old Testament and quotes in the New Testament then you only have to begin a methodical study of one of this ministry's websites.
http://paganizingfaithofyeshua.netfirms.com/
This is such a difficult subject for the Christian to embark upon I strongly suggest you be armed with prayer and love for God whereby you fully understand that with every lie exposed and cast down and replaced with "truth" then your relationship with God and the Creator is strengthened and not weakened. Baruch Ha-Shem.
Shalom and blessings to you..as we return to the faith once given to the Saints
