Nimrauko
Defender Of Judaism
The Messiah In Judaism
By: Nimrauko
(With Supporting Evidence from both
the JPS translation of the Tanakh and
the Plaut Torah Commentary)
Before diving into this very lengthy essay, I shall state the passages in Torah that refer to the Messiah, where if you so chose, you may get your Torah out and read for your self.
The Passages are as follows:
Isaiah 2, 11, 42; 59:20
Jeremiah 23, 30, 33; 48:47; 49:39
Ezekiel 38:16
Hosea 3:4-3:5
Micah 4
Zephaniah 3:9
Zechariah 14:9
Daniel 10:14
The concept of the Messiah in Christianity is a far cry from Judaism. If you are a Christian then you are already aware that your faith is the offspring of Judaism. To understand the Jewish concept of the Messiah, you will have to throw away your presumptions and the concept you bring with you, for they do not mesh.
Lets begin. The term Messiah means anointed one. It simply refers to the act of anointing a king with oil. All throughout Torah the term is used for kings and priests, even Pagan Kings.
The word of Isaiah son of Amoz prophesied concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come, the mount of the Lord's House Shall stand firm above the mountains, and tower above the Hills; And all nations shall gaze on it with Joy. And the many peoples shall go and say: Come, let us go up to the mount of the Lord, to the House of the G-d Of Jacob; That he may instruct us in His paths. For Instruction shall come forth from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Thus he will judge among the nations and arbitrate for the many peoples, and they shall beat their swords into plow shares, and their spears into pruning hooks: Nation shall not take up sword against nation; they shall never again know war. O house of Jacob! Come let us walk by the light of the lord. For you have forsaken [the ways of] your people, O house of Jacob! For they are full [of practices] from the east, and of soothsaying like the Philistines; They abound in customs of the aliens. - Isaiah 2:1-6.
So far you can glean from 2:1-6 the foretelling of the Peace the messiah will bring. Also in this part it says how the many people will all want to go to the mount of the Lord , to the house of the G-d of Jacob, to be instructed in the way of the Torah. Which implies that Judaism will be the Religion of all people, which is a fundamental part of the Jewish concept of the Messiah, and the Messiah is to establish Judaism as the official Religion. In the last line of this passage, is a call to cessation of occult or pagan practices from the east. It is gleaned from this that the Messiah will come perhaps when Occult or Pagan practices (Practices from the east and far east) are no longer accepted in Judaism and all Jews return to Strict Monotheism.
But a shoot shall grow out of the stump of Jesse, a twig shall sprout from his stock. The spirit of the Lord shall alight upon him: A spirit of wisdom and insight, A spirit of Counsel and Valor, A spirit of devotion and reverence for the Lord: He shall sense the truth by his reverence for the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes behold, Nor decide by what his ears perceive. Thus he shall judge the poor with equity and decide with justice for the Lowly of the land. He shall strike down a land with the rod of his mouth, and slay the wicked with the breath of his lips. Justice shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his waist. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard lie down with the kid; The calf, the beast of prey, and the fatling together, with a little boy to lead them. The cow an the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion, like the ox, shall east straw. A babe shall play over a vipers hole, and an infant pass his hand over an adders den. In all of My sacred mount, Nothing evil or vile shall be done; for the land shall be filled with devotion to the lord as water covers the sea Isaiah 11:1-9
In this section we see that the Messiah will have the spirit of wisdom and counsel and will have reverence for all of G-ds precepts. This is in stark contrast with the Christian concept, as Jesus rewrites many of G-ds precepts. In this section we also see the wonderful Imagery of the Wolf dwelling with the Lamb, symbolizing peace, and that a child will run his hand over an adders hole, alluding to the fact that there will be no need to worry, for there shall be no violence. Peace will reign.
This is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one, in whom I delight, I have put my spirit upon him. He shall teach the true way to the nations. He shall not cry out or shout aloud, or make his voice heard in the streets. He shall not break even a bruised reed, or snuff out even a dim wick. He shall bring forth the true way. He shall not grow dim or be bruised, till he established the true way on earth; and the coastlands shall await his teaching. Isaiah 42:1-4
He shall come as redeemer to Zion, To those in Jacob who turn back from sin- Declares the Lord Isaiah 59:20
In this section it is set up that the Messiah will establish Judaism as the true religion, and shall not grow dim, or be bruised, till he established the true way on earth, meaning he will not die nor be injured (Attacked) until the true way (Judaism) has been established as the true way. The Messiah will have G-d's spirit upon him, meaning he will do G-d's work. This in no way says he will be G-d. In the second passage, and final passage in Isaiah that refers to the Messiah, it states that he will be the redeemer of Zion, to those who turn back from sin.
By: Nimrauko
(With Supporting Evidence from both
the JPS translation of the Tanakh and
the Plaut Torah Commentary)
Before diving into this very lengthy essay, I shall state the passages in Torah that refer to the Messiah, where if you so chose, you may get your Torah out and read for your self.
The Passages are as follows:
Isaiah 2, 11, 42; 59:20
Jeremiah 23, 30, 33; 48:47; 49:39
Ezekiel 38:16
Hosea 3:4-3:5
Micah 4
Zephaniah 3:9
Zechariah 14:9
Daniel 10:14
The concept of the Messiah in Christianity is a far cry from Judaism. If you are a Christian then you are already aware that your faith is the offspring of Judaism. To understand the Jewish concept of the Messiah, you will have to throw away your presumptions and the concept you bring with you, for they do not mesh.
Lets begin. The term Messiah means anointed one. It simply refers to the act of anointing a king with oil. All throughout Torah the term is used for kings and priests, even Pagan Kings.
The word of Isaiah son of Amoz prophesied concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come, the mount of the Lord's House Shall stand firm above the mountains, and tower above the Hills; And all nations shall gaze on it with Joy. And the many peoples shall go and say: Come, let us go up to the mount of the Lord, to the House of the G-d Of Jacob; That he may instruct us in His paths. For Instruction shall come forth from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Thus he will judge among the nations and arbitrate for the many peoples, and they shall beat their swords into plow shares, and their spears into pruning hooks: Nation shall not take up sword against nation; they shall never again know war. O house of Jacob! Come let us walk by the light of the lord. For you have forsaken [the ways of] your people, O house of Jacob! For they are full [of practices] from the east, and of soothsaying like the Philistines; They abound in customs of the aliens. - Isaiah 2:1-6.
So far you can glean from 2:1-6 the foretelling of the Peace the messiah will bring. Also in this part it says how the many people will all want to go to the mount of the Lord , to the house of the G-d of Jacob, to be instructed in the way of the Torah. Which implies that Judaism will be the Religion of all people, which is a fundamental part of the Jewish concept of the Messiah, and the Messiah is to establish Judaism as the official Religion. In the last line of this passage, is a call to cessation of occult or pagan practices from the east. It is gleaned from this that the Messiah will come perhaps when Occult or Pagan practices (Practices from the east and far east) are no longer accepted in Judaism and all Jews return to Strict Monotheism.
But a shoot shall grow out of the stump of Jesse, a twig shall sprout from his stock. The spirit of the Lord shall alight upon him: A spirit of wisdom and insight, A spirit of Counsel and Valor, A spirit of devotion and reverence for the Lord: He shall sense the truth by his reverence for the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes behold, Nor decide by what his ears perceive. Thus he shall judge the poor with equity and decide with justice for the Lowly of the land. He shall strike down a land with the rod of his mouth, and slay the wicked with the breath of his lips. Justice shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his waist. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard lie down with the kid; The calf, the beast of prey, and the fatling together, with a little boy to lead them. The cow an the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion, like the ox, shall east straw. A babe shall play over a vipers hole, and an infant pass his hand over an adders den. In all of My sacred mount, Nothing evil or vile shall be done; for the land shall be filled with devotion to the lord as water covers the sea Isaiah 11:1-9
In this section we see that the Messiah will have the spirit of wisdom and counsel and will have reverence for all of G-ds precepts. This is in stark contrast with the Christian concept, as Jesus rewrites many of G-ds precepts. In this section we also see the wonderful Imagery of the Wolf dwelling with the Lamb, symbolizing peace, and that a child will run his hand over an adders hole, alluding to the fact that there will be no need to worry, for there shall be no violence. Peace will reign.
This is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one, in whom I delight, I have put my spirit upon him. He shall teach the true way to the nations. He shall not cry out or shout aloud, or make his voice heard in the streets. He shall not break even a bruised reed, or snuff out even a dim wick. He shall bring forth the true way. He shall not grow dim or be bruised, till he established the true way on earth; and the coastlands shall await his teaching. Isaiah 42:1-4
He shall come as redeemer to Zion, To those in Jacob who turn back from sin- Declares the Lord Isaiah 59:20
In this section it is set up that the Messiah will establish Judaism as the true religion, and shall not grow dim, or be bruised, till he established the true way on earth, meaning he will not die nor be injured (Attacked) until the true way (Judaism) has been established as the true way. The Messiah will have G-d's spirit upon him, meaning he will do G-d's work. This in no way says he will be G-d. In the second passage, and final passage in Isaiah that refers to the Messiah, it states that he will be the redeemer of Zion, to those who turn back from sin.