Mark Eastman :: Chapter Three: Birth, Lineage and Mission of Messiah

Woven throughout the Hebrew scriptures we find the birth, lineage and mission of the Messiah. For nearly 2000 years the rabbis commented extensively on these scriptures. As we examine these rabbinical references, as well as new evidence from the Dead Sea Scrolls, we will get a feel for the "big picture" regarding the origin and mission of the Messiah. We will discover that the ancient rabbinical beliefs are in stark contrast to the contemporary beliefs of most rabbis and Jewish scholars.

The Preexistence of the Messiah

Before we look at the birth of the Messiah we will look at the question of his preexistence. As we have seen, modern rabbis believe that the Messiah is only a man. They deny the supernatural origin of the Messiah and claim that he is simply a man of great character, a very charismatic leader and learned in the Torah, but nothing more than a human being. However, this has not always been the position of the rabbis. There is abundant evidence in Jewish scholarship that the Messiah would, in fact, be an eternally existent supernatural being, with a supernatural birth, mission and destiny.

Alfred Edersheim, in his book, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, book II, page 175, points out that at one time, most rabbis agreed with this proposition.

In the Septuagint we see other hints as to the eternal existence of the Messiah. In the Septuagint version of Psalm 72, a Messianic Psalm, we find an interesting rendering of verse 5 and 7:

To ascribe this passage to the life of a mere mortal man is incredible. According to the translators of the Septuagint, the duration of the Messiah's existence is apparently "forever," which implies, by default, that he existed before the creation of the universe.[1]

In the Septuagint rendering of Psalms 110:1-3 we read:

Finally, the Septuagint rendering of Micah 5:2 we read of the eternal existence of the Messiah.

It is also notable that in the Babylonian Talmud in Sotah 9b, the Messiah is referred to as:

The eternal existence of the Messiah, although not universally held by the ancient rabbis, was clearly believed by the ancient Septuagint translators. Furthermore, they, along with some writers of the Talmud believed the Messiah is a supernatural being whose "goings forth were from the beginning, even from eternity," one who was "loftier than the ministering angels," one who was begotten "from the womb before the morning," one who would "continue as long as the sun, and before the moon forever." To propose and to argue that these prophecies could be fulfilled in the life, ministry and destiny of a mere mortal man is to abandon logic and common sense.

The Birth of the Messiah

The city of Bethlehem is perhaps the most famous village in the world. Among its notable residents were King David and Jesus of Nazareth. The belief that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem has its origin from the above passage. The identity of the "ruler in Israel" born in Bethlehem can be easily determined by an examination of the ancient rabbinical sources.

This passage is Messianically applied in the Targumim,[2] in Pirqe' de Rabbi Eliezer chapter 3, and by later rabbis.[3]

In the Targum of Jonathan (Targum of the Prophets) we find this fascinating quote regarding the birth of the Messiah:

Here we see that the Messiah would not only be born in Bethlehem but that his name would exist before the creation of the world.

Born of a Virgin?

The identity of the person in this passage has been a controversy for centuries. The one born of a virgin and named in this passage (Emmanuel, meaning with us is God) is according to Christian scholars, the Messiah. However, as we saw in chapter one, modern Jewish scholars deny the virgin birth of the Messiah and the Messianic application of this verse. Rabbinical references applying this verse to the Messiah are rare. However, the controversy regarding the identity of the person called, "God with us," begs the question, "If this is not the Messiah, then whom else?" To ascribe such a supernatural birth and title to a mere mortal is ridiculous. Since angels aren't conceived in the womb, they can't qualify. Therefore, the only logical candidate is the Messiah.

There is also a controversy as to the correct translation of the word "Almah," translated "virgin" by the translators of the Septuagint. When confronted with the word "almah," they translated it into the Greek word "parthenos" meaning an unmarried virgin. This word is derived from the words "parthenia," meaning virginity and the word "agamos," meaning unmarried.

After the advent of Christianity and the claim that Jesus of Nazareth was born of a virgin, the rabbis eventually began to interpret the word "almah," found in Isaiah 7:14, as a a "young woman."

Secondly, the passage says that "The Lord himself will give you a sign." Usually a sign from God is an impressive disruption in the natural flow of things, a supernatural event. Fire from heaven, resurrection from the dead, parting the Red Sea, miraculous healings are typical signs from God. But a "young woman" conceiving and bearing a son?

Although the production of a child from a fertilized egg the size of the head of a pin is impressive, perhaps even a miracle in its own right, such an event could hardly be described as a sign. This same event occurs millions of times every year. Clearly, the event spoken of here is a supernatural conception, a miraculous sign, and an unprecedented event in human history - "Behold, a virgin shall conceive!"

The name Emmanuel[5] means "God with us." Even the 20th century Jewish Publication Society Bible admits that Emmanuel means "with us is God!" Was this the Messiah?

Messiah Will Reign from David's Throne

In this incredibly beautiful passage we see more revealed about the origin, mission and identity of the Messiah than perhaps any other passage in the Bible.

The Messiah would be born as a child and rule on David's throne, yet he also would be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. In many of the writings of the ancient rabbis this passage is specifically applied to the Messiah.[7]

Most modern rabbis reject the Messianic application of this prophecy. In fact, the modern group Jews for Judaism applies this prophecy to Hezekiah, the king of Judah, in 8th century B.C.E. As we shall see, this opinion has not always been held by the rabbis.

In a book of eighteen beautiful Psalms, called the Psalter of Solomon, written by an unknown Jewish source in 50 B.C.E., Isaiah 9:6-7 is referred to when the writer states of the Messiah:

The word "Christ" is from the Greek "Christos" which is the translation for the Hebrew word "Mashiyach" - Anointed One - the Messiah!

In this beautiful Psalm we see again a supernatural Messianic figure who rules on David's throne, who (in the first century B.C.E.) is called Christ the Lord - an idiom for the Messiah!

Twentieth century Jewish scholar S.A. Horodetsky, writing in "MOZNAIM," a Hebrew periodical, ties the identity of the person who is called Immanuel in Isaiah 7:14 14 to the individuals spoken of in Isaiah 9:6 6 and Isaiah 11:1.[13],[14]

Horodetsky continues:

Speaking of the individual identified in these three prophecies, Horodetsky states:

It is startling to see a Hebrew periodical admit that the figure spoken of in these three are indeed the same person. The fact that these three passages were believed to be Messianic by the ancient rabbis in the Psalter of Solomon and other writings is conclusive.[16] The Messiah, the one whose name is "God with us," "Wonderful," "Counselor," "Mighty God," "Prince of Peace," and "Christ the Lord" will be born of a virgin, carry the government upon his shoulders and rule upon the throne of David forever.

He Would Be a King

This beautiful promise of the coming redemption of Judah was clearly believed to be Messianic by the ancient rabbis. This passage presents one of the highest views of the Messiah in the entire Hebrew Bible. Not only would he be a king from the lineage of David, he would also be a savior and his name would be "The Lord our Righteousness"! This passage is Messianically applied in the Targum, Talmud and Midrash.

The Targum of Jeremiah has an interpretation:

"I will raise up for David the Messiah the just."

This is one of the passages from which, according to the ancient rabbis, one of the names of Messiah is derived, "Jehovah our Righteousness."[17] That is, they believed that the Messiah was in some way a literal manifestation of Jehovah himself!

A King on a donkey:

Since the day Jesus of Nazareth rode into the east gate of Jerusalem on a donkey, Christians have pointed to this prophecy as Messianic and being fulfilled in Jesus. However, modern rabbis deny that the Messiah will be lowly and come to Israel on a donkey. Yet, Zechariah the prophet, prophesying in the days of the Second Temple, declared that a savior would come into the city of Jerusalem in just this way. When we examine the writings of the ancient rabbis, we find they believed it to be a prophecy regarding the Messiah.

In the Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 99a we read:

In this incredible quote from the Babylonian Talmud, we see Rabbi Joseph proclaiming that the Messiah could not have come during the days of Hezekiah, because Hezekiah lived during the days of the First Temple. He goes on to validate the Messianic application of this prophecy in declaring that the Messiah would be lowly and come to Jerusalem riding on a donkey!

In the Babylonian Talmud, there is a fascinating commentary on the "Son of Man" spoken of in Daniel 7:13.

"I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him." (Daniel 7:13)

This passage is curiously explained in the Talmud, Sanhedrin 98a:

The Talmud writer clearly ties the "Son of Man" in Daniel with the lowly king in Zechariah 9:9.

In another Talmudic passage, during a discourse about the Messiah's redemption the Talmud writer states:

The Mission of the Messiah

Woven among the passages we have just examined we find a number of facets of the mission of the Messiah. According to these passages, Messiah would be a savior who would execute judgment and righteousness in the earth while reigning upon the throne of David. A close examination of the Hebrew scriptures reveals that this only scratches the surface of the mission of the Messiah.

In the book of Isaiah we find that the Messiah is prophesied to have a tremendous ministry of spiritual and physical healing.

These verses represent some of the most beautiful verses regarding the mission of the Messiah in the entire Bible. Clearly, in the healing of the deaf, blind and the lame, these prophecies speak of a mission which is supernatural, a ministry which could hardly be accomplished through an ordinary man. Many ancient rabbinical sources indicate the belief that the performance of these miraculous signs is accomplished by none other than the Messiah.[19]

Jeremiah the prophet was a witness to the destruction of Israel in the 7th century B.C. Prophet after prophet was sent to the nation to warn them of the coming catastrophe, which was sanctioned by God because the people had broken the covenant with him. Many of the people, including their leaders, had fallen into idol worship, sexual immorality, and they had failed to rest the land as required in the law of Moses. Consequently, the nation of Israel was destroyed and the people taken captive for seventy years, exactly the number of years they owed God in the resting of the land. In the midst of this disaster, God speaks through Jeremiah and promises a new covenant to the nation of Israel, a covenant that the ancient rabbis believed would be brought by the Messiah.

In this heart-warming passage we see a vivid picture of a loving father bending in reconciliation to his disobedient children. Here Jeremiah proclaims a message of hope and restoration during the Messianic Kingdom. This new covenant was to be a covenant of the heart, as opposed to one on stone tablets. This new covenant was to be a covenant whereby man would relate to God in faith and not with the works of the law.

This verse was applied to the Messiah by ancient rabbis in many places.[21] This new covenant relationship was to be a major accomplishment of the Messiah.

Finally, the Bible speaks of a Messianic mission to the Gentiles:

To the ancient Jewish mind the Gentiles were viewed as filthy dogs, sub-human, unclean, made by God only to provide fuel for hell! So when Isaiah penned this prophecy, many must have thought he had lost his mind. However, as time progressed the rabbis eventually viewed the conversion of the Gentiles (called proselytes) as a rabbinical and Messianic mission. The Root of Jesse is recognized even today as an idiom for the Messiah.[22]

In our brief examination of the Hebrew scriptures and their ancient rabbinical interpretations, we have found many specific indicators and requirements that the rabbis were expecting to find fulfilled in the resumé of any man that might claim the title of Messiah. Yet, this is only a partial list of the hundreds of passages recognized as Messianic by the ancient rabbis.[23]

As we progress through this book we will see many more of these hallmarks of the Messianic resumé. However, even with the prophecies we have examined so far we are in a position to ask whether Jesus of Nazareth (or anyone else for that matter) has fulfilled the biblical Messianic composite that the ancient rabbis were expecting.

Notes

[1] Genesis 1:1.

[2] The Targumim, plural for the Targums, are ancient Aramaic translation with commentaries interwoven in the text; second century B.C.E.

[3] The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Edersheim, Appendix IX.

[4] The Messiah: An Aramaic Interpretation; The Messianic Exegesis of the Targum, Samson H. Levy (Cincinnati:Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion, 1974), pg.92.

[5] Also rendered as Immanuel by many scholars.

[6] This is translated in the footnotes of the Jewish Publication Society Bible as, "Wonderful in counsel is God the Mighty, the Everlasting Father, the ruler of Peace."However,this translation is not a correct one. The text has been manipulated to come up with this translation.

[7] Isaiah 9:6 is applied to the Messiah in the Targum of Isaiah, in the Midrash, Bemidbar Rabbah 11, the Midrash commentary on numbers and in the Babylonian Talmud Siphre', paragraph 42.

[8] Psalter of Solomon, chapter 17:5

[9] Ibid chapter 5:3

[10] Ibid chapter 5:36

[11] Ibid chapter 5:41

[12] Ibid chapter 5:25-35

[13] S.A. Horodetsky, in MOZNAIM ("Balances" and "Scales") V01 1, No. 10; Nov.-Dec., 1929.

[14] This discussion is adapted from The Messianic Hope, Arthur Kac, Baker Books, pg. 40-41.

[15] The translation of these three passages is taken from Ninteenth century German Semitic scholar, Dr. Franz Delitzsch, in his work entitled The Prophecies of Isaiah and referenced by Horodetsky.

[16] Isaiah 11:1 is applied to the Messiah in the Targum of Isaiah, and in the Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 93b and in the Yakult (vol. 1, pg.24).

[17] Talmud Babha Bathra 75b, Midrash on Psalm 21:1, Proverbs 19:21, Lamentations 1:16. All of these sources refer to Messiah being called "Jehovah our Righteousness."

[18] Babylonian Talmud, Bereshith 56b.

[19] See Midrash on Lamentations, chapter 3:49, Yakult i.78 and 178a, Misrash on Genesis chapter 95 and Midrash on Psalms 146:8. These verses are specifically applied to the Messiah in these documents.

[20] These verses are all applied to the Messiah in Yakult vol. 1 pg 76 and vol.2 pg. 54b and 66d.

[21] See Yakult vol. 1, pg.196c; 78c; vol. 2pg. 54b and 66d.

[22] Messianically applied to in Isaiah 11:10 is the Messiah.

[23] For a complete list see The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Edersheim, Alfred, Appendix IX.