The Date was 20160930 when some body asked: Does anyone want to take a crack at a solid definition of “Exactly: What Is The Messiah?”
Definition of messiah ( From Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online)
“
1capitalized
a : the expected king and deliverer of the Jews
b : jesus 1
2: a professed or accepted leader of some hope or cause
security, which the political messiahs promise
—Vardis Fisher “
The Messiah is only a term found only in the religions that came into being less than 1900 years ago. Which means that there is no reference in Tanakh or as referred to as Old Testament by later religions.
We need more information about this concept. An examination of original ideas about the “Anointed One”, so we turn to Jewish thought. A place for some basic understandings is Judaism 101, which has some basics.
At Judaism 101
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“Modern scholars suggest that the messianic concept was introduced later in the history of Judaism, during the age of the prophets. They note that the messianic concept is not explicitly mentioned anywhere in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible).”
“The term “mashiach” literally means “the anointed one,” and refers to the ancient practice of anointing kings with oil when they took the throne. The mashiach is the one who will be anointed as king in the End of Days.
The word “mashiach” does not mean “savior.” The notion of an innocent, divine or semi-divine being who will sacrifice himself to save us from the consequences of our own sins is a purely Christian concept that has no basis in Jewish thought. Unfortunately, this Christian concept has become so deeply ingrained in the English word “messiah” that this English word can no longer be used to refer to the Jewish concept. The word “mashiach” will be used throughout this page.”
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There are presented at that site, several references given to make their point.
[A Side remark: Let me say now, that there are statements made there which I do not agree with or find in the least bit true. Most are about “religion”, which I hold to be a creation of man, to control other people. While the ALMIGHTY GOD commands not religion but the following of HIS Teachings, Laws and Covenants (Contracts), which HE never declares a religion. You are either HIS or you are not; You either do what HE commanded or you do not.]
One of these references is “Jeremiah 33:15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause a shoot of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.” This I present from the Tanakh 1917 JPS Version. The Hebrew is:
בימים ההם ובעת ההיא אצמיח לדוד צמח
צדקה ועשה משפט וצדקה בארץ
Hebrew words read are from left to right, so a word for word meaning.
בימים Days (on or in)
ההם those
ובעת and then
ההיא that
אצמיח to grow or sprout or produce
לדוד to David
צמח plant, to grow, to develop
צדקה justice or righteousness
ועשה to do; to create; to produce
משפט justice, or judgment
וצדקה and justice or righteousness
בארץ On or in : country, land; earth, ground, geo-; territory
So this can be read:
In those days and at the time to develop to David, grow(develop) righteousness, to do judgment and justice on earth. Is this then what you should expect from King David?
The next question from you should be: What makes your version better than these others?
To me, this comes closer to Ezekiel, who while in Babylon is a Prophet at the same time as Jeremiah is in Jerusalem. [Reading them for cross references, I find it astonishing how close they are related in the Words Of The LORD. A example, The Lord via Jeremiah, tells the later leaders in Jerusalem not to go to Eygpt to run away from the terrors; While The LORD tells Ezekiel that Nebuchadnezzar has not been paid back yet, so the LORD will give him Eygpt as a prize, at the same time.]
Ezekiel 37:24 And My servant David shall be king over them, and they all shall have one shepherd; they shall also walk in Mine ordinances, and observe My statutes, and do them.
ואבדי דוד מלך עליהם ורועה אחד יהיה
לכלם ובמשפטי ילכו וחקותי ישמרו ועשו
אותם
אותם Them
דוד David
מלך King
עליהם prep. on, upon, above, over, about, on top, atop, of, onto, at
ורועה And shepherds
אחד One
יהיה will be
לכלם for all
ובמשפטי And in/on legal; adj. judicial, statutory, legal, judiciary, forensic, judicatory,
jural, juridical, juristic, justiciary
ילכו to walk, go
וחקותי And my legislation
ישמרו to keep, guard, retain, protect
ועשו to do, make, act, work; cause, bring about
אותם them (masc.)
So this one could be read:
David King above them, one shepherd will be for all and in my laws to walk and my legislations to keep and do them.
That was nice to look up and try to understand. Let us see the context of this verse. The whole chapter and even until the end of Ezekiel, we are shown what, who, why, how and only by implication when. These are the requirements for a news report or story, at least up to forty years ago these were demanded to be included in the story, for it to make sense.
In this section we have seen the Valley of Dry Bones, which the LORD declares is:
Ezekiel 37:11 Then He said unto me: ‘Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say: Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.
12 Therefore prophesy, and say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.
Then Ishrael/Israel?(Northern Kingdom) and Judah (Southern Kingdom) will become again One People.
Ezekiel 37:21 And say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, whither they are gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land;
22 and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all;
23 neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling-places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them; so shall they be My people, and I will be their God.
24 And My servant David shall be king over them, and they all shall have one shepherd; they shall also walk in Mine ordinances, and observe My statutes, and do them.
25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob My servant, wherein your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children’s children, for ever; and David My servant shall be their prince for ever.
Now, in going through this process I have attempted to demonstrate that must of our misunderstanding are created by religion, not by the WORD OF GOD.
The Anointed One appears after the Heavens and the Earth are destroyed. Yes that will happen, and there is a lot more Prophecy and text describing that event, than the text for the mashiach.
As the Prophet Ezekiel, in the valley of bones, it is demonstrated that the bones arise before King David returns to HIS Throne. Ezekiel’s temple, which he describes later, cannot be of This Earth. The Word Of The Creator of the Heavens and the Earth does not change and always happens as stated. So A statement like “Ezekiel 43:7 And He said unto me: ‘Son of man, this is the place of My throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever; and the house of Israel shall no more defile My holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their harlotry, and by the carcasses of their kings in their high places;” This cannot be on this earth as we are told: “Isaiah 34:4 And all the host of heaven shall moulder away, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll; and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig-tree.” Or “Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” OR “Isaiah 66: 22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.”
So with that evidence and much more if you are inclined, I will show you; the Anointed One and That Temple, the lack of war, . . . . NONE OF THESE CAN BE ON THIS WORLD! The ALMIGHTY’S Presence among us, HIS Temple and David’s Kingship are for ever! That is the promise.
Let us look at some statements leaders make, attempting to find hints about the Anointed One.
“Isaiah 7: 14 Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: behold, the young woman shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
That is used by many as a sign of the messiah. This is Isaiah Chapter 7, where if you were to read the entire piece you would understand that this (verse 14) has a very different meaning and purpose. Taken out of context, it becomes a lie. A lie used to attempt validity of a greater lie.
The Messiah, what else do we know from the Tanakh?
2 Samuel 7: 16 And thy house and thy kingdom shall be made sure for ever before thee; thy throne shall be established for ever.’ To King David the LORD declared this. Read the Chapter.
Ezekiel 37:
21 And say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, whither they are gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land;
22 and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all;
23 neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling-places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them; so shall they be My people, and I will be their God.
24 And My servant David shall be king over them, and they all shall have one shepherd; they shall also walk in Mine ordinances, and observe My statutes, and do them.
25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob My servant, wherein your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children’s children, for ever; and David My servant shall be their prince for ever.
26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them–it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will establish them, and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in the midst of them for ever.
27 My dwelling-place also shall be over them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
28 And the nations shall know that I am the LORD that sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for ever.’
What is next, keeps the statement, “Isaiah 45:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done; saying: ‘My counsel shall stand, and all My pleasure will I do’” So too is the Text from Jeremiah 23, starting with the End and why, then coming to the Now(before the Judah is take from Jerusalem.).
Jeremiah 23:
WHY
1 Woe unto the shepherds that destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture! saith the LORD.
2 Therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, against the shepherds that feed My people: Ye have scattered My flock, and driven them away, and have not taken care of them; behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.
3 And I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and multiply.
The END
4 And I will set up shepherds over them, who shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking, saith the LORD.
5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous shoot(growth), and he shall reign as king and prosper, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The LORD is our righteousness.
7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say: ‘As the LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt’;
8 but: ‘As the LORD liveth, that brought up and that led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all the countries whither I had driven them’; and they shall dwell in their own land.
NOW
9 Concerning the prophets. My heart within me is broken, all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome; because of the LORD, and because of His holy words.
10 For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth, the pastures of the wilderness are dried up; and their course is evil, and their force is not right.
11 For both prophet and priest are ungodly; yea, in My house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD.
12 Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery places in the darkness, they shall be thrust, and fall therein; for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.
The Mashiach is not yet and not of this Earth. The Messiah never was and never will be, as some have faith it will be.
I personally have no faith. Faith being the doing something without evidence and without understanding, without question, this is not what the MASTER OR THE UNIVERSE, Creator of the Heavens and The Earth, The ALMIGHTY GOD demands. HE gives examples, HE gives reason, HE gives evidence, all of these lead to Trust and Belief, but not faith. So here it is, I BELIEVE the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY is and was and always will be; That there is Only ONE; That HE is Righteous, Just, Compassionate to those that Love HIM and Keep HIS LAWS, TEACHINGS and COVENANTS. I trust that HE will Continue to watch over ME and ALL OF HIS PEOPLE because HE SAID SO.
Last thought: The ONE who said “Let There Be Light” and it was so, could at anytime, with none the wiser or being able to speak against say “Lights Out” and the Universe will cease to be. There must be some reason HE keeps the lights on and continues to give us a chance to live, to choose and to find our Father.
Are you looking?
My prayer is that The LORD grant you eyes that see, ears that hear and an understanding heart, then you return unto HIM soon!(Isaiah 6: 9 And He said: ‘Go, and tell this people: hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they, seeing with their eyes, and hearing with their ears, and understanding with their heart, return, and be healed.’)
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Yaakov