Israel's Messianic King - The Expectation of the Messiah ; Jesus Son Of Mary And John: Part 03 Page 01

"I believe with complete faith in the coming of the Messiah; and though he may tarry I shall wait for him every day."

A Testimony by those of the Jewish Faith

Extract from Mankind's Search for God - pages 208-210

Moses and the Law:

Moses, the Law, and a Nation: "To carry out His promises to Abraham, God laid the foundation for a nation by establishing a special covenant with Abraham's descendants. This covenant was instituted through Moses, the great Hebrew leader and mediator between God and Israel. Who was Moses, and why is he so important to Jews? The Bible's Exodus account tells us that he was born in Egypt (1593 B.C.E.) to Israelite parents who were slaves in captivity along with the rest of Israel. He was the one 'whom the Lord singled out' to lead His people to freedom in Canaan, the Promised Land (Det.6:23; 34:10). Moses fulfilled the vital role of mediator of the Law covenant given by God to Israel, in addition to being their prophet, leader, and historian. (Ex. 2:1-3:22). The Law that Israel accepted consisted of the Ten Commandments, and over 600 laws that amounted to a comprehensive catalog of directions and guidance for daily conduct. This Law covenant or religious constitution, gave form and substance to the faith of the patriarchs. As a result, the descendants of Abraham became a nation dedicated to the service of God.

Priests, Prophets and Kings

A Nation with Priests, Prophets, and Kings: While the nation of Israel was still in the desert and heading for the Promised Land, a priesthood was established in the line of Moses' brother, Aaron. A large portable tent, or tabernacle, became the center of Israelite worship and sacrifice. (Ex. 26 -28) In time the nation of Israel arrived at the Promised Land, Canaan, and conquered it, even as God had commanded (Jos. 1:2-6) Eventually an earthly Kingship was established, and in 1077 B.C.E. David, from the tribe of Judah, became King. With his rule, both the Kingship and Priesthood were firmly established at a new national center, Jerusalem.(1 Samuel 8:7) After David's death, his son Solomon built a magnificent temple in Jerusalem, which replaced the tabernacle.

Because God had made a covenant with David for the Kingship to remain in his line forever, it was understood that an anointed King, the Messiah, would one day come from David's line of descent. Prophecy indicated that through the Messianic King, or 'seed', Israel and all the nations would enjoy perfect rulership. (Gen. 22: 18) This hope took root, and the Messianic nature of the Jewish religion became clearly crytallized.

Judaism Under Occupation:

Judaism under Roman Rule: The Judaism of the first century of the Common Era was at a unique stage. Max Dimont states that it was poised between "the mind of Greece and the sword of Rome." Jewish expectations were high because of political oppression and interpretations of Messisaic prophecies, especially those of Daniel. The Jews were divided into factions. The Pharisees emphasized an oral law rather than temple sacrifice. The Sadducees stressed the importance of the temple and the priesthood. Then there was the Essenes, the Zealots and the Herodians. All were at odds religiously and philosophically. Jewish leaders were called rabbis (masters, teachers) who, because of their knowledge of the Law, grew in prestige and became a new type of spiritual leader. Internal and external divisions, however, continued in Judaism, especially in the land of Israel. Finally, outright rebellion broke out against Rome, and in 70 C.E., Roman troops besieged Jerusalem, laid waste the city, burned its temple to the ground, and scattered its inhabitants. Eventually, Jerusalem was decreed totally off-limits to Jews.

Without a temple, without a land, with its people dispersed throughout the Roman Empire, Judaism was in need of a new religious expression if it was to survive.

Judaism - Middle Ages

Judaism through the Middle Ages: In the 12th century, there began a wave of expulsions of Jews from various countries. As Israeli author Abba Eban explains in 'My People - The Story of the Jews:' "In any country ... which fell under the unilateral influence of the Catholic Church, the story is the same: appalling degradation, torture, slaughter, and expulsion." Finally, in 1492, Spain, which had once again come under Catholic rule, followed suit and ordered the expulsion of all Jews from its territory. So by the end of the 15th century, Jews had been expelled from nearly all Western Europe, fleeing to Eastern Europe and countries around the Mediterranean.

Enlightenment to Zionism

From "Enlightenment" to Zionism: According to Moses Mendelssohn (1729 -86) Jews would be accepted if they would come out from under the restrains of the Talmud and conform to Western culture. In his day, he became one of the Jews most respected by the Gentile world. However, renewed out-bursts of violent anti-Semitism in the 19th century, especially in "Christian" Russia, disillusioned the movement's followers, and many then focused on finding a political refuge for the Jews. They rejected the idea of a personal Messiah who would lead the Jews back to Israel and began to work on establishing a Jewish State by other means. This then became the concept of Zionism: "the secularization of ... Jewish messianism," as an authority puts it. The murder of some six million European Jews in the Nazi-inspired Holocaust (1935 - 45) gave Zionism its final impetus and gained much sympathy for it worldwide. The Zionist dream came true in 1948 with the establishment of the State of Israel, which brings us to Judaism in our day and to the question, What do modern Jews believe?

The Oneness of God -Shema

God ('Elohiym, Yahweh) is One: Simply put, Judaism is the religion of a people. Therefore, a convert becomes part of the Jewish people as well as the Jewish religion. It is a monotheistic religion in the strictest sense and holds that God intervenes in human history. Although there are no creeds or dogmas accepted by all Jews, the confession of the Oneness of God as expressed in the Shema, a prayer based on Deut.6:4, forms a central part of synagogue worship: "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One." (Shma`, Yisraa'eel! Yahweh 'Eloheeynuw Yahweh 'echaad!).

Awaiting the Messiah

Do Jews still await the Messiah? There are many prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures from which the Jews over 2,000 years ago derived the Messianic hope. As the Encyclopedia Judaica explains, by the first century, Messianic expectations were high. The Messiah was expected to be "a charismatically endowed descendant of David who the Jews of the Roman period believed would be raised up by God to break the yoke of the heathen and to reign over a restored kingdom of Israel". However, the militant Messiah the Jews were expecting was not forthcoming. Yet, as The New Encyclopedia Britannica notes, the Messianic hope was vital in holding the Jewish people together throughout their many ordeals: "Judaism undoubtedly owes its survival, to a considerable extent, to its steadfast faith in the messianic promise and future." But with the rise of modern Judaism, many Jews ended their passive waiting for the Messiah. Finally, with the Nazi-inspired Holocaust, many lost their patience and hope. They began to view the Messianic message as a liability and so reinterpreted it merely as a new age of prosperity and peace. This change to a non-Messianic religion raises serious questions. Was Judaism wrong for thousands of years in believing the Messiah was to be an individual? Which form of Judaism will aid one in the search for God? Is it ancient Judaism or modern? Or is there another path that faithfully and accurately preserves the Messianic hope? With these questions in mind, we suggest that sincere Jews re-examine the subject of the Messiah by investigating the claims regarding Jesus of Nazareth, not as Christendom has represented him, but as the Jewish writers of the Greek Scriptures present him. There is a big difference