What does “Messiah” mean?
The term “Messiah” – Moshiach in Hebrew literally means “anointed one.”
his is a term used for all kings, prophets, and priests in the Tanach. This term can refer to these people but most often when the term Messiah or Moshiach is used in the modern day, it is referencing the Messiah of the Messianic Age. This is how I will be using the term in this video response.
Who is the Messiah?
“The Messianic Redemption will be ushered in by a person, a human leader, a descendant of Kings David and Solomon, who will reinstate the Davidic royal dynasty. According to tradition, Moshiach will be wiser than Solomon, and a prophet around the level of Moses.” [Chabad]
The very idea of a Messiah originated with Judaism. Therefore, if it were not for Judaism, Christianity would have no concept of a Messiah figure. Since this is a Jewish concept, it is only the Jews who get to decide who the Messiah will be and what will be accomplished during the Messianic Age.
The Messiah will be fully human, be Torah-observant, and will usher in the Messianic Age. “Moshiach is not identified by his ability to perform earth-shattering miracles. In fact, he isn’t required to perform any miracles at all (although the performance of miracles doesn’t disqualify him either).” [Chabad]
Christianity attempts to “prove” that Jesus is a descendant of David and is eligible to be the Messiah. This is patently false.
Jesus could not have been the Messiah. The Prophets predicted a world of peace and love after the Messiah’s coming, and this certainly does not exist today. Furthermore, any talk of the Messiah as being the “son of God” is totally unacceptable. In no place do the Prophets say that he will be anything more than a remarkable leader and teacher.
Christian “Proof”: We believe that this will occur during the Millennal Kingdom after Christ’s Second Coming. And also Him not being the Son of God is simply based upon your understanding of the prophecies, but who’s to say you’re right? The whole point in the New Testament is that it is supposed to “lift the veil” that is upon the Old Testament so that it can be more properly understood. Christian understanding is that Psalm 2:7 is prophetic of Christ
RESPONSE: First of all there is no “second coming.” This is a made-up myth of Christianity. The true Messiah will come ONCE and fulfill all of the prophecies. The idea of a “second coming” is used as an excuse by Christianity to excuse the FACT that Jesus didn’t fulfill a single messianic prophecy.
Who am I (or Jews in general) to say we are right? Well, as I explained, the very idea of a Messiah is a JEWISH concept. It is based upon JEWISH scripture and therefore we Jews get to decide who is or isn’t the JEWISH Messiah.
If Christianity wants to have its own man-god messiah that wouldn’t be a problem in the grand scheme of things. However, stealing, twisting, and making up “proofs” based on the JEWISH scriptures does mean it is a problem.
I will tell of the decree; The Lord said to me, “You are My son; this day have I begotten you. (Psalm 2:7)
This passage is NOT about Jesus. You have ripped this right out of context in an attempt to prove the man-god of Christianity is the messiah. This is nothing but deception.
Who is speaking here? It is David! God is calling David his son – not some man-god hundreds of years later!
Christian “Proof”: Jesus is a descendant of David.
RESPONSE: The Messiah must be descended from David through Judah.
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the student of the law from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him will be a gathering of peoples. (Genesis 49:10)
The Messiah must also be descended through Solomon.
Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when I will set up of David a righteous shoot, and he shall reign a king and prosper, and he shall perform judgment and righteousness in the land. (Jeremiah 23:5)
Ho! For that day is great, with none like it, and it is a time of distress for Jacob, through which he shall be saved. And it shall be on that day, says the Lord of Hosts, [that] I will break his yoke off your neck, and I will break your thongs, and strangers shall no longer enslave them. And they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will set up for them. And you, fear not, My servant Jacob, says the Lord, and do not be dismayed, O Israel, for behold I save you from afar and your seed from the land of their captivity, and Jacob shall again be silent and at ease, and no one will frighten them. (Jeremiah 30:7-10)
Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, and I will establish the good thing that I spoke concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and in that time I will cause to grow for David a plant of righteousness, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days, Judah shall be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell securely and this is the name that He shall call it, the Lord is our righteousness. (Jeremiah 33:14-16)
And I shall put up over them one shepherd and he will shepherd them, namely My servant David; he will shepherd them, and he will be for them as a shepherd. And I, the Lord, shall be to them for a God, and My servant David [will be] a prince in their midst; I, the Lord, have spoken. (Ezekiel 34:23-24)
And a shoot shall spring forth from the stem of Jesse, and a twig shall sprout from his roots. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and heroism, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord. And he shall be animated by the fear of the Lord, and neither with the sight of his eyes shall he judge, nor with the hearing of his ears shall he chastise. And he shall judge the poor justly, and he shall chastise with equity the humble of the earth, and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips he shall put the wicked to death. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faith the girdle of his loins. And a wolf shall live with a lamb, and a leopard shall lie with a kid; and a calf and a lion cub and a fatling [shall lie] together, and a small child shall lead them. And a cow and a bear shall graze together, their children shall lie; and a lion, like cattle, shall eat straw. And an infant shall play over the hole of an old snake and over the eyeball of an adder, a weaned child shall stretch forth his hand. They shall neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mount, for the land shall be full of knowledge of the Lord as water covers the sea bed. (Isaiah 11:1-9)
For the children of Israel shall remain for many days, having neither king, nor prince, nor sacrifice, nor pillar, nor ephod nor teraphim. Afterwards shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God and David their king, and they shall come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness at the end of days. (Hosea 3:4-5)
Behold a son will be born to you; he will be a man of peace, and I shall give him peace from all his enemies around about, for Solomon will be his name, and I shall give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. He shall build a House in My Name, and he shall be to Me as a son, and I to him as a Father, and I shall prepare the throne of his kingdom forever.’ (I Chronicles 22:9-10)
How exactly did Jesus fulfill this prophecy? Was he an eligible descendant to sit on the throne of David? No, he was not.
In the genealogy of Matthew, Jesus is supposedly a descendant of Jeconiah.
Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon. (Matthew 1:11 – NKJV)
This fact alone makes him ineligible to sit on the royal throne.
Is this man, Coniah, a despised, shattered image, or a vessel in which there is no use? Why were he and his seed cast away, thrown to a land they know not? O land, land, land, hearken to the word of the Lord. So said the Lord: Inscribe this man childless, a man who will not prosper in his days, for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting on the throne of David or ruling anymore in Judah. (Jeremiah 22:28-30)
In the genealogy of Luke, Jesus is a descendant of Nathan – not Solomon.
… the son of Nathan, the son of David… (Luke 3:31 – NKJV)
No wonder Paul told everyone to ignore genealogies!
… nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. (I Timothy 1:4 – NKJV)
Was Jesus a descendant of David and Solomon? No, he was not!
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18 – NKJV)
From this passage we see that it was a part of the Christian triune god that impregnated Mary. Therefore, Jesus has no biological father which means he is NOT a descendant of David.
To be a descendant of David and Solomon, Jesus would have to have had a biological, earthly father who was a member of the tribe of Judah and eligible to sit on the throne. Jesus had neither of these qualifications.
And no, the “adoption” by Joseph theory does NOT count. An adoption does NOT make a person a member of a specific tribe. The person must be a biological child of a man in order to be considered a member of the biological father’s tribe.
When your days are finished and you shall lie with your forefathers, then I will raise up your seed that shall proceed from your body after you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to Me a son; so that when he goes astray I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the sons of Adam. But My mercy shall not depart from him as I withdrew it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be confirmed forever before you; your throne shall be established forever.” (II Samuel 7:12-16)
Adoption is most certainly allowed with Judaism. However, the only inheritance rights of the adopted child are those of tangible assets like property. Blood-rights, like tribal affiliation or priestly status, are only transmitted from biological father to biological son.
We can plainly see this in Second Kings with Athaliah.
And Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, and she rose and destroyed all those of royal descent. (II Kings 11:1)
Athaliah’s sons were killed by Jehu so Athaliah destroyed all of the eligible royal descendants. Why would this be done if adoption was possible and the heir to David’s throne could just be appointed through adoption?
Conclusion: Jesus was NOT a descendant of David and is therefore NOT the Messiah.