Defining Messiah
First, let’s establish what a “Messiah” is according to the Tanach. Messiah – Moshiach in Hebrew – means “anointed one” and is a term used to refer to anointing certain people in the Tanach – such as the kings and priests. If the anointed kohen sins, bringing guilt to the people, then he shall bring for his sin which he has committed, an unblemished young bull as a sin offering to the Lord. (Leviticus 4:3)
The word Messiah can also refer to holy objects that are consecrated.
You shall take the anointing oil and anoint the Mishkan and everything within it, and you shall sanctify it and all its furnishings; thus it will become a holy thing. (Exodus 40:9)
The root word is “mashach” which means to smear, anoint, or consecrate
And Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And a spirit of the Lord passed over David from that day forth, and Samuel arose and went to Ramah. (I Samuel 16:13)
When most people refer to the “Messiah” they are referring to the End Time Messiah. The Talmud (in Sanhedrin 98a-99a) has a long discussion about the Messiah and the Messianic Age. One of the first things discussed by the sages was the fact that until Israel repents, the Messiah will not arrive.
Rabbi Eliezer said to him: But isn’t it already stated: “If you will return, Israel, says the Lord, return to Me” (Jeremiah 4:1), indicating that redemption is contingent upon repentance? (Sanhedrin 98a)
However, there is also a belief that the time of redemption is set and not dependent upon repentance.
Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: But isn’t it already stated: “And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he lifted up his right hand and his left hand to heaven and swore by the One Who lives forever that it shall be for a period, periods, and a half; when the crushing of the power of the holy people shall have been completed, all these things shall be finished” (Daniel 12:7), indicating that the time for redemption is set and unrelated to repentance? (Sanhedrin 98a)
Maimonides write in his Mishneh Torah:
In the future, the Messianic king will arise and renew the Davidic dynasty, restoring it to its initial sovereignty. He will build the Temple and gather the dispersed of Israel.
Then, in his days, the observance of all the statutes will return to their previous state. We will offer sacrifices, observe the Sabbatical and Jubilee years according to all their particulars as described by the Torah.
Anyone who does not believe in him or does not await his coming, denies not only the statements of the other prophets, but those of the Torah and Moses, our teacher. The Torah testified to his coming, as Deuteronomy 30:3-5 states:
God will bring back your captivity and have mercy upon you. He will again gather you from among the nations… Even if your Diaspora is at the ends of the heavens, God will gather you up from there… and bring you to the land….
These explicit words of the Torah include all the statements made by all the prophets. (MT Kings and Wars 11:1)
Two Messiahs
I just want to briefly touch upon the idea within Judaism about two End Time Messiah figures – Messiah ben David and Messiah ben Joseph – before Christians start harping about this issue in the comments. This is not a firm belief in Judaism and not all Jews accept that there will be such a person as Messiah ben-Joseph.
Apropos the eulogy at the end of days, the Gemara asks: For what is the nature of this eulogy? The Gemara answers: Rabbi Dosa and the Rabbis disagree concerning this matter. One said that this eulogy is for Messiah ben Yosef who was killed in the war of Gog from the land of Magog prior to the ultimate redemption with the coming of Messiah ben David. And one said that this eulogy is for the evil inclination that was killed. (Sukkah 52a)
The reasoning is that this is the mourning referred to in Zechariah 12:10. This national mourning will lead to the entire nation of Israel to repentance and this will lead to the revelation of Messiah ben-David – that is, the end-time Messiah who will be an earthly king.
Once the Messiah ben David saw Messiah ben Yosef, who was killed, he says to the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, I ask of you only life; that I will not suffer the same fate. The Holy One, Blessed be He, says to him: Life? Even before you stated this request, your father, David, already prophesied about you with regard to this matter precisely, as it is stated: “He asked life of You, You gave it to him; even length of days for ever and ever” (Psalms 21:5). (Sukkah 52a)
Rambam doesn’t even list the concept of Mesiah ben-Joseph in his Mishneh Torah. Meaning, while he may have believed that there might be such a person at the end times, it is not a requirement.
Ultimately, Messiah ben Joseph (if he will indeed exist) will act as a precursor to Messiah ben-David. Messiah ben Jospeh will NOT be a descendant of David and will NOT act as king. He will be a political and military leader.
Messiah as a Man
In no place do the Prophets say that the Messiah will be anything more than a remarkable leader and teacher. Many within Christianity will bring up Isaiah 7:14 to show this is false. However, Christianity is mistranslating and twisting what the Tanach actually says.
Therefore, the Lord, of His own, shall give you a sign; behold, the young woman is with child, and she shall bear a son, and she shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
First, Christianity ignores the fact the child was ALREADY BORN. Immanuel (which means God is with us) is simply a name. It does not infer that the holder of that name is God Himself. Jesus was NEVER called Immanuel. The text in Isaiah states that SHE (the mother) shall call him Immanuel. Yet in Matthew, the text is changed to read “they”.
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)
Not to mention, the author of Matthew completely mistranslates the beginning of this verse to make it fit Jesus.
Second, Christianity will try and point to Isaiah 9:5 as “proof” that Jesus was the messiah and part of a godhead.
For a child has been born to us, a son given to us, and the authority is upon his shoulder, and the wondrous adviser, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, called his name, “the prince of peace.” (Isaiah 9:5)
The titles belong to both God and Hezekiah. The titles “the wondrous adviser, the mighty God, the everlasting Father” are all related to God. The title “the prince of peace” is the only one that refers to the child himself. Wondrous refers to the wonder of the sun going backwards on God’s command when Hezekiah was miraculously cured from his illness (Isaiah 38:8). Adviser refers to the time when Hezekiah and his staff came up with a plan when Sennacherib sieged Jerusalem (II Chronicles 32:3). Mighty God – which can also be translated as Mighty Hero – refers to the destruction of Sennacherib’s army (II Chronicles 32:21). Everlasting Father alludes to the fact that due to Hezekiah’s righteousness, the Davidic dynasty was prolonged and has been preserved for the eternal future (II Chronicles 32:23). Prince of Peace refers to the prolonged peace that occurred during the reign of Hezekiah (II Chronicles 30:25-26).
It is obvious that Jesus is not a “prince of peace”.
Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. (Matthew 10:34)
Descent Through David
The Messiah must be descended from David through Judah and through Solomon.
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)
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)
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)
[34] 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)
Related Passages:
Jeremiah 30:7-10
Ezekiel 34:23-24
Isaiah 11:1-9
Jesus doesn’t qualify because he had no tribe and no biological connection to David through a biological father. The Messiah must come from the tribe of Judah and be a biological descendant of David through Solomon.
Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by families following their fathers’ houses; a head count of every male according to the number of their names. (Numbers 1:2)
The children of Israel shall encamp each man by his division with the flag staffs of their fathers’ house; some distance from the Tent of Meeting they shall encamp. (Numbers 2:2)
Even if Jesus had a biological father who was a descendant of David, the two genealogies provided in Matthew and Luke prove that Jesus would not have been qualified to be the Messiah. In Matthew, Jesus is a descendant of Jeconiah
Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon. (Matthew 1:11)
The problem is, Jeconiah and his descendants are ineligible to sit of the throne of David
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)
Christianity will try and say that the curse was lifted because Jeconiah had children. This is a twisting of the actual text. Jeconiah did have children but none of those children were able to gain the throne of David. The text implies that Jeconiah was treated AS IF he was childless
Christianity also uses the fact that Jeconiah was “restored” to the throne in II Kings 25:27-28. Unfortunately for Christians who use the trick, it is not true that Jeconiah was again king over Israel as appointed by God. He was a puppet king who only reigned for three months before surrendering to Babylon.
Third, Christians like to point out that Jeconiah’s grandson Zerubabbel ruled over Judah as seen in Haggai 1:1 Yes, Zerubabbel did reign – but NOT as king – he was only a governor.
In Luke’s genealogy, Jesus is descended from David through Nathan and not Solomon – thus disqualifying him.
the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David (Luke 3:31)
[46] Some Christians will claim that Jesus was “adopted” by Joseph and therefore became a descendant of David. 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. (II Samuel 7:12-13)
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?
Some within Christianity will argue that Jesus could be from the tribe of Judah through his mother. This is patently false. The messiah must be a descendant of David. Who was David’s son who became king? That would be Solomon. Therefore, the future messiah must be a descendant of David through Solomon. So, some Christians want to call the FACT that the tribe must come from the biological father a lie? Do they really want to deny God’s word in His Tanach?
There is also an argument about the “seed” of Eve being a prophecy about Jesus – referring to a virgin birth.
And I shall place hatred between you and between the woman, and between your seed and between her seed. He will crush your head, and you will bite his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)
The word used for “seed” is zera – זַרְעָהּ. The root word (זֶרַע) is used throughout the Tanakh and has various meanings.
There are different uses and meanings of the word “seed” depending upon its usage within the passage.
[54] When this term is used in the case of generic offspring, it is implicitly plural but if it is referring to a specific offspring, the term is singular. When the term is used regarding offspring it always implies progeny – that is, biological descendants. In Genesis 3:15, “her seed” is a generic reference to mankind since it is speaking of Eve’s descendants. It is understood as a plurality since there is no explicit reference to an individual and as a consequence the term “they” should be used instead of “he” in the English translations at the end of the verse.
This use of the term “seed” when referring to a woman is not exclusive to this passage in Genesis.
And the angel of the Lord said to her, “I will greatly multiply your seed, and it will not be counted for abundance.” (Genesis 16:10)
And they blessed Rebecca and said to her, “Our sister, may you become thousands of myriads, and may your seed inherit the cities of their enemies.” (Genesis 24:60)
But if the kohen’s daughter becomes widowed or divorced, and she has no offspring she may return to her father’s household as in her youth [and] eat of her father’s food, but no non kohen may eat of it. (Leviticus 22:13)
And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and he would say, “May the Lord grant you seed from this woman,” because of the request which he had requested of the Lord, and they would go to his place. (I Samuel 2:20)
The “seed” referred to in Genesis 3 refers to all of Eve’s descendants and not to Jesus. There is no messianic prophecy about a “virgin birth”. The virgin birth is an idolatrous, Greco-Roman myth that has no basis in Tanach.
Christianity likes to use Isaiah 7:14 as “proof” to Jesus’ virgin birth
Therefore, the Lord, of His own, shall give you a sign; behold, the young woman is with child, and she shall bear a son, and she shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
The problem for Christianity is that the word “virgin” NEVER appears in this passage. This is yet again, a purposeful mistranslation of the Tanach by Christianity.
Translations are pitfalls for everyone so let’s look at the actual Hebrew
[62] First, what is a sign? A sign is something that must be able to be seen or otherwise able to be sensed with our human senses (like a stop sign).
Therefore, the sign in this passage cannot possibly be the ‘virginity’ of the woman because virginity cannot be seen (outside of a medical context which is not even full proof).
Also, what is the actual sign that is referenced in this chapter of Isaiah? The actual sign is in the very next two verses!
Cream and honey he [Immanuel] shall eat when he knows to reject bad and choose good. For, when the lad does not yet know to reject bad and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread, shall be abandoned. (Isaiah 7:15-16)
Second, the word ‘alma’ is used to refer to the woman. Alma means young woman. The Hebrew word ‘betulah’ would be used if a ‘virgin’ was meant in this passage.
Behold, I am standing by the water fountain. When a maiden [ha-almah] comes out to draw [water], I will say to her, ‘Please, give me a little water to drink from your pitcher.’ (Genesis 24:43)
Genesis 24:43 (NKJV): behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,”
Genesis 24:43 (NIV): See, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,”
Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go!” So the girl [ha-almah] went and called the child’s mother. (Exodus 2:8)
Exodus 2:8 (NIV): “Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother.
The way of the eagle in the heavens, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the heart of the sea, and the way of a man with a young woman [ha-almah]. (Proverbs 30:19)
Proverbs 30:19 (NIV): … the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a young woman.
Singers went first, minstrels afterwards, in the midst of maidens [ha-almot – pl.] playing timbrels. (Psalms 68:26)
Psalms 68:25 (NIV): In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the young women playing the timbrels.
Because of the fragrance of your goodly oils, your name is ‘oil poured forth.’ Therefore, the maidens [ha-almot – pl.] loved you. (Song of Songs 1:3)
Song of Songs 1:3 (NIV): Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the young women love you!
There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and innumerable maidens {ha-almot – pl.]. (Song of Songs 6:8)
Song of Songs 6:8 (NIV): Sixty queens there may be, and eighty concubines, and virgins beyond number;
In addition, notice that in Isaiah there is a definitive article “THE” which means that a SPECIFIC woman (there at the time of the prophecy) was being referenced.
Third, the Hebrew word ‘harah’ is translated as ‘conceived’ or ‘shall bear a child’ in this passage. Even in the translations that use the future tense, it is understood that it will occur imminently – not hundreds of years in the future. This gets into Hebrew grammatical territory so I’ll try to be concise and as non-technical as I am able to.
The term ‘harah’ is used 12 times in the Tanach. When this Hebrew word is used in reference to a female, the Hebrew ‘harah’ is an adjective that describes the noun of the sentence. The relevant verb is the PRESENT tense of the word ‘li’h’yot’ – to be.
And should men quarrel and hit a pregnant woman [harah], and she miscarries but there is no fatality, he shall surely be punished, when the woman’s husband makes demands of him, and he shall give [restitution] according to the judges’ [orders]. (Exodus 21:22)
Exodus 21:22 (NIV): “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows.
Judges 13:5,7 (Chabad): Because you shall conceive [harah], and bear a son; and a razor shall not come upon his head, for a Nazirite to God shall the lad be from the womb; and he will begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” … And he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive [harah] and bear a son; and now do not drink wine and strong drink, and do not eat any unclean (thing), for a Nazirite to God shall the lad be, from the womb until the day of his death.’ “
[Note, this was about an imminent pregnancy – just like the 1917 JPS translation of Isaiah 7.]
Judges 13:5,7 (NIV): You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” … But he said to me, ‘You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.’”
Behold I bring them from the north country and gather them from the uttermost ends of the earth, the blind and the lame amongst them, the woman with child and she who travails with child [harah] all together; a great company shall they return there. (Jeremiah 31:7)
Jeremiah 31:8 (NIV): See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return.
So said the Lord: For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, yea for four, I will not return them: Because they ripped up the pregnant women [harah] of Gilead, in order to enlarge their border. (Amos 1:13)
Amos 1:13 (NIV): This is what the Lord says: “For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not relent. Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders,…
Fourth, the Hebrew verb ‘qara’ means to call or announce and appears 738 times in the Tanach. In Isaiah 7 it is the conjugated second-person, singular feminine tense. Due to the vav at the beginning of the verb, it defaults to meaning “shall call.”
And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you will conceive and bear a son, and you shall name him [v’qarat] Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your affliction. (Genesis 16:11)
Genesis 16:11 (NIV): The angel of the Lord also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery.
Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither robbery nor destruction within your borders, and you shall call [v’qarat] salvation your walls and your gates praise. (Isaiah 60:18)
Isaiah 60:18 (NIV): No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.
Lastly, the name Immanuel appears only twice in the Tanach – both times in Isaiah. It also appears as a two-word phrase in Isaiah. Immanuel means “God is with us.”
Take counsel and it will be foiled; speak a word and it will not succeed, for God is with us [immanu el]. (Isaiah 8:10)
Isaiah 8:10 (NIV): Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us.
Furthermore, any talk of the Messiah as being the “son of God” in the literal sense is totally unacceptable. This is an idolatrous belief from the Greco-Roman world from which Christianity was established. You know who else was called the “son of God”?
the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. (Luke 3:38)
So, does that make Adam “God”? Wouldn’t Adam be even more qualified since had no mother and no father? What about Israel? Israel is God’s firstborn son.
And you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘So said the Lord, “My firstborn son is Israel.” ‘ (Exodus 4:22)