The Righter Report

Why Israel Missed its Messiah

By Pete Righter

Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ appeared on the world scene in Israel. Individual Gospel / New Testament authors record him healing the sick, raising the dead, ushering in a ‘New Covenant,’ being crucified and dying on a Roman cross, and resurrecting again on the third day, as he prophesied. And thus was born what is now known as Christianity, which Merriam Webster defines as, “the religion derived from Jesus Christ, based on the Bible as sacred scripture, and professed by Eastern, Roman Catholic, and Protestant bodies.” And I might add, “professed also by Messianic Jews” (those who believe in Jesus as their Lord, Savior, and Messiah).

But for the most part, Israel, the Jewish people, and skeptics through the ages, have rejected Jesus and Christianity. But is their rejection based on valid arguments and sound Biblical exegesis? The reasons most Jews reject Jesus involve numerous objections. The purpose of this article is to address the top three most common objections, which are:

1. Jesus didn’t qualify as the Jewish Messiah; he didn’t fulfill the Messianic prophecies.
2. Judaism doesn’t teach a crucified Messiah who will die for the sins of its people.
3. Christians incorrectly argue ‘Jesus the Messiah’ appeared right on time, according to scripture and Jewish tradition.

Let’s look at these top three objections one by one:

1. Jesus didn’t qualify as the Jewish Messiah; he didn’t fulfill the Messianic prophecies.

In my almost forty years of Biblical studies, speaking with and debating Jews and skeptics, and researching the concept of the Jewish Messiah, one thing became crystal clear: the Jewish people were expecting “Messiah ben David” and not the “Suffering Messiah,” aka Messiah ben Joseph. First, who is Messiah ben David?

In Judaism, and also in Christianity, “Messiah ben David” is the conquering king, much like King David in the Jewish Tanakh / Old Testament. It is believed in Judaism that Messiah ben David will conquer the enemies of the Jewish people, build the “Third (Jewish) Temple,” and usher in a thousand-year Messianic kingdom.

For the record, “Messiah” (Hebrew ‘Mashiach’ in Judaism), means an “anointed one,” and is generally a term used to describe chief priests and kings who were traditionally anointed with sacred anointing oil, as we read about in Exodus chapter 30, and who were more specifically spiritually anointed by God and his Holy Spirit to fulfill priestly and kingly offices and purposes.

At this point one clarification needs to be made. Whereas there are many ‘anointed ones’ in scripture, there is also one dominate, ‘anointed one,’ who is different and more important and powerful than all the others. We read about him in Daniel chapter 7, verses 13 and 14 (Daniel speaking):

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

The Jewish Tanakh says only God is to be worshiped, but here is another individual who also has sovereign power, glory, and authority, and who will be worshiped by people of every nation and language. Clearly, this individual is different than a mere anointed priest or king. In Christian theology, we see this same individual again in Daniel chapter 3:

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were three godly Jews in captivity in Babylon who refused to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue, and thus were summarily thrown into a blazing furnace of fire. Daniel 3:24-25 records what happened next:

Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty. He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

The distinction is clear: There are many ‘sons of man’ but only one who is given sovereign power and authority. There are many ‘Mashiachs’ (anointed ones) but only ONE dominate Messiah.

Objection: Jesus didn’t fulfill the Messianic prophecies.

Various Christian and Messianic Jewish websites list up to 300 Old Testament Messianic prophecies that Jesus fulfilled during his first advent. A partial list of these can be seen at the end of this article. But the objections from Jewish rabbis and others deal with the remainder of the Messianic prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled. These include the rebuilding of the third Jewish Temple, the destruction of the enemies of Israel, and a thousand year millennial reign by the Messiah – Messiah ben David, the conquering king.

The answer to those objections is simple: Christian theology teaches that Jesus will fulfill the remaining prophecies during his Second Coming. So the objection is premature.

Which brings us to an interesting point: At the time when Jesus appeared in the first century, there were numerous expectations by Jews that the Messiah would appear at that time. The following link documents those expectations:

Messianic Expectations in First Century Judaism

Which also begs the question: If the Jews were expecting their Messiah at the time of Christ, when their Second Jewish Temple (Herod’s Temple) was already standing, why should we expect the Messiah to build a Third Temple 2,000 or so years later, when they weren’t expecting him to build the second temple in Herod’s time? So that objection – that the Messiah is to build the Temple – is highly questionable. All the scriptures say is that the Messiah will come to the Temple (Malachi 3:1) – not necessarily build it. By the way, Malachi 3:1 is considered by some Jewish rabbis as being a messianic prophecy.

Objection # 2: Judaism doesn’t teach a crucified Messiah who will die for the sins of its people.

Now we get to the person of “Messiah ben Joseph – the ‘Suffering Servant.”

Generally speaking, Messiah ben Joseph is described as the “Suffering Servant” who atones for the sins of his people. He appears on the stage in Israel, will be rejected by his people, and dies in the war against evil. Following that the world is filled with calamities and war until Messiah ben David – the Conquering King – appears and sets everything right.

Curiously, in Judaism, numerous ancient Jewish rabbis identified Isaiah chapter 53 as speaking about such an individual. Among the verses of Isaiah 53 are these:

2 …he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

Uncanny. If there was ever a profile of Jesus Christ, then this is it. And numerous Jewish rabbis agreed this chapter of Isaiah is a Messianic prophecy. Among the quotes from the ancient rabbis concerning Isaiah 53 are these:

Rabbi Moses Alschech(1508-1600) said:

“Our Rabbis with one voice accept and affirm the opinion that the prophet is speaking of the Messiah, and we shall ourselves also adhere to the same view.”

Abrabanel (1437-1508) said earlier:
“This is also the opinion of our own learned men in the majority of their Midrashim.”

Rabbi Yafeth Ben Ali ( second half of the 10th Century):
“As for myself, I am inclined to regard it as alluding to the Messiah.”

Many more quotations from Jewish rabbis are in the same link as the ones above:

Isaiah 53: How do the Rabbis Interpret This?

Of course once the scriptures started looking too much like the Christian Messiah Jesus Christ, more recent rabbis changed their opinions to claim that now Isaiah 53 is speaking about the Nation of Israel as the “individual” in question. Of course this is not a very compelling argument for the reasons expressed in the following article:

Next, Why Israel Cannot Be the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 – From https://chaim.org/cannot-be-israel

The servant of Isaiah 53 is an innocent and guiltless sufferer. Israel is never described as sinless.  Isaiah 1 says of the nation: “Alas sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity. A brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters!” He then goes on in the same chapter to characterize Judah as Sodom, Jerusalem as a harlot, and the people as those whose hands are stained with blood (verses 10, 15, and 21). What a far cry from the innocent and guiltless sufferer of Isaiah 53 who had “done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth!”

The prophet said: “It pleased the LORD to bruise him.” Has the awful treatment of the Jewish people really been God’s pleasure, as is said of the suffering of the servant in Isaiah 53? If, as some rabbis contend, Isaiah 53 refers to the holocaust, can we really say of Israel’s suffering during that horrible period, “It pleased the LORD to bruise him?” Yet it makes perfect sense to say that God was pleased to have Messiah suffer and die as our sin offering to provide us forgiveness and atonement.

The person mentioned in this passage suffers silently and willingly. Yet all people, even Israelites, complain when they suffer! Brave Jewish men and women fought in resistance movements against Hitler. Remember the Vilna Ghetto Uprising? Remember the Jewish men who fought on the side of the allies? Can we really say Jewish suffering during the holocaust and during the preceding centuries was done silently and willingly?

The figure described in Isaiah 53 suffers, dies, and rises again to atone for his people’s sins. The Hebrew word used in Isaiah 53:10 for “sin-offering” is “asham,” which is a technical term meaning “sin-offering.” See how it is used in Leviticus chapters 5 and 6.  Isaiah 53 describes a sinless and perfect sacrificial lamb who takes upon himself the sins of others so that they might be forgiven. Can anyone really claim that the terrible suffering of the Jewish people, however undeserved and unjust, atones for the sins of the world? Whoever Isaiah 53 speaks of, the figure described suffers and dies in order to provide a legal payment for sin so that others can be forgiven. This cannot be true of the Jewish people as a whole, or of any other mere human.

It is the prophet who is speaking in this passage. He says: “who has believed our message.” The term “message” usually refers to the prophetic message, as it does in Jeremiah 49:14.  Also, when we understand the Hebrew parallelism of verse 1, we see “Who has believed our message” as parallel to “to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed.” The “arm of the Lord” refers to God’s powerful act of salvation. So, the message of the speaker is the message of a prophet declaring what God has done to save his people.

The prophet speaking is Isaiah himself, who says the sufferer was punished for “the transgression of my people,” according to verse 8. Who are the people of Isaiah? Israel. So the sufferer of Isaiah 53 suffered for Israel. So how could he be Israel? 

The New Testament contains several passages which confirm Isaiah 53 is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ:

Isaiah 53 and New Testament Fulfillments

Regarding a “crucified Messiah,” many Christian theologians point to the twenty-second Psalm as being the “Crucifixion Chapter / prophecy about Christ. A real nice article on this can be seen in the following link:

5 Allusions to Psalm 22 at Christ’s Crucifixion

By the way, I was once told by a believer in Judaism that nowhere in the Old Testament does it say the Messiah (i.e. Jesus) will come twice. My response was to ask where in the Old Testament does it say he will only appear once? Another objection was when another believer in Judaism claimed the name of Jesus (as Messiah) in not seen in the Old Testament, so he can’t possibly be the Jewish Messiah. My response to that was similar: where is the name of the Jewish Messiah that you believe in mentioned?

Thus, objection # 2 is also seen as being without merit.

Objection # 3: Christians incorrectly argue ‘Jesus the Messiah’ appeared right on time in the first century, according to scripture and Jewish tradition.

Earlier, I provided the link on “Messianic Expectations in First Century Judaism” to show that in the first century, there were definitely expectations of the Jewish Messiah appearing.

To add to that the following is offered to counter the third objection.

From my studies over the decades, there are only two places I know of in the Old Testament that predict / prophesy when the Messiah will appear in history. The first of these is documented in a separate article on my website written by Chuck Missler (From his Book “The Creator Beyond Time and Space”)

Until Shiloh Comes

The prophecy, generally stated, is this, from Genesis chapter 49:

“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him shall be the obedience of the people.” Genesis 49:10 (NKJ)

This strange prophecy has a few words that need to be defined in order to be fully understood. The word “scepter” has been understood by the Rabbis to mean the “tribal staff” or “tribal identity” of the twelve tribes of Israel. This “tribal identity” was linked, in the minds of the Jews, to their right to apply and enforce Mosaic law upon the people, including the right to adjudicate capital cases and administer capital punishment, or jus gladii (The jus gladii is a legal term which refers to the legal authority to adjudicate capital cases and impose capital punishment.)

Secondly, it is well documented that the word “Shiloh” has been understood for millennia to be an idiom for the Messiah. Therefore, according to this prophecy, the tribal identity or scepter of the tribe of Judah would not cease until the Messiah came. The article goes on to conclude that the time called for the Messiah to appear is the first century – when Jesus did appear.

The second place in scripture that indicates when the Messiah would appear is Daniel chapter 9, verses 24-27. And again, the time it indicates for the appearance of the Messiah is the first century – in 32 AD. Exactly when Jesus rode into Jerusalem as the Jewish Messiah. Here is the background on that prophecy:

Daniel’s 70 Weeks Prophecy

Both examples above are considered Messianic by various Jewish rabbis. Concerning Daniel chapter 9, we see the following quotes by ancient Jewish rabbis:

In the Babylonian Talmud, complied between 200 – 500 A.D., Rabbi Judah (the main compiler of the Talmud), said concerning Daniel’s prophecy:

“These times were over long ago.” – Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 98b and 97a

In the 12th Century A.D., Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon (Maimonides), one of the most respected rabbis in history, said:

“Daniel has elucidated to us the knowledge of the end times. However, since they are secret, the wise (rabbis) have barred the calculations of the days of Messiah’s coming so that the untutored populace will not be led astray when they see that end times have already come but there is no sign of the Messiah.”

In addition, Rabbi Moses Abraham Levi noted regarding the time of the Messiah’s coming:

“I have examined and searched all the Holy Scriptures and have not found the time for the coming of Messiah clearly fixed, except in the words of Gabriel to the prophet Daniel, which are written in the 9th chapter of the prophecy of Daniel.”

And, in the Targum of the Prophets, in the Tractate Megillah 3a, the Rabbi Jonathan ben Uzziel noted, concerning Daniel’s prophecy:

“The date of the Messiah was foretold in it.”

Summary / Conclusion:

So there we have it: First century Messianic expectations, along with the time-sensitive prophecies from Genesis chapter 49 and Daniel chapter 9 – all indicating that the Messiah would appear in the first century. And the only logical candidate that fulfills those prophecies and expectations, the one who fulfilled numerous Messianic prophecies during his first advent (and who is expected to fulfill the remainder at his second advent); the one who is the image of Isaiah chapter 53 as Messiah ben Joseph (the “Suffering Servant”), and the one which is written about by predominately Jewish believers in the New Testament – is Jesus Christ.

By the way, the scriptures also indicate the Jewish Messiah would be divine, which is exactly what the New Testament notes about Jesus.

Jeremiah 23:5-6 shows the Messiah will be God

And now we have compelling arguments as to why Israel did not and has not recognized their beloved Messiah:

1. They were expecting Messiah ben David (the ‘Conquering King’) to appear, and Messiah ben Joseph (the ‘Suffering Servant’ – Jesus Christ) appeared first instead.
2. Most of them missed the times foretold about when the Messiah was to appear – in the first century A.D. And,
3. Almost no one prior to the first century expected two faces and two advents of the Messiah. But the first advent is documented in Jesus Christ, and the second is expected as surely as the first.

Finally, two other notes that address issues regarding the Messiah: The first is a scholarly work written by the world’s foremost Jewish Messianic expert on the Messiah, Dr. Michael L. Brown. I highly recommend anyone interested in the Jewish Messiah to invest in and read the following:

Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus (five volumes)

Or you can purchase one volume at a time at Amazon.com

The second is a site showing the fulfilled Messianic prophecies of Jesus Christ:

Fulfilled Messianic Prophecies

Jesus is Lord!

God bless,

– The Righter Report

February 11, 2014 Posted by Pete Righter | Evangelical, God, History, Human Interest, Theology, Theology Articles | Christian Messiah, Christian Prophecy, Christianity, Daniel, Date of Messiah, Genesis, Isaiah 53, Israel, Jesus, Jewish Messiah, Jewish Prophecy, Messiah, Messiah ben David, Messiah ben Joseph, Messianic Expectations, Rabbis Maimonides, Shiloh, theology | 1 Comment