Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Are You the Messiah or Should We Look for Someone Else?

     Just recently, Jewish Rabbi, Chaim Kanievsky, proclaimed that the Messiah would be on the scene imminently and that all Jews should come home to Israel. Is this rabbi talking about Yeshua Hamashiach (Jesus the Messiah) or is he talking about another messiah. In John 5:43, Jesus warns that "I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him." This verse, often overlooked, seems to indicate that the Jews will accept the "antichrist" as their Messiah, at least initially. Interestingly enough, many Muslims are also looking for their messiah, known as the "Mahdi". All three of the major monotheistic religions claim that their messiah is on the horizon. So, who's right?

     Before analyzing scripture, it is important to lay out a foundation of what Muslims believe about their coming Mahdi and the differences between Shia and Sunni Muslims. It is interesting to note that the Q'ran doesn't mention the Mahdi, but the Hadith, which contains sayings of Muhammad, does. In Sunni Islam, the Mahdi will restore the Caliphate, which is basically a unification of Islam under one man, known as the Caliph. The last true Caliphate was the Ottoman Turkish Empire, which was defeated in 1917. Since then, Turkey has been a moderate Muslim nation who has been friendly to the West up until recently. Current president of Turkey, Recep Tayipp Erdogan, has goals of restoring the Caliphate and has been quite hostile toward Israel and the West. Turkey has even defended ISIS and fought against the Kurds if that tells you anything. ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has also laid claim to the Caliphate, although most of the Muslim world doesn't recognize ISIS as a legitimate Caliphate. The Mahdi will also rule for 7 years, although other interpretations say that he could rule longer. The Biblical "antichrist" also will rule for 7 years.

     In Shia Islam, they teach a doctrine called, "Doctrine of the Twelver". Basically, they believe that the Mahdi (12th Imam) is the 12th descendant of Muhammad and is being supernaturally preserved until the appointed time in which he will arrive on the scene as the Mahdi.  The nation of Iran is predominately Shia Muslim and holds closely to this teaching. In fact, former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at the UN several years ago and said that he met the Mahdi and that he would be on the scene shortly. Iran believes that they need to create chaos and destruction for the Mahdi to come. These are the people that just got a nuclear agreement, along with billions of dollars to further their sponsor of global terrorism. In the long run, Iran is a much more dangerous enemy than even ISIS. As demonically inspired as ISIS is, their technological capabilities pale in comparison with Iran. In fact, Iran (Persia) is one of the chief players in the Ezekiel 38-39 prophecy known as the War of Gog and Magog. Along with other nations such as Russia, Turkey, Libya, Sudan, etc., a failed attack, some say nuclear, on Israel will occur at the end of days. I will deal more extensively with this war another time.

      Additionally, the Mahdi will arrive on a white horse. In the book of Revelation, the "antichrist" arrives on a white horse with a bow and no arrows, signifying peace. Also, Muhammad commanded future Muslims, "If you see the black flags coming from Khorasan, join that army, even if you have to crawl over ice, for that is the army of the Imam al-Mahdi and no one can stop that army until it reaches Jerusalem." If you see videos of ISIS driving through Iraq and Syria, what are they carrying? Black Flags. I don't know if there is a connection between the Mahdi and ISIS, but they are at least setting themselves up to pave the way for their anointed one. Muqtada al-Sadr, an Iraqi cleric, even founded the Mahdi Army, which disbanded in 2008. Al-Sadr has been one of the most powerful men in Iraq this past decade and has waged many attacks on U.S. troops. Even though the Mahdi Army is no longer active, it shows how many Muslim leaders are proactively waging war, sponsoring terrorism, training suicide bombers, etc. in the attempt to hasten the Mahdi's arrival. Sadly, if the "antichrist" does masquerade as the Mahdi, 1.6 billion people right off the bat are set up for massive deception. Since the Bible has so many detailed prophecies, one of the ways Satan has used the religion of Islam is to counterfeit what God has already determined to take place. Since we have a brief background on the Muslim messiah, what does the Bible say about the true Messiah?

     As many people know, the first Messianic prophecy occurs in Genesis 3:15 as God addresses the serpent. It states, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heel." The woman's identity is clear in the book of Revelation. The woman is Israel, who birthed Yeshua the Messiah. Throughout history, the serpent (Satan) has tried to oppress the Jewish people because he knew the Messiah couldn't have come if Israel's lineage was eradicated. In fact, even before Israel was a nation, Satan used Cain, son of Adam, to kill his brother, Abel, and to establish an ungodly lineage. However, Adam had another son named Seth, which would continue a Godly lineage. Satan then used the "Nephilim", mentioned in Genesis 6, to corrupt man's DNA. The Nephilim were the offspring of the union between women and fallen angels. This union created a race of giants on the earth. Because of widespread wickedness and corrupted DNA, God had no choice but to destroy the earth with a flood. At this point, Satan thought he had won. However, God used Noah and his family to keep the Messianic lineage alive. It is interesting to note that the Genesis 6 says that the Nephilim were in the earth after the flood as well. Evidently, some of the Nephilim either escaped God's judgement or else God allowed fallen angels to continue breeding with women for a while. We see Nephilim throughout the Old Testament including Og, King of Bashan, Goliath, whom David slew, and the giants who the 12 spies witnessed in the Promised Land. Some people even believe Nimrod was a descendant of the Nephilim, but there is conjecture with that one. Anyways, when Abraham became the father of the Jewish people, Satan was given a new objective. Before that, he tried wipe out mankind. Now, his attention focused on the most persecuted people the world has ever seen: the Jews. Satan's attempts to annihilate Israel include the 400 years in Egyptian bondage,  hostility of surrounding nations, Haman's holocaust attempt, Sennacherib's mighty Assyrian army, Babylon's capture of Judah, Antiochus Epiphane's hatred of the Jews, Herod's decree to kill baby boys, etc. Satan's plans have had devastating effects on Israel, but God always reserved a remnant to keep His plan alive. Now, how do we know Yeshua was the Messiah? Didn't He fail to conquer the Roman Empire and establish Israel's throne?

     People fail to realize the purpose of the Messiah's first appearance. Christ first came to make an atonement for sin by dying on the cross. We read in Isaiah 53:4, "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 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." Jesus Christ had to suffer the wrath of God and die this horrific death for us to receive salvation. In the Old Testament, no one could see God's face and live. If the Messiah came without atoning for sin, no one could be a part of his kingdom. Animal sacrifices simply were not enough. In addition, Isaiah 53 describes the Messiah as being rejected and having no beauty or majesty attached to him. On the cross, "his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness." (Isaiah 52:14) Israel was looking for the conquering Lion of Judah. Instead, despite Yeshua's non-violent behavior and many miracles, they killed their own Messiah by crucifixion, a method of torture that hadn't even been invented in Isaiah's day.

     Aside from Yeshua's horrific death, were was He born and what was His lineage. In Isaiah 9:7, it says that the Messiah would rule from David's throne forever, a promise God made to David that his throne would not end. David, despite his many failures and sin, was called a man after God's own heart. Because he kept a repentant heart, God would use his lineage to establish His Messianic kingdom forever. Additionally, the Messiah is referred to as the Branch of Jesse. Jesse was David's father. Also, Jacob gives an astounding Messianic prophecy when he blesses each of his sons. When he gets to Judah, we read in Genesis 49:10, "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his." This parallels Balaam's Fourth Oracle in Numbers 24:17, which states, "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel." If we read the genealogy at the beginning of the gospel of Matthew, Judah is indeed in the same lineage as Jesse and David. Haggai even prophesies that the Messiah would be a descendant of Zerubbabel, governor of Judah at the time. For the Messiah to be born through all of these prophesied lineages is truly God inspired, not a mere coincidence. Also, if you look at the genealogy, you will find out that many flawed individuals make up this lineage. For example, Judah slept with his daughter in-law, Tamar, thinking she was a prostitute. David obviously had Uriah killed, committed adultery with Bathsheba, and failed to control his family. Rahab was a prostitute. Even Manasseh was a part of the Messiah's lineage. Manasseh was one of Judah's wickedest kings in history despite being the son of Hezekiah, a righteous, God-fearing king. He was deeply involved in the occult, rebuilt the high places which were used for idolatry, killed many innocent people, and even sacrificed his own son. Despite Manasseh's widespread evil and corruption, he evidently repented at the end of his life and served the God of Israel, which is outlined in 2 Chronicles 33. Overall, the Messiah's lineage is filled with so many sinful people to illustrate humanity's need for a savior and redeemer. As Romans 3:10 states, "As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one."

     We have established Messiah's lineage, which was fulfilled in the person of Yeshua. Do prophecies give us insight into events surrounding his birth? In Isaiah 7:14, it states, "Therefore the Lord himself will be with child: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." This supernatural prophecy was fulfilled by Mary, who conceived the Messiah by the Holy Spirit. Two chapters later, in Isaiah 9, Isaiah proclaims, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (6) In this tiny verse, the Messiah's entire mission and destiny is outlined. He would be born, He would be given over to death, and He would rule the world with righteousness and peace. Obviously, this is an ongoing prophecy, although it will see fulfillment in the near future when the Messiah returns to reign from Jerusalem. In Micah 5, Micah prophesies that "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." (2) God even picked a small, insignificant place for Messiah to be born. Not only that, but he was born in a manger. The entire purpose of Yeshua's first coming was to be a humble servant. As it says in Mark 10:45, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life for a ransom for many." While Yeshua rode a donkey throughout the streets of Jerusalem during the Triumphal Entry (Prophesied in Zechariah 9:9), He will ride a white horse with His saints when He returns as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

     Yeshua is even represented in the Jewish feasts that are celebrated every year. For instance, Passover is linked with Yeshua's death on the cross. Yeshua represents the spotless lamb that was to be sacrificed. At the original Passover, the Jews were supposed to sprinkle the blood on the door frame of their homes so that the angel of death would leave them alone. Likewise, if believers in Jesus Christ have accepted His atoning sacrifice, we will be spared from judgement and eternal death. Prophetically speaking, every year on Passover, the lamb is bound at 9 A.M. for the morning sacrifice and again at 3 P.M. for the evening sacrifice. On Passover, Yeshua was bound to the cross at 9 A.M. and breathed his last breath at 3 P.M. when he uttered His famous last words, "It is finished", which were his prophesied last words in Psalms 22:31. Next, the Feast of Unleavened Bread represents Christ's burial. In this feast, the Israelites were supposed to eat bread made without yeast for 7 days as a memorial for what God did for them in Egypt. Yeast represents sin. Just as our sin was buried with  Christ's body, the bread made without yeast symbolizes Israel's sin. After that came the Feast of First Fruits, symbolizing Christ's resurrection. Once Israel entered Canaan, they were supposed to bring a bundle of the first grain they harvested and then they were commanded to wave the grain before the Lord. The grain represents Yeshua as he is the first fruits. In 1 Corinthians 15:23, it states, "But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." Finally, to wrap up the spring feasts, we get to Pentecost. 50 days after First Fruits, Israel was to thank God for providing them with food and they were supposed to bring offerings, which included the first fruit of the wheat harvest. In the New Testament, 50 days after the resurrection, the fulfillment of Pentecost came, which the Holy Spirit was poured out, not just on the Jews, but Gentiles as well. Interesting to note, during Old Testament Pentecost, the Jews were not supposed to reap the harvest to the edge of the field, but were supposed to leave some for the poor and the alien, which symbolizes that salvation is not strictly for the Jews. The 3 Fall Feasts also point to Yeshua, although I'll explain that connection another time.

     While I have outlined some of the major Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament, I want to even address some minor prophecies that Yeshua fulfilled. In Psalms 41, it shows that the Messiah would be betrayed by a friend, not an enemy. They would even share bread, which was fulfilled during the Last Supper in which Judas Iscariot broke bread with Yeshua before betraying him. In Zechariah 11:12, it even prophesies the amount of money that Judas would betray Christ for: 30 pieces of silver. Additionally, Messiah would be buried in a rich man's grave, which was fulfilled in Matthew 27 when Joseph of Arimathea allowed Christ to be buried in his grave. Even John the Baptist, the forerunner to Christ, is prophesied in Malachi 4. I could easily keep going since there are nearly 400 Messianic prophesies in the Old Testament that point to none other than Yeshua Hamashiach. For one man to fulfill all of these prophesies and more would be astronomical. With this in mind, the salvation that has been freely given to the Gentiles will return to Israel in the near future. In Romans 11:25, it states, "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in." During the tribulation, fortunately, many Jews will come to know their true Messiah and they will "mourn for the one they pierced."

Sources

1. http://beforeitsnews.com/prophecy/2015/07/all-jews-come-home-to-israel-prominent-rabbi-says-the-messiahs-arrival-is-imminent-but-is-it-jesus-who-is-coming-video-video-2470732.html





4.  http://paulthepoke.com/2015/04/04/passover-nisan-14-9-am-3-pm-33-ad/

5. http://bibleprobe.com/365messianicprophecies.htm



 

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