The Messianic Idea

Messianic Idea[1]

Personal study notes

Halakhah

Halakhah is the preservation of Jewish Law. This Law determines the nature of Jewish Life in Diaspora, i.e. exile. Therefore, we need to have a great understanding of the methodology of our ancestors and how they viewed “law” and its application. This has nothing to do with making unbearable rules and commandments. Everyone needs guidance on how to live and walk.

Birth Pains (ref)[2]

While it seems that the Prophets and their prophecies point to a time when there will be great catastrophe as a means of transition between the present age and the next. This analogy is compared to a woman who is in labor with child. As we are told she experiences unbelievable pain. Yet this pain is endured for the sake of birth. Likewise, this pain is instantly forgotten with the birth of the child.

Thus, the coming Messianic age is referred to the coming time of difficulty as the “Birth Pains of Messiah.” The catastrophe and apocalyptic time are necessary for the sake of giving birth to the New World. This “new future” will be the time of the greatest joys we have ever experienced. Yet while we have a great amount of material written on the subject, we have never stopped to think about what analogy is given, what is allegory or parabolic. How will these doors to the new world open?

We have a model of how these things will come about in the “first redemption.” Here we refer to the “Exodus from Egypt.” In relation to the Jewish life the great devastation took place destroying the Egyptian tyranny over the Jewish people culminating in the “First Redemption.” When the door to the first redemption was opened the Jewish people by and large were unaffected. The “worldly” secular Egyptians suffered near annihilation. And eventually the Jewish people were extracted from Egyptian domination. Their autonomy and exit were equated to a nation giving birth to another. G-d as a great deliverer outstretched His hand into the womb and delivered the child “Israel.” While the world sees terror, His people will see salvation.

The Footsteps (ref)[3]

Another analogy given for the coming of that era is the “Footsteps of Messiah.” This phrase is often misunderstood. The “footsteps of Messiah” are the echoes from down the hallway of time and space. By “space” we refer to the dimensions of the eternal spiritual world. These echoes tell us that the Messianic figure is coming but is not yet here. many people feel that at the first footstep that the end is immediate. The reality is that the steps in the distance are but signs that the coming of that age is in the distant future. The process of redemption in many ways is like the revelation of G-d’s word. The revelation of G-d’s will has come slowly and methodically. Note the difference between “Birth Pains” and “Footsteps.” Footsteps is auditory and Birth Pains is experiential. Birth Pains are experiences that we face bringing personal growth and change. This change should be positive albeit we have experienced some sort of pain or discomfort. Yet, the use of the phrase in relation to the eschatological end should be what is necessary for the sake of bring the future Edenic experience.

The Great Escape

Many people are looking for the end because they are so distressed about the present. Their lives are so miserable that they have no joy in life at all. Little do they know that they are making the future world as they walk through this present life. Furthermore, they are making a new self which will be who they are in the Days of Messiah. They long for the future days of Messiah but do nothing to plan for it. They do not understand that this present experience is preparatory for the next phase of being. They long for “eternal life” but, again do nothing to prepare for it.

Matthew Chapter 25 begins with a “Kingdom Parable.” The “parable” – is a telling of what can happen in relation to Kingdom life. Those who are foolish take no plans for making the journey through life. However, the “Wise,” filed with wisdom (chokhmah) advance being fully prepared for possible difficulties. The “oil” of the parable is wisdom. It is also a parabolic symbol for the Torah and G-d’s Word, and oil is also the “anointing” of Messiah. Thus, we should know that the oil is figurative. The foolish dream of Messiah and the Days of his reign yet they do not know what that means nor do the work of preparation for that time. Nor have they developed themselves with the “Oil” of Messiah, i.e. his teachings. Thus, the statement in Matthew “I don’t know who you are.”

Redemption

Redemption can be discussed on several levels. Firstly, many people look for “personal redemption.” That it they want to be freed from all their troubles and live without any distress. By and large we all want this kind of redemption. However, redemption is also seen as an internal redemption where the soul is free from all distress. Again, most feel the same desire when it comes to redemption. However, we note that redemption must also have an external demonstration based on internal faithfulness.

Is Messiah’s appearance based on personal activities? While we all are required to do our part in trying to bring about Messiah’s return we must also wait on G-d timing. This is often a difficult challenge. We want peace and we want it NOW!

Inward redemption is usually spoken about by the Kabbalists. However, all real Kabbalistic teachers will teach that we must work for redemption through “Tikun Olam” the rectification of the world. Without discussing this idea at length, we can say that “Tikun” means correcting things that are wrong. Here we do not need a long laundry list of things to do. Any able-bodied person knows what to do and should involve themselves in repairing their own world.

The Man Messiah

The idea of Messiah is very ancient and multifarious. Again, I have no desire at present to discuss this idea at great length. Messiah is to be a human figure the will either inaugurate the final redemption or arrive after we, humans ourselves have risen to the task. My point here is that Messiah himself is a human figure. He is not some deity or supernatural figure. This complication now lands squarely in our lap. And we can easily ask the question of what you are doing to make the present world a better place. And, on the grand scale what are you doing to foster in the “Days of Messiah” yourself? We all wait for G-d to flip the cosmic switch and “poof” everything is fixed, and we are immediately transported into that ideal world. While that certainly would be nice, we have no Biblical precedent for it. There is a plethora of Messianic prototypes in Biblical history that have given us due guidance. All of them had great personal difficulties to overcome. Not only did they overcome their personal difficulties, they modeled how a man is to act in his relation to G-d, humanity and the physical world. These models are to be emulated and followed. While there are many who hold these men in reverence, they try to idealize them giving them near G-dlike powers. These men were not G-d. They were G-d’s agents. Every one of them leveled a path that we now tread. We do not have to fantasize being Abraham, Moshe David or Yeshua. We need only see the difficulties of our sphere of influence and apply energy toward the positive.

כ״ה בסיון

אמן ואמן סלה

  1. Notes on the study of, Scholem, Gershom. The Messianic Idea in Judaism and Other Essays on Jewish Spirituality. New York: Schocken Books, 1995. ↑

  2. M. Sota 9.15, Cant. R. 2.13.4, Sanhedrin 97a, “Messiah’s days are from the days of Adam to now.” Gottheil 1893, JWP 32 ↑

  3. Yebamot 62a Sanhedrin 98a – 99, Gen R. 42.2 Pesikta Rabbati, Ch. 1 4b ↑