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“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:15-16 (NIV)
(1)
INTRODUCTION
David, the man after God’s heart, was perhaps one of the greatest kings in Israel's history. His many feats were great. His rise to power began humbly after Samuel anointed him to be King over Israel. His faithfulness secured him a promise of a future Eternal King who would rule forever and be born in his lineage, none other than Yeshua Messiah.
Messiah, in Hebrew Mashiach, is a title and not a name. It means anointed one. This expression was rendered to all kings, priests, and prophets whom Yahweh appointed to serve Him in any way. The word derives from the verb mashah and means ‘to anoint, to smear, to pour’. The Jewish tradition sometimes mentions two Messiahs that will deliver Israel from exile and usher in the Messianic era. Those two Messiahs are actually Yeshua arriving on two separate occasions to fulfill two separate roles to secure His Kingdom forever.
MASHIACH - THE ANOINTED ONE
David, the man after God’s heart was perhaps one of the greatest kings in Israel's history. Great and many were His amazing feats. The most noticeable was of course his defeat over Goliath. His rise to power though began very humbly when he was very young and in his father's house still.
Samuel was mourning because Saul was rejected by Yahweh. He was distraught that one chosen had not been able to fulfill the assignments as hoped and expected. His mourning was cut short abruptly. He was commanded to go to Bethlehem. There he would anoint the son of Jesse as king instead of Saul.
Saul wasted no time in obeying. In Bethlehem, he consecrated the elders and Jesse and his sons and invited them to a sacrifice.
There was but one problem present. Who is the next king? As it so happened, Jesse had eight sons. All seven of the oldest ones passed before him but were not chosen. It was David, the eighth son of Jesse who was chosen and anointed (1 Samuel 16: 11-13)
“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”
So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”
So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.
1 Samuel 16: 11-13 (NIV)
David was an anointed one of God. So was Saul as well. David did not want to extend his hand and kill Saul precisely because of it. He understood the gravity and chose to leave Saul in God’s hands.
Once David became king he was promised that his descendant, Messiah, would rule forever.
The word Messiah, in Hebrew mashiach, which we will be discussing today, is not a name but rather a title, or to be even more specific a function. Messiah means anointed one. This expression was rendered to all kings, priests, and prophets whom Yahweh appointed to serve Him in any way. It points to one being inaugurated, to one being of the Highest Earthly Rank. (2)
ETYMOLOGY
The word derives from the verb mashah. It means ‘to anoint, to smear, to pour’. In the Old Testament times those chosen by God as prophets, priests, and kings were subject to a formal anointing ritual that Stephen Renn describes as the ‘theologically significant phenomenon of anointing’ (3)
This process, also known as mashah, involves the use of sacred oil made from various spices (Exodus 25: 6). The consecrated individual was thereby confirmed fit for the office (Exodus 28: 41). The word mashiach describes the person who has been anointed (’the anointed one’), while the term mishhah refers to the actual anointing oil used in the ceremony. (3)
USAGE IN BIBLE
There have been instances when the word has been used in scripture. Numerous prophets, priests, and kings in the past have been called messiahs, the most noticeable among them are Moses, David, Josiah, Cyrus, Elisha, and Elijah. (4)
The first clear reference to a Messianic King in the Old Testament comes from 1 Samuel 2 in Hannah’s song of praise. Yeshua was the answer. He became The Messiah, God incarnate. He has defeated the enemy and brought complete freedom to the captives, and His people of Israel. And He is the only one who as the Hih Priest made a sufficient sacrifice to cover the sins of all mankind. He also is the only prophet who not only spoke words that God decreed but also conveyed His mind. He was a Prophet, King, and Priest. The perfect personification of the Anointed One. (4)
THE DUALITY OF MESSIAH
In the Torah, the Messiah is described as though He will suffer on one account and be victorious on the other. That is why Jewish traditions sometimes refer to there being two redeemers, two Messiahs: a) Messiah ben Yosef, and b) Messiah ben David. They will be involved in delivering the Jewish people from galut (exile) and ushering in the long-awaited Messianic Kingdom. (5)
MESSIAH BEN YOSEF
Messiah ben Yosef is said to be of the tribe of Ephraim (son of Joseph). Sometimes he is called Messiah ben Ephraim. Messiah ben Yosef will come first to prepare the world for the coming of the kingdom of the LORD. He will fight wars and sadly be killed. He was to be the “suffering servant” who would die for the sins of Israel. His death will be followed by a period of great calamities and tribulations for Israel. (5, 6)
MESSIAH BEN DAVID
Messiah ben David on the other hand will come at the beginning of an era of world peace and deliver his people from oppression. He will be the victorious Reigning King and will accomplish the following eight things:
restore the Kingdom of David
restore the temple in Zion
regather the exiles
offer the new covenant to Israel
usher in world peace and the knowledge of the true God
swallow up death and disease
raise the dead to new life
spread Torah knowledge of the God of Israel which will unite humanity as one. (6)
YESHUA AS THE FULFILLMENT OF BOTH
The Torah never explicitly states that there would be two Messiahs. Yeshua was anointed to fulfill both the role of the ‘Suffering Servant’ and the ‘Reigning Victorious King’.
On His first arrival, His body was broken, and His blood was shed. He as the ‘Suffering Servant’ died for the sins of all men and redeemed us back to God.
On His second arrival, He will overcome and defeat His enemies. He will rebuild the temple as He stated and rule and reign as the Reigning King (Messiah ben David).
He is also the anointed Prophet and Priest as foreshadowed in other prophecies. As with many prophecies, the Messianic prophecies also have a dual aspect of there being a near and far meaning, an already yet not-yet fulfillment. And so it shall be. (5)
CONCLUSION
The word Messiah, Mashiach in Hebrew, is a title and not a name. It describes a function and derives from the root mashah, which means ‘to smear, pour, or anoint’. The word means anointed one and is not a title exclusive to just the King above all Kings. This expression was rendered to all kings, priests, and prophets whom Yahweh appointed to serve Him in any way. It points to one being inaugurated, to one being of the Highest Earthly Rank. Jewish tradition sometimes states there are two Messiah that will deliver Israel from exile and usher in the Messianic ear. Yeshua is the fulfillment of both. On His first arrival, he was the ‘suffering servant’, at His second He will be the Reigning King ushering in an era of peace.
Application
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for Your unconditional love. Thank you for your willingness to die for our sins. Thank you for Your Great mercy that we do not deserve. Today as we give you praise, we receive your forgiveness and thank you for the overcoming victory that has been secured at Calvary. We release our pain, problems, afflictions, and even trials into your hands. Let Your Spirit lead and empower us to choose You and Your Mighty ways.
SOURCES
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Abarim Publications. Messiah meaning. Available at https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Messiah.html
Brian Clatworthy. A Word for Today – Mashah. Precious Seed International. November 2017, Volume 72, Issue 4. Available at https://www.preciousseed.org/articles/a-word-for-today-mashah/
Jeremiah K. Garrett. The Messiah in the Old Testament. Seedbed, December 23, 2013. Available at https://seedbed.com/messiah-old-testament/
John J. Parsons. Mashiach ben Yosef. Hebrew4christians. Available at https://hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Mashiach_ben_Yosef/mashiach_ben_yosef.html
Hebrew4christians. Hebrew Name for God- Mashiach. Available at https://hebrew4christians.com/Names_of_G-d/Messiah/messiah.html
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