Yeshua the Moshiakh

Was Yeshua the Moshiakh? For thousands of years the Jewish people have been waiting for the Moshiakh, but was Yeshua indeed the Moshiakh? We will show through historical evidence and bible prophecy that Yeshua was indeed the Moshiakh.  In Romans 11 the bible tells us that in the end all Israel will be saved and G-d's people will come to the true Moshiakh, Yeshua. Hear O Israel, the time has come!

First we will show that the scriptures we are using are all dated before the time of Christ.  We will focus only on facts, and the dating of only the earliest copies of those manuscripts that have been carbon 14 dated to the time BEFORE Christ. We will also only use verses from the Tanakh, the Jewish scriptures to show that there is no Christian bias in the translation.

Dead Sea Scrolls

The National Science Foundation Arizona Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (AMS) Laboratory at The University of Arizona in Tucson on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority agree with paleographic dates of most texts from the Judean Desert.

The UA team radiocarbon dated the famous Book of Isaiah scroll at between 335 BCE and 122 BCE. paleographers had dated this scroll at between 150 - 125 BCE.

So by two separate dating methods, we have text from Isaiah minimally 125 years before Christ. Initially there was some skepticism for the dating as Paleography isn't seen as reliable as carbon 14. But with the Carbon 14 dating now supporting the paleographers dating, in fact dating the text even earlier, we have strong evidence that Isaiah was written before the time of Christ. The popular date for the writing of Isaiah (original work) is around 700 BCE, but we can only go by the earliest manuscripts when looking for hard evidence, and the Dead Sea Scrolls provide us with just that.

The earliest Jewish translation we have of the Old Testament is the Masoretic Text dated around 900 CE, roughly 900 years after Christ. But what is significant is the texts for Isaiah from the Dead Sea Scrolls are consistent with the Masoretic Text! In fact the translation of Isaiah 53, a chapter we'll soon look at, is almost identical to the Masoretic Text. Every translation of the Bible is a little different from each other, but the Dead Sea Scrolls line up very nicely with the Masoretic Text. When you realize that there is a gap of about 1100 years between the translations, it is testimony to itself.

So what does this all mean? It simply means that the Old Testament was indeed around before the time of Christ. Christian and Jewish scholars have supported this for thousands of years, but now we have the evidence to back it up. You will soon see why this is so significant when we look at the prophecies Yeshua fulfilled.

Messianic Prophecy

1 But thou, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from ancient days.

According to the New Testament, Yeshua was born in Bethlehem (see Matthew 2:1 and Luke 2:4-7) fulfilling this messianic prophecy. It is often argued that Yeshua could have simply attempted to fulfill all the messianic prophecies. But how could he of planned where he was born? And was he willing to risk being killed by crucifixion for a lie?

Now let's look at Daniel 9 and a prophecy that not only predicted the rebuilding of Jerusalem, but also the Moshiakh to come, a Moshiakh who was then killed right before the destruction of Jerusalem. Could this really be so accurate? Was the time of the Moshiakh really prophesied to happen before the destruction of Jerusalem, which happened in 70 A.D? This would mean that Yeshua would have to be the Moshiakh and when you look at the rest of the prophecies we will cover, there is no doubt he was. Daniel reads:

24 Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sin, and to forgive iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal vision and prophet, and to anoint the most holy place.
25 Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem unto one anointed, a prince, shall be seven weeks; and for threescore and two weeks, it shall be built again, with broad place and moat, but in troublous times.
26 And after the threescore and two weeks shall an anointed one be cut off, and be no more; and the people of a prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; but his end shall be with a flood; and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

We see that Jerusalem is rebuilt, sin is ended and everlasting righteousness is brought in, the anointed one comes (Moshiakh) and is killed, and then the city of Jerusalem is destroyed. This depicts the events that really happened in history to the tee.  We know that the temple and Jerusalem were rebuilt (Ezra 6) and that Jerusalem was destroyed by fire in 70 A.D. by Titus and the Romans.  These are both well known historical facts. Daniel's messianic prophecy requires that the Moshiakh come in between these two events!  And Yeshua did just that!  G-d really can't make it any clearer; Yeshua not only came but was cut off or killed just like the prophecy said!

The Jewish temple was never rebuilt since it's destruction in 70 A.D. This time is actually prophesied in the book of Hosea (3:4-5):

4 For the children of Israel shall sit solitary many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim;
5 afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek HaShem their G-d, and David their king; and shall come trembling unto HaShem and to His goodness in the end of days.

The Jewish people have gone without a sacrifice for the past two thousand years! Israel becoming a nation and G-d bringing home the Jewish people from all parts of the globe is fulfillment of this prophecy!

But going back to the coming of the Moshiakh before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., did the sacrifice stop in 70 A.D. or at the death of the Moshiakh? Yeshua died about 40 years prior to then and according to the New Testament (Math. 27:50-51):

50 And when Yeshua had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.

So shouldn't the temple sacrifice have stopped when Yeshua died, about 40 years before the temple's destruction? Could we possibly have mention in the Talmud about this? YES! The Talmud's Masekhet Yoma says:

"40 years before the destruction of the sanctuary... its western lamp went out and the doors of the sanctuary opened themselves. Then Rabbi Johanan Ben Zakkai (who died ca. 90 AD) rebuked them, saying, 'Temple, O Temple, why dost thou grieve so? I know this about thee, that thou shalt be destroyed. The prophet Zechariah has, after all, foretold of thee; Open thy doors, O Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedars' (11:1). Rabbi Yitshak Ben Tablai said, 'That is why its name was called Lebanon, because it makes white the sins of Israel.' "This cryptic name 'Lebanon' for the Temple is derived from the root laban or 'white'.116

We have documentation from the Talmud to support what Mathew tells us!

Now let's look at a very interesting prophecy in Genesis (49:10):

10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, as long as men come to Shiloh; and unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.

This is the one verse where I'll also include another translation. Christians have interpreted this verse to talk about 'Shiloh' as the Moshiakh. The New American Standard Version reads:

The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
[a]Until Shiloh comes,
And (B)to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

When you read the second half of the Tanakh's verse "and unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be", you have to ask who? The better translation in this case looks to be the one that uses "until shiloh comes" as the rest of the verse then makes sense.

Rabbis have understood the word "scepter" in this prophecy to mean the ability to enforce Mosaic law, including the right to administer capital punishment. There is also a connection to the identity and the record keeping of the genealogies. This is supported by Rabbi Rachmon who states in the Talmud:

"When the members of the Sanhedrin found themselves deprived of their right over life and death, a general consternation took possession of them: they covered their heads with ashes, and their bodies with sackcloth, exclaiming: 'Woe unto us for the scepter has departed from Judah and the Moshiakh has not come'"

We also see that there is evidence from the Talmud that the Jewish people believed the scepter would not depart until the Moshiakh came. But is this an example of Christian bias? Can we find any other ancient rabbinical references to this verse regarding the scepter remaining until Moshiakh comes and 'Shiloh' being used to denote the Moshiakh? Yes! In fact here are a good bunch:

The Targum Onkelos states:

"The transmission of domain shall not cease from the house of Judah, nor the scribe from his children's children, forever, until Messiah comes."6

The Targum Pseudo-Jonathan states:

"King and rulers shall not cease from the house of Judah...until King Messiah comes"7

The Targum Yerushalmi reads:

"Kings shall not cease from the house of Judah...until the time of the coming of the King Messiah...to whom all the dominions of the earth shall become subservient"7

The Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 98b), Rabbi Johanan said:

"The world was created for the sake of the Messiah, what is this Messiah's name? The school of Rabbi Shila said 'his name is Shiloh, for it is written; until Shiloh come.'"

The reason this is so important is that the scepter was removed after Yeshua had come! The Moshiakh had to of come before the scepter was removed and it was removed after Christ came. The Talmud tells us below that roughly forty years before the destruction of the temple the scepter was removed:

"A little more than forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the power of pronouncing capital sentences was taken away from the Jews."

What are all these references in the Talmud to 40 years before the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, did a Moshiakh die for the sins of the world then? Yes!

Now let's look at Isaiah and the famous chapter 53 which gives a very detailed account of a Moshiakh who would be rejected and despised, who would be killed (like in Daniel) for the sins of the people and then come back to life! While Judaism holds that this chapter talks about Israel as a whole, if you read it with an open mind and without bias, it should be very clear. We will actually start with the end of Isaiah 52 where this incredible prophecy begins as the bible was initially written without chapters (Isaiah 52:13-15).

13 Behold, My servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.
14 According as many were appalled at thee--so marred was his visage unlike that of a man, and his form unlike that of the sons of men--
15 So shall he startle many nations, kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they perceive.

Let's now continue with Isaiah 53:

1: 'Who would have believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of HaShem been revealed?
2 For he shot up right forth as a sapling, and as a root out of a dry ground; he had no form nor comeliness, that we should look upon him, nor beauty that we should delight in him.
3 He was despised, and forsaken of men, a man of pains, and acquainted with disease, and as one from whom men hide their face: he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely our diseases he did bear, and our pains he carried; whereas we did esteem him stricken, smitten of G-d, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded because of our transgressions, he was crushed because of our iniquities: the chastisement of our welfare was upon him, and with his stripes we were healed.
6 All we like sheep did go astray, we turned every one to his own way; and HaShem hath made to light on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, though he humbled himself and opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before her shearers is dumb; yea, he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away, and with his generation who did reason? for he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due.
9 And they made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich his tomb; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.'
10 Yet it pleased HaShem to crush him by disease; to see if his soul would offer itself in restitution, that he might see his seed, prolong his days, and that the purpose of HaShem might prosper by his hand:
11 Of the travail of his soul he shall see to the full, even My servant, who by his knowledge did justify the Righteous One to the many, and their iniquities he did bear.
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion among the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the mighty; because he bared his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Let's follow what this prophecy says would happen.

    - A suffering servant, one who was rejected by men would come (Yeshua was)
    - This servant shall be taken away in judgement for our sin (Yeshua was)
    - This innocent servant will make intercession for sin (Yeshua did)
    - He would be wounded because of our transgressions (Yeshua was)
    - His stripes would heal us (We're Forgiven!)
    - He would be assigned a grave with the wicked and rich (Yeshua was)
    - He opened not his mouth and was as a lamb led to the slaughter (Yeshua was)
    - He was cut off out of the land of the living for our sin (Yeshua was)
    - He would see his seed and prolong his days (He rose from the dead)

We see that Yeshua fulfilled all these prophecies as the final sacrifice, the perfect lamb of G-d that atoned for all sin. Remember when Abraham took Isaac his son to Mount Moriah to sacrifice him and Isaac asked him where the Lamb was? Under the Old Testament Law, an animal sacrifice was provided over and over again. The priest would lay his hands on the animal and the sins of the people were transferred to the animal. Then the animal was killed in place of the people. Yeshua as the final sacrifice and the perfect Lamb of G-d fits the story line perfectly. It is also no coincidence that since the time of Yeshua the temple and sacrifice have ceased! Take a moment and really think about this and as we noted the Talmud tells us the sacrifice stopped 40 years before the destruction of the temple, the exact same time when Yeshua died!

It has been believed that these verses refer to Israel as a whole, and not just one person, the Moshiakh. But let's look at verse 8 and put Israel in instead of 'he':

8 By oppression and judgment Israel was taken away, and with his generation who did reason? for Israel was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due.

You see if you put Israel in as a whole, then it reads very strange, "for ISRAEL was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people (Israel) to whom the stroke was due." But this makes no sense, it only makes sense if it is something or someone else being punished in place of G-d's people Israel. A person who was killed for the sins of the people, just like in a sacrifice, makes more sense. Yeshua was the final sacrifice who died and rose again right at the same time the temple sacrifices ceased.

You see I believe very strongly we are in the time where according to Romans 11 all of Israel will be saved and turn to Yeshua, the Moshiakh. We are starting to see many Messianic Jewish congregations springing up all over. For the first time in history, accept for the time of Christ, Jewish people are turning to Yeshua as their Moshiakh. This fulfills the prophecy in Romans and Hosea as we mentioned and is the beginning of the greatest time in history.

Remember that Yeshua was Jewish and the first believers were all Jewish. It's not like the Jewish people need to turn to someone else's Moshiakh, Yeshua is their Moshiakh and if you are Jewish he is YOUR Moshiakh! They simply need to acknowledge G-d's divine plan and how they were expecting a triumphant Moshiakh, instead of a suffering servant. You see messianic prophecies talk about a Moshiakh being stricken by men, and killed (Isaiah 53, Daniel 9), but also of a returning triumphant king of kings who would judge and rule the world. You see Yeshua came the first time to fulfill the suffering servant role and atone for all sin, but he is also coming again as the triumphant king, to judge and rule the world forever! How could he come and be killed and also come to be ruler? The Moshiakh had to come twice, this is why initially the Jewish people didn't recognize him.

This time the Bible refers to where the Jewish people will turn to Yeshua, their Moshiakh, is right before the second coming of Christ. And it talks of the Jewish people turning to Yeshua and doing some of the greatest and most powerful works of G-d the world has ever known.

Let's now look at 1 Chronicles 17:11-14, where the Moshiakh is foretold and G-d says he will be his father. We know that Yeshua claimed to be the Son of G-d:

11 And it shall come to pass, when thy days are fulfilled that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will set up thy seed after thee, who shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.
12 He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne for ever.
13 I will be to him for a father, and he shall be to Me for a son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee;
14 but I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom for ever; and his throne shall be established for ever.'

G-d is talking to David and telling him after he dies that through his seed the Moshiakh will come, and that G-d will be a father to the Moshiakh. Yeshua, who was from the line of David is often called the Son of G-d as the prophecy predicts (Mt. 1:1; 9:27).

Now let's look at Psalm 110:

1 A Psalm of David. HaShem saith unto my lord: 'Sit thou at My right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.'
2 The rod of Thy strength HaShem will send out of Zion: 'Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.'
3 Thy people offer themselves willingly in the day of thy warfare; in adornments of holiness, from the womb of the dawn, thine is the dew of thy youth.
4 HaShem hath sworn, and will not repent: 'Thou art a priest for ever after the manner of Melchizedek.'
5 The L-rd at thy right hand doth crush kings in the day of His wrath.
6 He will judge among the nations; He filleth it with the dead bodies, He crusheth the head over a wide land.
7 He will drink of the brook in the way; therefore will he lift up the head.

Who is this Lord at the right hand of G-d that crushes kings in the day of his wrath? And who will judge among the nations? According to the New Testament, Yeshua is now seated at the right hand of the Father and will come again to judge this world.

So what we now know is that these prophecies were written before the life of Christ and yet he fulfilled them. In fact he fulfilled over 300 of them! From where he was born, what he would be called, how he would teach (parables), and even his own death. We also know that the Moshiakh had to of come between the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple and the destruction of Jerusalem. We know this from Daniel's prophecy and Yeshua fit the roll to the tee and did it all during this very time frame!

Yeshua the Savior

Once we put our faith in G-d, G-d also asks us to follow his commands and to tell others about him. You should also try and find other believers in your area. Yeshua said he would return like lightning from the sky!

Romans 11:25-27

25 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.
26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
"The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn G-dlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins."

The Time Has Come!

These Are The Days Of Elijah!

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