What do our Rabbis of old say about the coming of the Messiah?

Rabbi Nachmanides (Ramban) for one, states in his disputation with Pablo Cristiani that “only when Mashiach is here, will there be peace!” This has set the stage for what most modern Jews believe and thus use this to dispute the fact that Yeshua is the Messiah. If we look around, there is no peace in the world, so obviously Messiah could not have come. This is how he won that disputation.

In my own opinion, if I were to personally argue with Ramban, I would say that we are in the Messianic age right now, even though it may not look like it. Yeshua told the Samaritan woman than we would one day be worshipping God in spirit and in truth. This is how the believer in Yeshua worships. Yeshua began the messianic age in us! This “Shalom”, is demonstrated in “a peace which surpasses all human understanding” Philippians 4:6-7.

We have only to look at this past week’s Torah portion to see that it is replete with Messianic overtones.

We begin with Judah asking Joseph to “vayigash”- draw close to him. The function of the first born is a constant theme in Scripture. Over and over again it shows the failure of the first born to take his position. In this case, Reuben should have been the one to approach Joseph and plead for Benjamin…but it is Judah from whom would one day be born King David in the line of our Messiah. This shouts of two messianic figures — Judah representing the conquering Messiah, from the line of David and Joseph, the suffering servant. Both Judah and Yeshua have in mind the salvation of Israel. The salvation of Israel with Judah becomes the salvation of the world through Yeshua…”Salvation comes from the Jews” Yochanan (John) 4:22.

Let us compare the lives of Joseph and Yeshua:

Both were rejected and sold out by their brothers
Both answered their brothers in kindness and love
Both were responsible for saving Israel.
Both were received and raised to a position of god by the gentiles
Both fed the people
Neither were honored in their own land
Both have done wonders for the gentiles
Both are dressed and speak in a foreign tongue so that their brothers do not recognize them.

At the end of days, Zechariah 12:10 speaks of a time when all Israel will weep as they look on the one whom they have pierced. In that day, our people will be humbled even as Jacob and his sons were humbled by being forced to beg for food even they were a proud people.

The haphtarah portion Ezekiel 37 speaks of the dry bones of our people and the breathing of life back into Israel. As a seed needs to die in order to produce life, so Joseph and Yeshua faced death to bring life to the nation of Israel.

If we look at death, it is a transition, from this life to the next. Why are people afraid of death? Because they think it is the end. For us, death is a door. Death is really a rebirth.

When Nicodemus visited Yeshua, he was told “Amen, amen, I tell you that one must be born again*…” in other words, transformed.

To bring this to a practical application for our lives our inner peace does not depend on our outer circumstances but in whom we have placed our trust. Inner peace doesn’t come from having religion; nor is it a theological issue; nor by have repeated a prayer from someone else’s lips or doing certain rituals. It comes with the transformation which only God himself can do in our hearts and lives. It does not depend on us.

Examine Joseph’s life. We do not ever read that he cried, whined and complained about his situation. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He had inner peace which was a testimony to everyone under whom he served. He always knew that God was with him throughout all the difficult circumstances. Yeshua did the same.

If we look at this on a global scale, no matter how much man tries, politically, technologically or even through good will, human solutions for world peace will never work. Only Messiah Yeshua can bring peace.

If you as a believer are going through a lot of testing and struggles and God’s peace is not with you, my recommendation is that you check your relationship with God and Messiah Yeshua.

* In the Hebraic understanding of born again, there were several times in which a man was born again.
- God knew him at the foundation of the earth
- At conception
- At his birth
- At age 8 days, his brit milah (circumcision) becoming a Hebrew child
- At age 13, his bar mitzvah when he becomes a man
- At his marriage
- At age 40, the mystical can be open to him for he has matured
- At death

     Rabbi Percy Johnson
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