Ya'shua the Messiah

Yeshua the Messiah

We are told over and over again that Yeshua of Nazareth is not the Messiah of Israel, and given tons
of reasons why not.

Unfortunately, it just doesn't conform to the facts. Jesus (Ancient Greeks could not pronounce his Name correctly, and Germans and English speakers had problems with the Greek way — His name is pronounced yah-shoo'-ah יֵשׁוּעָ) is the Messiah of Israel , and nothing changes that. How do we know? Not just we, but over 500,000 Jews all over the world. That number is 10 years old, and we could put it closer to a quarter million easily. And we'll prove it to you.

If a Jew is an atheist, he is still a Jew, right? If a Jew believes in Buddhist teachings, he is still a Jew right? If a Jew believes himself to be one fragment of Eloheim (the "We are all gods" philosophy of the New Age), he is still a Jew, right? So if a Jew believes all these teachings which contradict Jewish teachings can still be a Jew, why cannot a Jew who believes יֵשׁוּעָ is Messiah of Israel still be a Jew? If יֵשׁוּעָ is Messiah of Israel, believing in Him is the most Jewish thing you can do!

THE PROOF: There are many well-meaning people trying to get you to believe there's no proof in יֵשׁוּעָbeing Messiah of Israel. Well, again, that's just not true! There's so much proof it's unbelievable.

Objection #1: יֵשׁוּעָdid not fulfill any Messianic prophecies.
Correction: יֵשׁוּעָfulfilled all that were to come to pass in the first coming of the Messiah. יֵשׁוּעָ fulfilled over 500 Messianic prophecies in his lifetime, and will fulfill still more upon his return! Many of these prophecies would be impossible to fulfill purposely (I had no say-so in where I would be born, and it'll be awfully difficult to pick into what family, or the manner, date, and year of my death — but that one's a little easier than the first two). They are listed later on.

Objection #2: Judaism does not believe in the Messiah dying for the sins of Israel.
Correction: Oh yes it does!

Dani'el 9:24-26
²⁴“Seventy septets¹ have been decreed upon your people and upon your holy city to terminate transgression, to end sin, to wipe away iniquity, to bring everlasting righteousness, to confirm the visions and prophets, and to anoint the Holy of Holies. ²⁵Know and comprehend: From the emergence of the word to return and to build Jerusalem until the anointment of the prince [Messiah] will be seven septets² and for sixty-two septets it will be rebuilt, street and mote, but in troubled times. ²⁶Then after the sixty-two septets, the anointed one [Messiah] will be cut off and will exist no longer; the people of the prince will come will destroy the city and the Sanctuary; but his end will be [to be swept away as] in a flood. Then, until the end of the war, desolation is decreed. ”

This is from the TaNaKh, and Judaism believes in the TaNaKh. The phrase Messiah is in the Hebrew Mashiach, and means Anointed One of Eloheim. Many translations of the Scriptures translate this word Mashiach to be An Anointed One in this verse — one of the only verses to specifically say Mashiach in the whole TaNaKh! Rashi puts a very different spin on this verse stating that "the prince" of this verse refers to Titus — a Roman — who commanded the destruction of the Second Temple, which will not be rebuilt until after the War of Gog and Magog in Messianic times. Ironically, Rashi is denying that the word Mashiach which appears only twice in the whole TaNaKh refers not to his Messiah but to a pagan general.

The word translated as Cut Off is y'kareyt, which is best translated "Put to death". Indeed, its meaning in the Torah is only translated as "Put to death" (The JPS, which had no trouble with kareyt in the Torah, here notes "Meaning of Hebrew uncertain". It was not uncertain in Sh’mot, Vayikra or D’varim, now was it?). In this verse (A Messianic Prophecy) The Messiah is to be killed, to:

"to finish the transgression,

and to put an end to sin,

and to atone for iniquity,

and to bring in everlasting righteousness".

Yes, Judaism does believe the Messiah is to atone for sin by his death.

Sukkah 52a "Our Rabbis taught, The Holy One, blessed be He, will say to the Messiah, the son of David (May he reveal himself speedily in our days!), ‘Ask of me anything, and I will give it to thee’, as it is said, I will tell of the decree etc. this day have I begotten thee, ask of me and I will give the nations for thy inheritance. But when he will see that the Messiah the son of Joseph is slain, he will say to Him, ‘Lord of the Universe, I ask of Thee only the gift of life’. As to life, He would answer him, ‘Your father David has already prophesied this concerning you’, as it is said, He asked life of thee, thou gavest it him, [even length of days for ever and ever]."
Sanhedrin 98a "R. Johanan also said: The son of David will come only in a generation that is either altogether righteous or altogether wicked. ‘in a generation that is altogether righteous,’ — as it is written, Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever. ‘Or altogether wicked,’ — as it is written, And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; and it is [elsewhere] written, For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it."

This teaches the Messiah does indeed intercede for sin.

Objection #3: Judaism believes that when Messiah comes, he will gather the lost tribes to Israel, and rebuild the Temple. יֵשׁוּעָdid not do that.
Correction: Judaism did not begin arguing that until one thousand two hundred years later. That's an awfully long time after the game has been played to raise an objection. But it is prophesied the Messiah will do this upon his return. Why didn't he do it the first time? The Talmud teaches in Sukkah 52a and the tractate Sanhedrin that if Israel was worthy, they would receive Messiah son of David, and if not, they would receive Messiah son of Yoseph. יֵשׁוּעָ's adopted father's name is Yoseph. Israel received Messiah son of Joseph at יֵשׁוּעָ's first coming; they will receive Messiah son of David at יֵשׁוּעָ's second coming.

Sanhedrin 98a "So he went to him and greeted him, saying, ‘peace upon thee, Master and Teacher.’ ‘peace upon thee, O son of Levi,’ he replied. ‘When wilt thou come Master?’ asked he, ‘To-day’, was his answer. On his returning to Elijah, the latter inquired, ‘What did he say to thee?’ — ‘peace Upon thee, O son of Levi,’ he answered. Thereupon he [Elijah] observed, ‘He thereby assured thee and thy father of [a portion in] the world to come.’ ‘He spoke falsely to me,’ he rejoined, ‘stating that he would come to-day, but has not.’ He [Elijah] answered him, ‘This is what he said to thee, To-day, if you will hear his voice.’"

Objection #4: Judaism does not believe that one must atone for sins under animal sacrifice. We believe that prayer, repentance, and charity suffice. What about those that could not afford a sacrifice? They paid money for their forgiveness.
Correction: The Torah specifies that Blood is the atonement for sin, going all the way back to B’reshit. The poor made an offering by flour, not money. The offering of flour was placed on top of the sacrifices already there (Vayikra 5:12). In the very next verse, it is written, “And the priest shall make atonement for him.” The High Priest, in his capacity as mediator for the sins of the people, would mingle the flour and blood. This is why the High Priest had to offer a sacrifice for the sins of Israel during Yom Kippur.

Yoma 5a. "Does not atonement come through the blood, as it is said: For it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life!"
Zevachim 6a "Come and hear: And he shall lay [his hand upon the head of the Olah-Offering]; and it shall be accepted [for him to make atonement for him]; does then the laying [of hands] make atonement? Surely atonement can be made only with the blood, as it says, For it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life!"

Menachoth 93b "The same was also taught with regard to the rite of waving. To be waved, to make atonement for him. Does the waving make the atonement? Does not the atonement come through the blood, as it is said, For it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life?"

Common Objection #5: Yesha’yahu 53 has nothing to do with Messiah. It refers to the Jewish people.
Correction: What do the Rabbi's say?

Sanhedrin 98b "Rab said: The world was created only on David's account. Samuel said: On Moses account; R. Johanan said: For the sake of the Messiah. What is his [the Messiah's] name? — The Rabbis said: His name is `the leper scholar,' as it is written, Surely he hath borne our grief, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him a leper, smitten of God, and afflicted."

Targum Yochanan: "Behold my servant the Messiah..."

Maimonides: "Likewise He (King Messiah) would appear without acknowledging a father or mother, as it is written, For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground."

There is not enough room here to cite Rabbinical authorities that confirm Yesha’yahu 53 to be about King Messiah! Go here to see it!

What does Yesha’yahu 53 say? Let's see:

Yesha’yahu 52:12-15
¹²For you shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight; for HASHEM will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.¹³Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men;So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider.
Yesha’yahu 53:1-12
     ¹Who would believe what we have heard! For whom has the arm of HASHEM been revealed? ²Formerly he grew like a sapling or like a root from arid ground; he had neither form nor grandeur; we saw him, but without such visage that we could desire him. ³He was despised and isolated from men, a man of pains and accustomed to illness. As one from whom we would hide our faces; he was despised, and we had no regard for him. ⁴But in truth, it was our ills that he bore, and our pains that he carried — but we had regarded him diseased, stricken by God and afflicted! ⁵He was pained because of our rebellious sins and oppressed through our iniquities; the chastisement upon him was for our benefit. ⁶We have all strayed like sheep, each of us turning his own way, and HASHEM inflicted upon him the iniquity of us all.

     ⁷He was persecuted and afflicted, but he did not open his mouth; like a sheep being led to the slaughter or a ewe that is silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth. ⁸Now that he has been released from captivity and judgment, who could have imagined such a generation? For he had been removed from the land of the living, an affliction upon them that was my people's sin. ⁹He submitted himself to his grave like wicked men; and the wealthy [submitted] to his executions, for committing no crime and with no deceit in his mouth.

    ¹⁰HASHEM desired to oppress him and He afflicted him; if his soul would acknowledge guilt, he would see offspring and live long days and the desire of HASHEM would succeed in his hand. ¹¹He would see [the purpose] and be satisfied with his soul's distress. With his knowledge My servant will vindicate the Righteous One to multitudes; it is their iniquities that he will carry. ¹²Therefore, I will assign him a portion from the multitudes and he will divide the mighty as spoils — in return for having poured out his soul for death and being counted among the wicked, for he bore the sin of the multitudes, and prayed for the wicked.

Does this verse refer to a man, or to the Jewish people? According to popular opinion, it refers to the Jewish people — if so, who are "My People"? Yesha’yahu was a Jew; His people were the Jewish people. How do the Jewish people reject the Jewish people? According to some, it's a Messianic age. If a Messianic age, how does it atone, and how can it have a scarred face? It can only refer to a man. The Rabbi's believe it refers to King Messiah. Read the entire verse carefully. You'll see that it is a man, he is exalted, and his face will be scarred. At least one Rabbi in the Talmud thought this meant the suffering servant would be a leper, because of this verse.

Sanhedrin 98B "Rab said: The world was created only on David's account. Samuel said: On Moshe account; R. Johanan said: For the sake of the Messiah. What is his [the Messiah's] name? — The Rabbis said: His name is `the leper scholar,' as it is written, Surely 0he hath borne our grief, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him a leper, smitten of God, and afflicted."

This suffering servant will sprinkle many nations and make atonement for all with his own blood. It also says that he will be rejected by many of the Jewish people. Will he be handsome? The TaNaKh says King Sha'ul and King David were handsome, but the suffering servant (identified in the Talmud as the Messiah) "he had no form nor comeliness that we should look at him, there was no countenance that we should desire him". It says that he is bearing sorrows and grieves; for himself or for us? For us! And our reaction? We say, "HASHEM is smiting him!" What do those words "transgressions" and "iniquities" mean? Sins. What does wounded, bruised, sufferings, injuries mean? He was punished physically. If you scourge someone (lash someone with a whip with metal tips), what happens to their back? It becomes bloody. So with the Messiahs blood, are we healed. We have atonement. Why do we need atonement? “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and HASHEM has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” We have all sinned, and our sins were laid on the Messiah.

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¹ Dani'el 9:24. Literally "seventy weeks", this phrase refers to seventy times seven years, or 490 years. This refers to the seventy years of exile that have passed from the Destruction of the First Temple until this vision, and the entire 420 year period of the Second Temple (Rashi).

² Dani'el 9:25. The "septets" refer to full seven-year periods. The prince of this verse is Cyrus, who gave permission to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. He ascended to the throne fifty-two years (seven full septets plus three years) after the exile had begun. From then until the second destruction of Jerusalem was 438 years, or sixty-two septets and four years (Rashi).