Is it moshich or messiah? Are they the same or is there a difference? To many people, moshiach is a Hebrew pronunciation of messiah. But this is not actually true. There is a strong difference between the meanings of the Jewish moshiach and the Christian Messiah. The Hebrew meaning of “moshiach” is “anointed one”. Nothing more and nothing less, just an anointed one. This anointed one will typically be referring to a King, the High Priest, or a Prophet. The Hebrew word moshiach will be found 30 plus times in the Jewish Scriptures (Tanach), and it identifies people like King David, or a prophet like Elijah, or a priest like Aaron. However in the Christian Bible, “moshiach” is usually translated as anointed, with the exception in Daniel 9, where it is translated as “messiah”, with a capital “M” in English. Adding the capital “M” gives this word a totally different meaning than intended. Keep in mind Hebrew has no capital letters.
Does the Jewish Scripture describe a moshiach (an anointed one) that will come and reign?
To understand the Jewish perspective we need to review the Scriptures. So what does the Tanach tell us about a coming moshiach? The Scriptures tells us what to look for and how the scene will be when the moshiach is present. Lets look at the Hebrew Scripture without commentary, I think it does a tremendous job on its own.
As you read the following prophecies ask the question,”Has this prophecy been fulfilled?”
- He will be a political leader from King Davids linage.
Jeremiah 23:5
Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I will raise up for David a righteous branch; and he will reign as king and act wisely, and do justice and righteousness in the land.
- He will be well versed in Jewish law and observant.
Isaiah 11:2 – 5
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; and He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.
- He will be a military leader.
Jeremiah 33:15
In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth.
- Before the time of the Moshiach – there will be war and suffering.
Ezekiel 38:16
And you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog.”and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog.”
- He will restore Jerusalem.
Isaiah 11:11-12
Then it will happen on that day that the Lord Will again recover the second time with His hand The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the islands of the sea. And He will lift up a standard for the nations And assemble the banished ones of Israel, And will gather the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth.
Jeremiah 23:8
But, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ Then they will live on their own soil.”
Jeremiah 30:3
‘For behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.’ The LORD says, ‘I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it.'”
Hosea 3:4-5
For the sons of Israel will remain for many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar and without ephod or household idols. Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.
- He will establish government.
Isaiah 2:2-4
Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.
Isaiah 11:10
Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious.
Isaiah 42:1
“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.
- Build a Temple.
Jeremiah 33:18
And the Levitical priests shall never lack a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to prepare sacrifices continually.'”
- The restoration a religious court.
Jeremiah 33:15
‘In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth.
- There will be peaceful co-existence.
Isaiah 2:4
And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.
Isaiah 11:6-9
And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.
- Returning of all the Jews to Israel.
Isaiah 11:11-12
Then it will happen on that day that the Lord Will again recover the second time with His hand The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the islands of the sea. And He will lift up a standard for the nations And assemble the banished ones of Israel, And will gather the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth.
Jeremiah 23:8
But, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ Then they will live on their own soil.”
Jeremiah 30:3
For behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.’ The LORD says, ‘I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it.'”
Hosea 3:4-5
For the sons of Israel will remain for many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar and without ephod or household idols. Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.
- All the world will recognize the Jewish God.
Isaiah 2:3
And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Isaiah 11:10
Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious.
Micah 4:2-3
Many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He will judge between many peoples, and render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation,and never again will they train for war.
Zechariah 14:9
And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.
- There will be no more sin
Zephaniah 3:13
The remnant of Israel will do no wrong And tell no lies, Nor will a deceitful tongue Be found in their mouths; For they will feed and lie down With no one to make them tremble.”
I have listed the 12 prophecies that according to Scripture must either be fulfilled for the coming of the moshiach, or reflect what the moshiach will accomplish. In the Jewish belief these prophecies are a guide given by G-d for us to follow. When evaluating a prospective moshiach, the Jewish rabbi’s would weigh the events of the day, and the accomplishments of the person in question. In Judaism it is believed that these prophecies have not yet been fulfilled.
by, Jim Behnke
Studying Torah 
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