A Prophet Like Moses

In their attacks on the Messiahship of Yeshua some anti-missionaries have attempted to minimumize the importance of the concept of the Messiah in Judaism.  For example in one Article Jews for Judaism states:


"Since the Bible makes no explicit reference to the Messiah, it is unlikely that it could be considered the most important concept in the Bible. Indeed, in Jewish thought, the Messianic idea is not the most crucial.  However, in Christian thought, the Messiah is paramount- a difficulty in light of its conspicuous absence from scripture. "
(Messiah: The Criteria p. 2)


This is of course very misleading. In fact Scripture does make explicit mention of the Messiah in various verses:


The kings of the earth stand up, and the rulers take counsel together against YHWH,
and against His anointed [His Messiah]:
(Ps. 2:2)
(In my recent article "Kiss the Son" I covered the Messianic nature of this passage)



The spirit of the Adonai YHWH is upon me; because YHWH has anointed me to bring good tidings unto the humble, He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the eyes to them that are bound:
(Is. 61:1)

Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the word, to restore and to
build Yerushalayim unto Messiah, a prince, shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks. It shall be built again, with broad place and moat, but in troublous times.
And after threescore and two weeks, shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself.
And the people of a prince that shall come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. And the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war, desolations are determined.
(Dan. 9:25-26)

The doctrine of the Messiah is a matter of Prophecy and prophecy is rarely "explicit".  The Messiah is referred to by many terms such as "the branch" and often simply described.  The fact is that there are hundreds of passages that refer to the Messiah and many non-explicit passages which the Rabbinic writings also identify as references to the Messiah.

The phrase "the Messianic idea is not the most crucial" contrasted with the phrase "the Messiah is paramount" seems intended to give the false impression that the Messianic idea is not very important in Judaism.

In fact the 12th of Rambam's 13 Principles of faith, which are generally regarded as defining Rabbinic Judaism, says:

I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah; and even though he may tarry, nonetheless, I wait every day for his coming.
(Principle 12- Thirteen Principles of Faith)


In other words, a Jew who does not believe in "the Messianic idea" is regarded in Rabbinic Judaism as an apostate from the faith.  Now I would call that "paramount" and if its not the "most" crucial, it's certainly in the top thirteen.


In fact the identity of the Messiah is both crucial paramount in the Torah.  The Torah says:


18 I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like unto you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which he shall speak in My Name, I will require it of him.
(Deut. 18:18-19 HRV)


The Thirteenth Century Rabbinic commentator Ralbag (Rabbi Levi ben Gershon) writes concerning this passage:


A prophet from the midst of you.- In fact the Messiah is such a Prophet as it is stated in the Midrash [Tanhuma] on the verse "Behold my Servant shall prosper" [Is. 52:13]... Moses by the miracles which he wrought brought a single nation to worship Elohim, but the Messiah will draw all peoples to the worship of Elohim.
(Ralbag on Duet. 18:18)


The Midrash Tanhuma (cited above) says:

It is written, Behold, my servant shall deal wisely, He shall be exalted, and extolled, and be very high (Isaiah 52:13). It means, He shall be more exalted than Abraham of whom it is written, 'I lift up my hand' (Genesis 14:22). He shall be more extolled than Moses of whom it is said, 'As a nursing father beareth the nursing child' (Numbers 11:12). 'And shall be very high'—that is, Messiah shall be higher than the ministering angels.
(Midrash Tanhuma Is. 52:13)

Maimonides, in a letter to a Yemenite community, denounces a man claiming to be the Messiah saying:

The Messiah will be a very great Prophet, greater than all the Prophets with the exception of Moses our teacher…His status will be higher than that of the Prophets and more honorable, Moses alone excepted. The Creator, blessed be He, will single him out with features wherewith He had not singled out Moses; for it is said with references to him, “And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears.” (Isaiah 11:3)

The Dead Sea Scroll document 4Q175 also speaks of a Messianic Figure (clearly the Messiah) and applies Deut. 18:18-19 indicating that the Prophet “like Moses” was understood clearly as referring to the Messiah as far back as the Hasmoean period.

Now in Deut. 18:19 the Torah says of those who do not give heed to this Messiah “I [Elohim] will require it of him.”  What does this mean?

The Targum Onkelos to this phrase is even stronger saying “My Word shall take vengeance upon him” and similarly the Greek Septuagint translator rendered the phrase “I shall take vengeance upon him.”.  Certainly the Torah not only foretells the coming of Messiah, it requires every Torah Observant Jew to accept and follow this Messiah.


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