The Two Comings of Messiah
The Two Comings of Messiah
In reality the Messianic prophecies of the Tanak can be seen as falling under two categories which often seem to conflict. Many of the prophecies seem to speak of a suffering servant Messiah who suffers and dies to redeem his brothers (Ps. 22 and Is. 53 for example). Other prophecies seem to speak of a Messiah who comes and reigns from David’s throne forever.
One solution to this problem that was proposed anciently was the “two Messiah theory” It was this theory that Yochanan (John) referred to when he asked Yeshua “are you he that is destined to come, or do we await another? - (Matt. 11:1-3 ) There are two basic versions of the two Messiah theory:
There are two basic versions of the two Messiah theory:
1. The "rabbinic" two Messiah theory which held to a Messiah the son
of Joseph, sometimes called "Ephraim." who would come and suffer to
redeem his brothers (like the patriarch Joseph); and a Messiah the
son of David who would come and rule from David's throne forever.
2. The "Qumran" two Messiah theory which held to a Priestly Aaronic
Messiah and a Kingly Messiah.
In order to understand the Messianic theory of the Nazarenes and Ebionites it is important to understand these two theories. I will first document each version of the two Messiah theory, then I will show evidence that both theories existed in the first century. I will also show that the two versions of the theory are related to each other. Finally I will show that the NT shows an awareness of the two Messiah theory and relates to it.
The Rabbinic "two Messiah" theory was one of several answers that the Rabbis found for these contradictions. It delegated the lowly, suffering servant passages to Messiah the son of Joseph (sometimes called Ephraim); and the Kingly passages to Messiah the son of David. A good example of the Ephraim Messiah in Rabbinic literature is a Midrash in which the Messiah is being warned by Elohim of what awaits him:
Their sins will be upon you like a yoke of iron.
They will choke your spirit. Because of their sins,
Your tongue will cleave to the roof of your mouth.
Do you accept this? If not, I will remove the decree from you.
The Messiah replies:
"Master of the worlds, how long will this last?
God replies: "Ephraim, my true Messiah, ever since the six
days of creation you have taken this ordeal upon yourself. At
this moment, your pain is my pain"
Messiah replies: "Master of the worlds, I accept this with
gladness in my soul, and joy in my heart, so that not a single
one of the House of Israel should perish. Not only for those
alive, but also the dead. It is enough that the servant be like the Master.
(Midresh Pesqita Rabbah 36)
Rabbi Dosa (who lived around 250 CE) was a chief advocate of the two Messiah theory. The Talmud records that he taught regarding Zech. 12:10:
What is the cause of the mourning [of Zech. 12:12]--... It is
well according to him who explains that the cause is the
slaying of Messiah the son of Joseph, since that well agrees with the Scriptural verse:
And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced,
And they shall mourn for him as one mourns for his
only son. (Zech. 12:10)
(b.Sukkot 52a)
The redemptive role of Messiah is known as “Messiah ben Yoseph” (Messiah the son of Joseph) or “Ephraim” because Messiah would be like the patriarch Joseph. In the Wisdom of Solomon we read the following Messianic Prophecy:
17: Let us see if his words are true: and let us test him by his departure.
(Wisdom 2:15-17 HRV)
(See my recent article “He Says Concerning Himself ‘I am the Son of Elohim’”
http://nazarenespace.com/profiles/blogs/he-says-concerning-himself-...)
This actually recalls an account in the Torah concerning the life of Joseph. When his brothers cast Joseph into the pit we read:
20 Come now therefore and let us slay him, and cast him into one of the pits. And we
will say, An evil beast has devoured him. And we shall see what will become of his dreams.
(Gen. 37:20 HRV)
There is great Messianic significance to this account. Joseph’s life was a type of the first coming of Messiah which parallels the Rabbinical Messiah ben Yoseph. The Suffering Messiah is called Messiah ben Yoseph because his brothers were redeemed by his suffering.
Like Joseph the Patriarch, Yeshua was betrayed by his own for a few pieces of silver (Gen. 37:28) he was cast into “the pit” (death) and raised back up so that he might redeem his brothers, Like Joseph, Yeshua’s teaching and revelation angered his brothers, who sought to put his claims to the test by casting him into the pit (of death).
Now the Qumran community also believed in two Messiahs:
They shall govern themselves using the original precepts
by which the men of the YAHAD began to be instructed,
doing so until there come the Prophet and the Messiahs
of Aaron and Israel.
(Manual of Discipline 1Qs Col. 9 lines 10-11)
Two Messiahs are also evident in 1QSa, 1Q28a where the two Messiahs are pictured at a future Messianic banquet table.
Would there be two Messiahs or one Messiah? There does seem to have been confusion on this issue. While 1QS 9:10-11 refers to the "Messiahs of Levi and Israel" The Damascus Document three times refers to the "Messiah of Levi and Israel" (12:23; 14:19; 19:10) was there a question as to whether these would be two Messiahs or one? A tradition found in Midrash Rabbah may provide the answer:
Another exposition of the text, ' My beloved is like a gazelle ‘: Israel, explained R. Isaac, said to the Holy One, blessed be He: ' Sovereign of the Universe! Thou hast told us that Thou wilt come to us first.’ ' My beloved is like a gazelle ‘; as the gazelle appears and then disappears, so the first redeemer appeared and then disappeared. R. Berekiah in the name of R. Levi said: Like the first redeemer so will the final redeemer be. The first redeemer was Moses, who appeared to them and then disappeared. For how long did he disappear from their sight? R. Tanhuma said: Three months1; accordingly it is written, And they met Moses and Aaron, etc. (ib. V, 20).2 The final redeemer will also appear to them and then disappear.
(Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar 11:2)
Clearly here the two redeemers are Moses and the prophet like Moses, the Messiah (See my recent article “A Prophet Like Moses” http://nazarenespace.com/profiles/blogs/a-prophet-like-moses )
The redemption under Moses can be seen in the Torah as follows:
13 And Moshe said unto the people, Fear you not. Stand still, and see the salvation of YHWH, which He will work for you today! For whereas you have seen the Egyptians today, you shall see them again, no more, forever.
14 YHWH will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.
(Ex. 14:13-14 HRV)
(For more on the two parallel redemptions see my recent article The Crossing of the Red Sea A Picture of the Process of Salvation http://nazarenespace.com/profiles/blogs/the-crossing-of-the-red-sea... )
This Midrash preserves a tradition which tells us that the Messiah would, like Moses, be revealed, then disappeared and then revealed again. The coming of Messiah would be like Moses, who was revealed to Israel. Then he disappeared when he ascended to commune with Elohim on Mt. Sinai. While he was gone there was a great apostasy, and many believed he would never return (Ex. 32:1). When he returned he separated and judged the people and condemned those who had not repented (Ex. 32:26-28). The Midrash is telling us that the coming of Messiah would parallel these events.
There is another important parallel between Moses and the Messiah. We read in the Talmud “What is Messiah’s name?” Rabbi Shila offers the answer: “His name is Shiloh, for it is written, ‘until Shiloh comes.” (b.San. 98b)
This Gemara is citing Genesis 49:10:
The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
nor the staff from between his feet,
until Shiloh comes;
and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
The Targums (Onkelos, Pseudo-Jonathan and Yerushalmi) all have “until Messiah comes” in place of “until Shiloh comes”.
The word “Shiloh” has a gematria (numerical value) of 345 which is the same as the value of “HaShem” (“the name”) and El Shaddai. The phrase “Shiloh comes” has a gematria of 358 which is the same as the gematria for “Messiah and “Moses”
The Zohar says of Gen. 49:10:
…”the scepter” referring to the Messiah of the House of Judah,
and “the staff” to the Messiah of the House of Joseph.
“Until Shiloh comes”, this is Moses, the gematria of Shiloh
and Moses being the same [358].
(Zohar 1:25)
The word Shiloh, here, is spelt with both a yod and a he,
to allude to the holy supernal name, Yah,
by which the Shekinah shall rise…
(Zohar 1:237)
Thus the Zohar teaches us that in Genesis 49:10 we have the two Messiahs (or the two comings of Messiah) represented as a “scepter” and a “staff” which are one “Shiloh” and that the one “Shiloh” has Yah within him.
The two comings of Messiah are also evident in the Tanak itself.
In Zechariah 13:4-6 we see the Messiah in his role as judge, he is described as having wounds in the midst of his hands, and this clearly refers us back to Zech 12:10 where the Messiah had been pierced. When we compare Zech. 13:1-3 with Micah 5:8-14 it is clear that they speak of the same Messianic judge, and if we look at Micah 5:1(2) we find that this Messiah was born in Bethlehem (See my recent article “What are these Wounds in Your Hands?” ( http://nazarenespace.com/profiles/blogs/what-are-these-wounds-in-yo... ). This points to two comings of Messiah, first to be born in Bethlehem, pierced in the midst of his hands among his own people and then after this to be the Messianic Judge.
Another evidence of the two comings of Messiah can be found in Psalm 110 Where we read:
1 A Psalm of David. (110:1) YHWH says unto my Adon: Sit you at My right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.
2 The rod of Your strength, YHWH will send out of Tziyon. Rule you in the midst of
your enemies.
3 Your people offer themselves willingly in the day of your warfare; in adornments of
Set-Apartness: from the womb of the dawn, yours is the dew of your youth.
4 YHWH has sworn, and will not repent: You are a cohen forever after the manner of
MalkiTzadek.
5 YHWH, at your right hand, does crush kings in the day of His wrath.
6 He will judge among the nations: He fills it with the dead bodies. He crushes the head
over a wide land.
7 He will drink of the brook in the way: therefore will he lift up the head.
In verse 5 the Masoretic Text has “Adonai” This is one of 134 places where the MT reads “Adonai” but which the Masorah indicates that the text originally read “YHWH” and had been altered by the scribes in an attempt on their part to clarify the text. A copy found at the Cairo Geniza has “YHWH” here. (See my recent article “How the Anti-Missionaries Misrepresent the Text” (http://nazarenespace.com/profiles/blogs/how-the-anti-missionaries-m... )
According to the Midrash Tehillim the second “Lord” in Ps. 110:1 is the Messiah:
The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit you at My right hand.
To the Messiah it will also be said,
and in mercy the throne be established;…
(Midrash Tehillim on Ps. 110:1)
(There is much more to be said about this Psalm, but I will save that for a future article.)
Here the two comings of Messiah are evident. The Messiah ascends to YHWH apparently from earth where he has made some enemies. He stays there until his return at which he will “crush kings” and his “enemies will be made his footstool”.
The truth is that the Messiah comes twice. In his first coming he will fill the redemptive role of “Messiah ben Yosef”, suffer and die in order to redeem his brothers, then he would ascend to YHWH and in time he would come again to bring peace to the world, reign from David’s throne forever and judge the world in the role of Messiah ben David.
Some of you may be wondering why Tom Mitchel was standing in for me for this weeks Truth Talk Live. The reason is that I was dealing with an emergency plumbing situation.
Friends we seriously need your financial support. This month we have been recovering from low donations in January and February. Now our plumbing is backed up on the main line and will require a plumber with a roto-rooter to clear the line. This will cost between $100 and $200 that we just do not have right now. Now is the time to support this ministry with your tithes and offerings. Is this work worthy of your support?
by
James Scott Trimm
Anti-missionaries like Tovia Singer often
argue that Yeshua could not have been the Messiah because he did not
fulfill certain prophecies in bringing peace to the world and ruling
from David’s throne forever.James Scott Trimm
In reality the Messianic prophecies of the Tanak can be seen as falling under two categories which often seem to conflict. Many of the prophecies seem to speak of a suffering servant Messiah who suffers and dies to redeem his brothers (Ps. 22 and Is. 53 for example). Other prophecies seem to speak of a Messiah who comes and reigns from David’s throne forever.
One solution to this problem that was proposed anciently was the “two Messiah theory” It was this theory that Yochanan (John) referred to when he asked Yeshua “are you he that is destined to come, or do we await another? - (Matt. 11:1-3 ) There are two basic versions of the two Messiah theory:
There are two basic versions of the two Messiah theory:
1. The "rabbinic" two Messiah theory which held to a Messiah the son
of Joseph, sometimes called "Ephraim." who would come and suffer to
redeem his brothers (like the patriarch Joseph); and a Messiah the
son of David who would come and rule from David's throne forever.
2. The "Qumran" two Messiah theory which held to a Priestly Aaronic
Messiah and a Kingly Messiah.
In order to understand the Messianic theory of the Nazarenes and Ebionites it is important to understand these two theories. I will first document each version of the two Messiah theory, then I will show evidence that both theories existed in the first century. I will also show that the two versions of the theory are related to each other. Finally I will show that the NT shows an awareness of the two Messiah theory and relates to it.
The Rabbinic "two Messiah" theory was one of several answers that the Rabbis found for these contradictions. It delegated the lowly, suffering servant passages to Messiah the son of Joseph (sometimes called Ephraim); and the Kingly passages to Messiah the son of David. A good example of the Ephraim Messiah in Rabbinic literature is a Midrash in which the Messiah is being warned by Elohim of what awaits him:
Their sins will be upon you like a yoke of iron.
They will choke your spirit. Because of their sins,
Your tongue will cleave to the roof of your mouth.
Do you accept this? If not, I will remove the decree from you.
The Messiah replies:
"Master of the worlds, how long will this last?
God replies: "Ephraim, my true Messiah, ever since the six
days of creation you have taken this ordeal upon yourself. At
this moment, your pain is my pain"
Messiah replies: "Master of the worlds, I accept this with
gladness in my soul, and joy in my heart, so that not a single
one of the House of Israel should perish. Not only for those
alive, but also the dead. It is enough that the servant be like the Master.
(Midresh Pesqita Rabbah 36)
Rabbi Dosa (who lived around 250 CE) was a chief advocate of the two Messiah theory. The Talmud records that he taught regarding Zech. 12:10:
What is the cause of the mourning [of Zech. 12:12]--... It is
well according to him who explains that the cause is the
slaying of Messiah the son of Joseph, since that well agrees with the Scriptural verse:
And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced,
And they shall mourn for him as one mourns for his
only son. (Zech. 12:10)
(b.Sukkot 52a)
The redemptive role of Messiah is known as “Messiah ben Yoseph” (Messiah the son of Joseph) or “Ephraim” because Messiah would be like the patriarch Joseph. In the Wisdom of Solomon we read the following Messianic Prophecy:
17: Let us see if his words are true: and let us test him by his departure.
(Wisdom 2:15-17 HRV)
(See my recent article “He Says Concerning Himself ‘I am the Son of Elohim’”
http://nazarenespace.com/profiles/blogs/he-says-concerning-himself-...)
This actually recalls an account in the Torah concerning the life of Joseph. When his brothers cast Joseph into the pit we read:
20 Come now therefore and let us slay him, and cast him into one of the pits. And we
will say, An evil beast has devoured him. And we shall see what will become of his dreams.
(Gen. 37:20 HRV)
There is great Messianic significance to this account. Joseph’s life was a type of the first coming of Messiah which parallels the Rabbinical Messiah ben Yoseph. The Suffering Messiah is called Messiah ben Yoseph because his brothers were redeemed by his suffering.
Like Joseph the Patriarch, Yeshua was betrayed by his own for a few pieces of silver (Gen. 37:28) he was cast into “the pit” (death) and raised back up so that he might redeem his brothers, Like Joseph, Yeshua’s teaching and revelation angered his brothers, who sought to put his claims to the test by casting him into the pit (of death).
Now the Qumran community also believed in two Messiahs:
They shall govern themselves using the original precepts
by which the men of the YAHAD began to be instructed,
doing so until there come the Prophet and the Messiahs
of Aaron and Israel.
(Manual of Discipline 1Qs Col. 9 lines 10-11)
Two Messiahs are also evident in 1QSa, 1Q28a where the two Messiahs are pictured at a future Messianic banquet table.
Would there be two Messiahs or one Messiah? There does seem to have been confusion on this issue. While 1QS 9:10-11 refers to the "Messiahs of Levi and Israel" The Damascus Document three times refers to the "Messiah of Levi and Israel" (12:23; 14:19; 19:10) was there a question as to whether these would be two Messiahs or one? A tradition found in Midrash Rabbah may provide the answer:
Another exposition of the text, ' My beloved is like a gazelle ‘: Israel, explained R. Isaac, said to the Holy One, blessed be He: ' Sovereign of the Universe! Thou hast told us that Thou wilt come to us first.’ ' My beloved is like a gazelle ‘; as the gazelle appears and then disappears, so the first redeemer appeared and then disappeared. R. Berekiah in the name of R. Levi said: Like the first redeemer so will the final redeemer be. The first redeemer was Moses, who appeared to them and then disappeared. For how long did he disappear from their sight? R. Tanhuma said: Three months1; accordingly it is written, And they met Moses and Aaron, etc. (ib. V, 20).2 The final redeemer will also appear to them and then disappear.
(Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar 11:2)
Clearly here the two redeemers are Moses and the prophet like Moses, the Messiah (See my recent article “A Prophet Like Moses” http://nazarenespace.com/profiles/blogs/a-prophet-like-moses )
The redemption under Moses can be seen in the Torah as follows:
13 And Moshe said unto the people, Fear you not. Stand still, and see the salvation of YHWH, which He will work for you today! For whereas you have seen the Egyptians today, you shall see them again, no more, forever.
14 YHWH will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.
(Ex. 14:13-14 HRV)
(For more on the two parallel redemptions see my recent article The Crossing of the Red Sea A Picture of the Process of Salvation http://nazarenespace.com/profiles/blogs/the-crossing-of-the-red-sea... )
This Midrash preserves a tradition which tells us that the Messiah would, like Moses, be revealed, then disappeared and then revealed again. The coming of Messiah would be like Moses, who was revealed to Israel. Then he disappeared when he ascended to commune with Elohim on Mt. Sinai. While he was gone there was a great apostasy, and many believed he would never return (Ex. 32:1). When he returned he separated and judged the people and condemned those who had not repented (Ex. 32:26-28). The Midrash is telling us that the coming of Messiah would parallel these events.
There is another important parallel between Moses and the Messiah. We read in the Talmud “What is Messiah’s name?” Rabbi Shila offers the answer: “His name is Shiloh, for it is written, ‘until Shiloh comes.” (b.San. 98b)
This Gemara is citing Genesis 49:10:
The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
nor the staff from between his feet,
until Shiloh comes;
and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
The Targums (Onkelos, Pseudo-Jonathan and Yerushalmi) all have “until Messiah comes” in place of “until Shiloh comes”.
The word “Shiloh” has a gematria (numerical value) of 345 which is the same as the value of “HaShem” (“the name”) and El Shaddai. The phrase “Shiloh comes” has a gematria of 358 which is the same as the gematria for “Messiah and “Moses”
The Zohar says of Gen. 49:10:
…”the scepter” referring to the Messiah of the House of Judah,
and “the staff” to the Messiah of the House of Joseph.
“Until Shiloh comes”, this is Moses, the gematria of Shiloh
and Moses being the same [358].
(Zohar 1:25)
The word Shiloh, here, is spelt with both a yod and a he,
to allude to the holy supernal name, Yah,
by which the Shekinah shall rise…
(Zohar 1:237)
Thus the Zohar teaches us that in Genesis 49:10 we have the two Messiahs (or the two comings of Messiah) represented as a “scepter” and a “staff” which are one “Shiloh” and that the one “Shiloh” has Yah within him.
The two comings of Messiah are also evident in the Tanak itself.
In Zechariah 13:4-6 we see the Messiah in his role as judge, he is described as having wounds in the midst of his hands, and this clearly refers us back to Zech 12:10 where the Messiah had been pierced. When we compare Zech. 13:1-3 with Micah 5:8-14 it is clear that they speak of the same Messianic judge, and if we look at Micah 5:1(2) we find that this Messiah was born in Bethlehem (See my recent article “What are these Wounds in Your Hands?” ( http://nazarenespace.com/profiles/blogs/what-are-these-wounds-in-yo... ). This points to two comings of Messiah, first to be born in Bethlehem, pierced in the midst of his hands among his own people and then after this to be the Messianic Judge.
Another evidence of the two comings of Messiah can be found in Psalm 110 Where we read:
1 A Psalm of David. (110:1) YHWH says unto my Adon: Sit you at My right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.
2 The rod of Your strength, YHWH will send out of Tziyon. Rule you in the midst of
your enemies.
3 Your people offer themselves willingly in the day of your warfare; in adornments of
Set-Apartness: from the womb of the dawn, yours is the dew of your youth.
4 YHWH has sworn, and will not repent: You are a cohen forever after the manner of
MalkiTzadek.
5 YHWH, at your right hand, does crush kings in the day of His wrath.
6 He will judge among the nations: He fills it with the dead bodies. He crushes the head
over a wide land.
7 He will drink of the brook in the way: therefore will he lift up the head.
In verse 5 the Masoretic Text has “Adonai” This is one of 134 places where the MT reads “Adonai” but which the Masorah indicates that the text originally read “YHWH” and had been altered by the scribes in an attempt on their part to clarify the text. A copy found at the Cairo Geniza has “YHWH” here. (See my recent article “How the Anti-Missionaries Misrepresent the Text” (http://nazarenespace.com/profiles/blogs/how-the-anti-missionaries-m... )
According to the Midrash Tehillim the second “Lord” in Ps. 110:1 is the Messiah:
The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit you at My right hand.
To the Messiah it will also be said,
and in mercy the throne be established;…
(Midrash Tehillim on Ps. 110:1)
(There is much more to be said about this Psalm, but I will save that for a future article.)
Here the two comings of Messiah are evident. The Messiah ascends to YHWH apparently from earth where he has made some enemies. He stays there until his return at which he will “crush kings” and his “enemies will be made his footstool”.
The truth is that the Messiah comes twice. In his first coming he will fill the redemptive role of “Messiah ben Yosef”, suffer and die in order to redeem his brothers, then he would ascend to YHWH and in time he would come again to bring peace to the world, reign from David’s throne forever and judge the world in the role of Messiah ben David.
Some of you may be wondering why Tom Mitchel was standing in for me for this weeks Truth Talk Live. The reason is that I was dealing with an emergency plumbing situation.
Friends we seriously need your financial support. This month we have been recovering from low donations in January and February. Now our plumbing is backed up on the main line and will require a plumber with a roto-rooter to clear the line. This will cost between $100 and $200 that we just do not have right now. Now is the time to support this ministry with your tithes and offerings. Is this work worthy of your support?
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