The Messiah in the Old Testament in the Light of Rabbinical Writings

This book about the Messianic Old Testament prophecies in the Light of Rabbinical Writings has already seen eight Hebrew editions in Israel. It is the first study written in modern Hebrew by a gentile scholar. According to the writer he is making a kind of "Nahson's leap", the first one to jump into the Red Sea at Moses' command. The item is somewhat delicate. The writer is stepping into the lion's den of the Rabbis and into the fiery furnace of the liberal theologians. But he hopes that others will follow him and promote a similar dialogue in the spirit of tolerance and spiritual democracy. The book has been translated e.g. in English, German, Russian, Finnish and Estonian. The Chinese version is forthcoming also.

A certain prominent Aramaic scholar wrote to the author saying that according to his estimation "no such material concerning the identity of our Lord has hitherto been condensed into such a succinct presentation as this.".

Please check with us for availability of this book in Hebrew or Russian.

Preface from the Publisher:

To the English reader.

This little volume has seen five Hebrew editions during recent years, and as the interest in the subject of "Messiah" is still on the rise among Israelis today, it is becoming one of the most widely circulated Messianic books in the Hebrew language.

Soon the State of Israel will celebrate its year of Jubilee. The many ups and downs of its short history, ideals, high hopes and illusions which had to give way to often bitter realities have brought about a mental and spiritual readiness in our people to contemplate about a personified Messiah.

We have received in the last 18 months over 4500 request of the book in Hebrew and a very substantial number of letters from the reader which express mostly very positive reactions. "It is a very realistic book", they say. "I enjoyed each chapter of the book with its astonishingly clear explanations". Or, "The book invalidates the superficial and bashful approach on this subject that has evolved over the years and that has hidden from us the depth of the simple truth. These veils have now been removed by the book, and herein lies its greatness." This is the reason to publish this book in English.

I am sure that this book, which is largely based on the heritage of Jewish religious thinking, will also appeal to English readers throughout the world. It is our wish that its circulation will be as wide as its Hebrew counterpart, to enlighten many who earnestly await the arrival of the Messiah.

Jerusalem, Adar 5752, February 1992

The Editor,
Victor Smadja

Printed in Israel by Keren Ahvah Meshihit (Christian Brotherhood Fund), a publication run Jewish believers, dedicated to the reprinting of timeless Messianic classics.

234 Pages.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

To the English reader

INTRODUCTION

THE MESSIAH IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

The 'Theology of Fulfilment' controversy
Judaism's traditional stance
Christian study of Jewish sources
Our common heritage

CHOOSING THE APPROPRIATE  METHOD OF STUDY
The difference between biblical and western ways of thinking
The difference betweenthe characters of the natural sciences and the humanities
Method, and the choice of the appropriate source material

THE MESSIAH IN THE PENTATEUCH
The spirit of the messiah in the creation account
The proto-evangel 
The messiah who will break down the hedge around the law
The messiah who will rule the nations
The Messiah as the Second Moses
- The Messiah as the Last Saviour
- Comparisons between Moses and Jesus.
- The character of the revelation of God to Moses.
- The name of the Lord as a sign of salvation
- Did Moses believe in an avenging God or in a God of mercy?
- The Prophet who will be conceived by the Holy Spirit
The Torah of Moses and the Messiah
- The Messiah's Torah and the future of the Law
- The Torah interpreted by the False Messiah Sabbatai Tsvi
- The basis of Paul's interpretation of the Torah
The Messiah, Prince of the Countenance
- Jacob sees the face of God
- Christ as the 'Prince of the Countenance'
- The Messiah, the Mimra or 'Word' of God
- The message of spiritual counsel associated with Penuel
The time of Christ's coming
- The Christ seen from afar
- Christ's first advent
- What the Jewish scholars think about the coming of the Messiah
- The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple as a sign of the coming of the Messiah

THE MESSIAH IN THE PSALMS
- What the Psalms have to say about Christ
- The Jews see the Messiah in the Psalms
Psalm 2 and Psalm 110
- The Messianic tone of the second Psalm
- The picture in Psalm 110 of the one sitting at the right hand of God
Psalm 22 as the interpreter of the suffering Messiah
Psalm 118 and the "stone which the builders rejected"
Psalm 102 and the return of the Messiah in his glory.

THE MESSIAH IN THE PROPHETS
The general nature of the messianic office in the prophets
The prophets of the Northern Kingdom, Israel
- The prophet Amos
- The prophet Hosea
- The prophet Jonah,
The prophets of the Southern Kingdom, Judah
- The vision of Obadaiah,
- Joel's Messianic message
- Zephaniah
- The prophet Habakkuk
- The prophet Micah
- The prophet Isaiah
- Jeremiah,
The prophets who were active during the exile
- Ezekiel's Messianic message
- Daniel,
The prophets who appeared after the exile
- Haggai
- Zechariah
- The book of Malachi

THE BIRTH AND THE CHARACTER   OF THE MESSIAH

THE SUFFERING MESSIAH IN THE PROPHETS

WHAT THEN SHALL WE SAY TO THIS?

LITERATURE CONSULTED