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:One critic took Joseph Smith to task because he indicated that Moroni had said the prophecies in Isaiah 11 and Joel 2:28-32 were “about to be fulfilled” (Joseph Smith-History 1:40-41). The same critic also attacked the prophecy in D&C 88:87-a paraphrase of the Joel prophecy, which says that in “not many days” the moon would be bathed in blood, the sun would refuse to give its light, and the stars would be cast down-none of which has yet occurred. It is hard to understand how the man could condemn Joseph Smith as a false prophet and yet continue to accept Joel, who uttered the same prophecy two and a half millennia ago. Moreover, the version found in D&C 88:87 is closer to Christ’s paraphrase of the Joel passage (Matthew 24:29). Jesus said that “this generation shall not pass” until these words were fulfilled (Matthew 24:34). | :One critic took Joseph Smith to task because he indicated that Moroni had said the prophecies in Isaiah 11 and Joel 2:28-32 were “about to be fulfilled” (Joseph Smith-History 1:40-41). The same critic also attacked the prophecy in D&C 88:87-a paraphrase of the Joel prophecy, which says that in “not many days” the moon would be bathed in blood, the sun would refuse to give its light, and the stars would be cast down-none of which has yet occurred. It is hard to understand how the man could condemn Joseph Smith as a false prophet and yet continue to accept Joel, who uttered the same prophecy two and a half millennia ago. Moreover, the version found in D&C 88:87 is closer to Christ’s paraphrase of the Joel passage (Matthew 24:29). Jesus said that “this generation shall not pass” until these words were fulfilled (Matthew 24:34). | ||
− | :If this prophecy makes Joseph Smith a false prophet, then what of Jesus and Peter, who paraphrased Joel 2:10, 28-32; 3:15? What of Joel himself, or of Isaiah, who used similar wording when he spoke of the coming attack on Babylon (which occurred in 539 B.C.) by the Medes (see verse 17) and Persians (Isaiah 13:9-10, 13; compare with 24:23). Christ said that there were some living in his day who would not die before the fulfillment of the prophecy. Peter said that it was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. To John, however (Revelation 6:12-17), the event was yet future.2 Obviously, the expression “not many days” cannot be taken as literally as the critics tend to take it. Prophecies are accomplished in God’s time, not man’s. | + | :If this prophecy makes Joseph Smith a false prophet, then what of Jesus and Peter, who paraphrased Joel 2:10, 28-32; 3:15? What of Joel himself, or of Isaiah, who used similar wording when he spoke of the coming attack on Babylon (which occurred in 539 B.C.) by the Medes (see verse 17) and Persians (Isaiah 13:9-10, 13; compare with 24:23). Christ said that there were some living in his day who would not die before the fulfillment of the prophecy. Peter said that it was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. To John, however (Revelation 6:12-17), the event was yet future.<ref>John based the wording of his prophecy on Isaiah 13:9-13; 2:10 and Hosea 10:8; compare with Luke 23:30.</ref> Obviously, the expression “not many days” cannot be taken as literally as the critics tend to take it. Prophecies are accomplished in God’s time, not man’s. |
− | :As for Jesus’ statement that these events would happen during his generation, Joseph Smith handled the problem by saying that Jesus was referring to the “generation” in which the signs would begin (Joseph Smith-Matthew 1:34). Those who reject Joseph as a “false prophet” are left with the quandary of either believing Jesus to have falsely prophesied or of accepting at least one teaching from Joseph Smith. But, from another point of view, we know that there are people who were alive in Jesus day (and also in Joseph’s) who have not died, namely, the Apostle John (John 21:20-24; D&C 7) and the three Nephite disciples (3 Nephi 28:4-9). | + | :As for Jesus’ statement that these events would happen during his generation, Joseph Smith handled the problem by saying that Jesus was referring to the “generation” in which the signs would begin (Joseph Smith-Matthew 1:34). Those who reject Joseph as a “false prophet” are left with the quandary of either believing Jesus to have falsely prophesied or of accepting at least one teaching from Joseph Smith. But, from another point of view, we know that there are people who were alive in Jesus day (and also in Joseph’s) who have not died, namely, the Apostle John (John 21:20-24; D&C 7) and the three Nephite disciples (3 Nephi 28:4-9).<ref>Translated beings from previous dispensations had also not died. These include Enoch and his people (Genesis 5:24; Moses 7:69), Melchizedek and his people (JST Genesis 14:32-34), and Elijah (2 Kings 2:9-12).</ref> |
− | :Another prophecy to be fulfilled in “this generation” is the building of a temple in Jackson County, Missouri (D&C 84:3-5). This passage has been highly criticized because the temple has yet to be built. But the words are the same as those used by Jesus nearly 2,000 years ago concerning events that have not yet occurred. The double standard of the critics allows them to accept biblical statements without question, while denouncing Joseph Smith as a false prophet.<ref>John A. Tvedtnes, "The Nature of Prophets and Prophecy," ''FAIR Publications'', accessed December 5, 2022, https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/archive/publications/the-nature-of-prophets-and-prophecy-2.</ref> | + | :Another prophecy to be fulfilled in “this generation” is the building of a temple in Jackson County, Missouri (D&C 84:3-5). This passage has been highly criticized because the temple has yet to be built. But the words are the same as those used by Jesus nearly 2,000 years ago concerning events that have not yet occurred. The double standard of the critics allows them to accept biblical statements without question, while denouncing Joseph Smith as a false prophet.<ref>Interestingly, the prophecy in D&C 84:5 was fulfilled at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple in March, 1836, according to the journals of many then present.</ref><ref>John A. Tvedtnes, "The Nature of Prophets and Prophecy," ''FAIR Publications'', accessed December 5, 2022, https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/archive/publications/the-nature-of-prophets-and-prophecy-2.</ref> |
===Jesus' Fulfillment of Jewish Messianic Expectations=== | ===Jesus' Fulfillment of Jewish Messianic Expectations=== |
This page is still under construction. We welcome any suggestions for improving the content of this FAIR Answers Wiki page. |
The question of whether or not Jesus is the promised Jewish messiah is fundamental to the claims of Christianity, Judaism, and, by extension, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
All three groups accept the Hebrew Bible (comprising the books of Genesis through Malachi) as Holy Scripture and take note of the prophecies of a figure that would come as the Messiah. The word Messiah comes from the Hebrew word Meshiach which means “anointed one”.
BYU Professor Trevan Hatch summarizes the content of the prophecies and the expectations that Jews had of the Messiah prior to Jesus’ coming. Those include:
On top of these biblical expectations, the Book of Mormon adds its own messianic expectations. Hatch writes that "The Book of Mormon posits the following regarding the Messiah: (1) he would be the future redeemer of humankind (1 Nephi 10:4–5; 2 Nephi 1:10; 2:6); (2) the Son of God was the Messiah (1 Nephi 10:17); (3) he would come in the fullness of time, also called the meridian of time (2 Nephi 2:26); (4) he would be slain and rise from the dead (1 Nephi 10:11; 2 Nephi 25:14)."[1]
Hatch writes that “[w]e must be careful not to assume that all Jews expected the messiah to be and do all these things. Some Jews may have expected some of these outcomes while rejecting others. This list is simply a conglomeration of what is apparent in pre-Christian Jewish texts regarding messianic expectations.”[2] Thus, while it might be enlightening and inspiring to see Jesus fulfill all of the expectations listed above, it might not be necessary in order to establish his messiahship.
Joshua M. Matson notes that "[w]hile scholars still struggle to reach a consensus concerning the extent to which messianism influenced the formation and beliefs of Jewish communities in the Second Temple period,[3] they widely recognize a body of ancient texts that appear to have served as the foundation for messianic expectations. This body includes texts in the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 49:8–12; Numbers 24:15–19; 2 Samuel 7:12–17; Isaiah 11:1–9; Psalm 89:36–38; Amos 9:11–15; and Jeremiah 23:5–8; 33:15–18) and expansions on biblical traditions in nonbiblical texts (Psalms of Solomon 17–18; 4 Ezra 13; 2 Baruch 72–74; and texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls like 1QM V and 4Q175)."[4]
Some Jews expected there to be one figure that would satisfy all of these requirements with one and only one arrival or advent. Others thought that there would be two seperate figures that would satisfy these requirements. Still others thought that there would be one figure but that he or she would satisfy these requirements with two arrivals or comings. It is this last one that Christians have held onto as the basis of their belief in Jesus as the Messiah.
Many Jews today believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Many have converted to Chrisitianity or become affiliated with what is known as the Messianic Judaism movement. Conservative Jewish scholars have embraced Jesus as at least a plausible candidate for the Jewish Messiah. For example, Daniel Boyarin, the Taubman Professor of Talmudic Culture and Rhetoric at the University of California, Berkeley, argues in his book The Jewish Gospels: The Story of the Jewish Christ (2012) that "[t]he coming of the Messiah...was fully imagined, in detail, in ancient Jewish texts."[5]
How well does Jesus hold up to these messianic requirements? What other issues must be dealt with when establishing Jesus as the Messiah? How does the Book of Mormon play into convincing Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ? This article attempts to answer these questions.
We first need to consider some ground rules for the discussion since, with different ground rules, the conclusions we arrive at become drastically different. Exactly what the author means by that will be explained.
One of the major disagreements that Jews and Christians have over the interpretation of the Hebrew Bible and especially as it pertains to the question of Jesus’ messiaship is whether or not a prophecy can have multiple fulfillments. The theological idea is often known as dual fulfillment. Let’s take Isaiah 7:14 as our example.
Isaiah 7:14 is one of the most oft-cited and oft-debated passages of scripture as it regards Jesus. The text reads:
Jews and Christians debate two specific issues as it regards this passage:
We’ll disregard the first issue for now. It has been more thoroughly explored elsewhere.[6]
The second issue is one that is crucial for settling the debate of Jesus' messiahship.
Author David Jeremiah, summarizes the seven criteria of dual prophecy discerned by biblical scholars and theologians of his time.[7]
We will necessarily be taking the position that the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. GotQuestions.org, a Christian educational and apologetics website, states the following regarding whether the Old Testament prophesies of a second coming of the Messiah. We appreciate their analysis as it stands and will simply quote it as it stands. We believe it is sufficient material to at least argue that the one figure, two advent perspective is a valid and possible interpretation of Old Testament texts.
The Old Testament does prophesy the second coming of Christ, also referred to as the second advent of the Messiah. Some Old Testament prophecies concern the first advent, when Christ was born as a human being. Others concern the second advent, which is the ultimate triumph of this Messiah. It’s important to remember that prophecy does not describe the future in the same detail as history describes the past. So, while the prophecies of the Old Testament certainly describe both the first and second advents, most early interpretations of these prophecies melded them into a single event. Particularly during the years leading up to Jesus’ birth, it was assumed Messiah would be a political/military figure with an immediate worldly kingdom (Luke 19:11). In the light of Jesus’ ministry, it is possible to understand the true purpose of Christ and the real nature of His kingdom.A careful look at Old Testament prophecies shows an underlying assumption of two advents. Micah 5:2 and Isaiah 7:14 predict the first advent. Separately, Isaiah 53:8–9 predicts a suffering and dying Messiah, who will be given life and greatness according to Isaiah 53:11–12. Daniel 9:26 describes the Messiah being killed after His appearance. At the same time, prophets such as Zechariah (Zechariah 12:10) say this same “pierced” Messiah will be seen again by His enemies. So the clues are there.
Many Old Testament prophecies foretell the ultimate triumph of Christ, which will occur at the second advent. These include statements from the books of Zechariah (Zechariah 9:14–15; 12:10–14; 13:1; 9:14–15); Amos (Amos 9:11–15); Jeremiah (Jeremiah 30:18; 32:44; 33:11, 26); and Joel (Joel 3:1); which describe the Messiah coming in triumph to lead Israel into salvation. Note that these are in the context of passages such as Deuteronomy 30:3–5 and so are predictions of the time of Messiah’s final victory.
Also, Scripture records Jesus making direct comparisons to Old Testament prophecies when making His own claims to a second advent. For example, His words in Matthew 24:31 and Mark 13:27 parallel the descriptions of Isaiah 52:15 and Isaiah 59—62.
All in all, the Hebrew Scriptures indicate that the Promised One would appear, be cut off, and then reappear in victory. The first advent has occurred; the second is still future. Both the New and Old Testaments predict a second advent of the Messiah.[10]
John Tvedtnes observed the following in the relation of critics of Joseph Smith and their biased interpretations of his prophecies. He stresses that the question of timeframe is crucial to keeping faith in Joseph. We argue that the same principles apply to Christians who wish to believe that Jesus is the Messiah of the Hebrew Bible.
Latter-day Saints recognize that Jesus "was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New."[15]
Jesus proclaimed himself as God of the Old Testament in a couple of places in the New Testament. Nowhere so directly as John 8:56–59. There, the Jews ask him direclty who he makes himself out to be: whether a prophet, God, or some other figure. Jesus tells them that "our father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." The Jews then pick up stones to stone him and Jesus is chased out of the temple.[16] The reason that Jesus was chased and about to be stoned was because he was declaring that he was the great "I AM" of the Old Testament: Jehovah (Exodus 3:14). Jesus tells the Nephites that "I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel; therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfil the law; therefore it hath an end."[17] This further confirms him as Jehovah.
Most Christians, including Latter-day Saints, believe that the seeds of these requirements have already been sown with the Savior's first coming or advent to the earth but that they will be consummated at the Savior's Second Coming.
Jesus Christ came to earth in part to establish a kingdom on earth. Daniel 7 prophesies of a kingdom that would be set up and that this kingdom would roll forth like a stone cut from the mountain. Nothing would overcome the kingdom. This kingdom was the Savior's church (Matthew 16:17–19). Joseph Smith understood himself as an agent of continuting the growth of the kingdom of God on earth.[18]
The Savior, when on earth, ministered to the people of Israel-Palestine. He also ministered to the Nephites and has commissioned his disciples to take his Gospel to every creature (Matthew 28:19–20; Mark 16:15–16). The Kingdom is slowly growing until it can consume all kingdoms.
The Savior will eventually come and be crowned king over the earth (Revelation 19: 13, 16; Articles of Faith 1:10). He will overthrow Israel's enemies and restore the Davidic dynasty given he is the Son of David (Matthew 1:1). The Book of Mormon connects people to the "house of David" which will be the future Davidic kingdom under Jesus Christ (2 Nephi 17:2, 13; 19:7).
There may be two senses in which Jesus will judge the wicked. First, at his second coming, he will burn and destroy all those that he judges to be wicked (Malachi 4:1; Joel 2:31; Matthew 24:6–7; Joseph Smith–Matthew 1:28–31; Joseph Smith–History 1:36–41).
Second, the Savior will participate in the final judgement over mankind (John 5:22; Romans 14:10; 3 Nephi 27:16; Doctrine & Covenants 76:68) where all mankind will be judged according to the desires of their hearts and their works whether those desires and works were good or evil.
Jesus is considered the spotless or sinless lamb that was sent to the slaughter for our sins. There are approximately 90 references in the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price to Christ as the Lamb. There are many references to Jesus as the Lamb of God in the Bible.
There are numerous instances in Jesus' ministry of him healing the sick (Matthew 4:23; 9:35). He restored sight to the blind (Matthew 9:27–34; 12:22). Jesus raised the dead. He raised Jairus' daughter (Luke 8:49–56), Lazarus (John 11:1-44), and the widow of Nain's son (Luke 7:11–17).
There were other expectations that certain Jews had of the Messiah. One of these was that Jesus would be a triumphant warrior over Jerusalem's enemies. Thus when Jesus came as a humble carpenter's son born in Nazareth, many Jews didn't believe his claims.
Notes
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