Will the Real Massiah Please Stand Up?

[clontzjm]

The name Jesus – In Hebrew, Jesus name rhymes with “save” and the word “shook”. The rhyme appears twice in Matthew. Once before his birth and then during the crucifixion. Matthew 1:21 And she will give birth to a son, and you shall call his name Jesus {“Jesus” (ישוע)}, for he will save {“Save” (יושיע)} his people {“People” (עמי)} from their sins {“Sins” (מעונותם)}.” [The Passion: The Poetry of God].

 

The Trinity – Both Philo and the Talmud indicate that God in Genesis 1:26 and 3:22 is grammatically plural.

Cross references from the Comprehensive New Testament concerning the Trinity - Genesis 1:26, Genesis 3:22, Philo[Appendices A Treatise Concerning the World (1)], Philo[On Abraham (56)], Philo[On Abraham (132)], Philo[On Flight and Finding (68-71)], Philo[On the Confusion of Tongues (146-147)], Philo[On the Confusion of Tongues (168-179)], Philo[On the Migration of Abraham (132-133)], Rabbinic[babylonian Menahot 110a], Rabbinic[babylonian Sanhedrin 38b], Rabbinic[bereshith Rabba viii p. 22d], Rabbinic[Debarim Rabba ii: 33 p. 104c], Rabbinic[Jerusalem Berakhot i: 8 (3c)], Rabbinic[shemoth Rabba xxix 5 p. 51b], Rabbinic[siphra 4c], Rabbinic[siphri Numbers 143 p. 54]

 

Genesis 19:24 is possibly the clearest indication of two persons with the name Jehovah – “Then Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven.” Philo indicates that the first reference to Jehovah in Genesis 19:24 is the Word.

 

There are hundreds of references to the trinity in the writings of the early church fathers. I did not cite them since they are so numerous. Perhaps the best known description and theological explanation of the trinity is the five theological orations of Gregory of Nazianzen. He delivered the orations during the debate on the Trinity at the council of Nicea.

 

I will ask you how many earths there are? There is just one earth correct? What is the gravitational field that surrounds the earth? Isn’t the gravitational field around the earth part of the earth? Or is the gravitational field around the earth something other than the earth. The gravitational field is energy and the earth is matter but aren’t they one? There is never a time that the earth existed when it didn’t have a gravitational field they are inseparable. This is similar to the person of the Son of God and the Godhead.

 

Jesus stated that he was the “I am” and met Abraham in Genesis - John 8: 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” 57 The Jews then said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

 

A. The Messiah had to fulfill all the prophecies in one coming, and he would bring peace to the earth.

 

There is no such claim in the Talmud. However, the Messiah did fulfill all the prophecies that were supposed concerning the first born Son of God in his first coming. Jesus fulfilled the messianic prophecies written by Moses. That’s right I said Moses. See 2Corinthians 3:18-4:6 and Luke 24. The essenes referred to this as the hidden Torah (nistar) and the pharisees tried unsuccessfully to recreate this through their oral Torah or Talmud. The early Christians like Paul referred to this as the “veiled” gospel. You should ask your Jewish friends to explain to you the legend of the “oral” Torah. According to the legend, Moses told the priests and prophets orally a way to interpret the Torah that would yield the correct way to interpret the law and the prophecies concerning the Messiah. Paul is referring to exactly the same legend in 2Corinthians 3:18-4:6. Jesus opens the minds of the apostles in Luke 24:44-45 so that they would be able to understand.

 

B. The Christian idea of a virgin birth is derived from the verse in Isaiah 7:14 describing an "alma" as giving birth. The word "alma" has always meant a young woman, but Christian theologians came centuries later and translated it as "virgin." This accords Jesus’ birth with the first century pagan idea of mortals being impregnated by gods.  

 

The Christian idea of a virgin birth is derived from the prophecy written by Moses in Genesis about the mother of the first born Son of God as “not knowing a man” which is exactly the literal translation of Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel in Luke.

 

C. The verse in Psalms 22:17 reads: "Like a lion, they are at my hands and feet." The Hebrew word ki-ari (like a lion) is grammatically similar to the word "gouged." Thus Christianity reads the verse as a reference to crucifixion: "They pierced my hands and feet.

 

The Dead Sea Scrolls agree with the Christian reading. Since the Dead Sea Scrolls are over a thousand years older than the existing masoretic texts and were written before Jesus was born the Dead Sea Scrolls unlike the Masoretic text could not have been redacted.

 

D. Judaism says that the Messiah will be born of human parents, and possess normal physical attributes like other people. He will not be a demi-god, and will not possess supernatural qualities. In fact, an individual is alive in every generation with the capacity to step into the role of the Messiah. (see Maimonides - Laws of Kings 11:3)

 

The Talmud also states that the Messiah existed before the world was created. Maimonides interpretation is not supported by several portions of the Talmud. I would note Babylonian Sanhedrin 93b,  98b-99a, Sukkah 52a [Cross references from the Comprehensive New Testament concerning the Christ].

I have seen all of your arguments presented before by Jewish anti-missionaries. Most of the arguments depend on the Christian not knowing the Talmud otherwise the Jewish arguments have a tendency to unravel in contradictions with the Talmud. I would note that the Jewish concepts of the messiah were supposedly fulfilled by Bar Khochba according to Rabbi Akhiva. I would note that Rabbi Akhiva supposedly recorded the Talmud and was executed by the Romans after Bar Khochba was proven to be a false messiah.