Messianic Prophecies Cross Examined

CHAPTER 1 - FIRST CENTURY MESSIANIC FEVER The first century was a depraved time for many Jews, the inequity, corruption, and bigotry were endemic in the fabric of society. Inevitably, there was a deep longing, a hunger in their hearts/souls, a willingness to chase after and support the slightest hint of messianic claims, even if they were imitations. In his book, The Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus writes there were “ten-thousand claimants” who implicitly or explicitly “boasted themselves to be somebody.” The messianic claimants rallied for support at every corner, with riots burning royal palaces, multiple assemblies meeting in the wilderness, and boldly fighting for their idols. The Jews longed to be free from the yoke of Roman oppression, they wanted to live as in the Davidic-glory days. However, since the mighty King with his mighty army never arrived, their messianic expectations and fever gradually turned into hopeless messianic fatigue. It was a chaotic time, socially, spiritually, and emotionally. By legislating messianic claims to be an act of sedition against the empire, Rome ended the madness, made such claims punishable by crucifixion, and got control over the riots. Unlike the appearance of the glory of God to Israelites in Sinai, which was accompanied by earthquakes, and whirl-winds of fire and smoke; in the flurry of such chaotic times, silently walked a Galilean peasant into the heart of humanity and history, And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: [and after the fire a still small voice.] Among the “thousands of messianic claimants,” Luke makes a brief account of two, Theudas and Judas of Galilee: Gamaliel, a wise Sanhedrin councilman, warns the council that Theudas, who “boasted of being somebody,” has already been executed, and Judas of Galilee has perished, “take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do touching these men.” Referring to the disciples, Gamaliel continued, And now I say unto you, refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel this work be of men, it will come to naught, but if it is of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. James Stuart Russell, M.A., D. Div., the author of The Parousia: A Critical Inquiry into the New Testament Doctrine of Our Lord's Second Coming, Above all, the nation cherished in its inmost heart the hope of a coming deliverer, a scion of the royal house of David, who should be the theocratic king, the liberator of Israel from Gentiles domination, whose reign was to be so happy and glorious that it might deserve to be called, 'the kingdom of heaven.' [But, for the most part, the popular conception of the coming king was earthly and sensual.] They had not in four hundred years been any improvement in the moral condition of the people, and, between the formalism of the Pharisees and the skepticism of the Sadducees, true religion had sunk to his lowest ebb. There was still a faithful remnant who had more accurate conceptions of the Kingdom of heaven and looked for redemption in Israel. As the time drew near, they were indications of the return of the prophetic spirit, that the Promised deliverer was at hand. Simeon received assurances that before his death he should see 'the Lord's anointed;' a like intimation appears to have been made to the angel prophetess Anna. Such revelations, it is reasonable to suppose, must have awakened eager expectation in the heart of many, and prepared them for the cry which soon after was heard in the world in the wilderness of Judea: 'Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! A prophet had again raised up in Israel and the Lord had visited his people.' Nothing is more distinctly affirmed in the New Testament than the identity of John the Baptist with the wilderness herald of Isaiah and the Elijah of Malachi. How well the description of John agrees with that of Elijah is evident at a glance. Each was austere and ascetic in his matter of life; each was is the zealous reformer of religion; each was a stern reprover of sin. The time in which they lived was singularly alike. The nation in both periods was degenerated and corrupt. Elijah had his Ahab, and John his Herod. It is no objection to this identification of John as the predicted Elijah that the Baptist himself disclaimed the name when the priests and Levites from Jerusalem demanded: 'Art thou Elias?' (John 1:21.) The Jews expected the reappearance of the literal Elias, and John’s reply was addressed to that mistaken opinion. But his proper valid to the designation is explicitly affirmed in the announcement made by the angel to his father Zacharias: 'He shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, (Luke1:17). John was the second Elijah, and exhaustively fulfilled the predictions of Isaiah and Malachi concerning him. In brief, even the air they breathed was infused with such expectations.