Who is the Messiah? Chapter 1

King of the 'New'


(The first part of a series of lessons and collaboration of scriptures on why we should believe Jesus Christ is in fact, our savior and will come again to redeem His people)

About four years ago, I had the utmost privilege of meeting a Rabbi. The Lord actually led me to him, through a friend. I had never met a Rabbi before or know anything about the Jewish faith. Over the past four years of our friendship, I have learned a lot about what they believe. Much to my amazement, both faiths have very distorted views on what the other believes or knows about God. The Religions that I am referring to are Jews and Christians. This friendship with the Rabbi, made me ask myself....why are we all separated, why can’t we all be friends and put aside old prejudices and wasn’t Jesus a Jew? So, I decided if I want to talk to someone about my faith, then I think it’s only fair, I understand them. I should also have a very clear idea of what I have too. Through the entire search for truth, I found a much deeper understanding of the Messiah....and why I believe. Not to long ago, my Rabbi friend sent me an email and asked me this question..... “What is a Messiah”? I sat there, staring at the computer, thinking...wow....I better have an answer.....and it better be clear! So, I prayed for clarity and begin to go through my bible with a fine tooth comb.....what an opportunity for us to come together and what a responsibility God has given me.

• Note:
• Jews refer to God as Yahweh – ‘one’ God and revere that name.
• Christians refer to God as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (3 parts of ‘one’ God) – and revere the name of Jesus.
• We are the daughter! Our name is Zion. This name will change, when the Messiah comes for his bride – “A spotless people devoted to God” and the name will change to Hephzibah, which means, ‘married’.
• There Are 4 Letters in the most important word on earth ‘Love’
• There Are 4 Elements: Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water
• There Are 4 Corners of the Earth: North, South, West, and East
• There Are 4 Creatures: Lion, Man, Eagle, and Ox
• There Are 4 Parts to a Family: Father, Mother, Son, and Daughter
• There Is But One Thing That Belongs To All of Them and I Call It the 5th Element - BLOOD

There’s an old hymn that I remember from childhood that said it all.....the blood covers everything!

The blood that Jesus shed for me
Way back on Calvary
The blood that gives me strength from day to day
It will never lose its power
Oh it reaches to the highest mountains
And it flows to the lowest valleys
Oh the blood that gives me strength from day to day
It will never lose its power
It soothes my doubts and calms all my fears
And it dries all my tears
Oh the blood that gives me strength from day to day
It will never lose its power
Oh it reaches to the highest mountains
And it flows to the lowest valleys
Oh the blood that gives me strength from day to day
It will never lose its power

Blood is power! It gives life and without it, life ceases to exist. The people of the bible used the blood of a pure animal, to make sacrifice to God, for the atonement of sin. Blood was used to cleanse sin! It was only through the blood of purity, that true atonement could be made.

The Levitical Faith
A Day of Atonement was an annual day of repentance for the Old Testament people of Israel. Sacrifices were offered by the high priest as atonement for himself and for the people. The Bible calls the day Yom Hakippurim (Hebrew, Day of the Atonements), which the Jewish people continue to observe today as Yom Kippur. They also would fast and no work would take place in order to purify the body and mind. They called this a “Solomon Fast and Sabbath”. The Old Testament sacrifices are shown to be but shadows of the sacrifice of Jesus, on the cross, by the fact of Aaron's sinfulness; an imperfect high priest cannot offer a true sacrifice, just as the blood of bulls and goats could never truly pay for the offense of human sin or substitute for the shedding of human blood.

Something I learned this last year....The Jewish faith does not believe in human sacrifice. I didn’t know this and never really stop to think about it. The question would be how a merciful God could do something like this.....let a man give up his life, shed his blood for an unmerciful and cruel world? I was just taught that it happened and I accepted it and believed. I think it’s easy to take for granted that not everyone grew up hearing the same things. So I prayed and I sought.....oh God...open my mind that I may know your ways and give me wisdom and understanding. So you see, God’s plan is all over the bible and the central message of the bible is “ATONEMENT”. We are sinners...born into sin and we need a savior.....we need away to the one, true, pure God. The wonderful thing about God...Adonai....Yahweh....He wants reconciliation with us!

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (11 Chronicles 7:14)

Pray......
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the friendships you have so blessed us with and for giving us this opportunity to share in your amazing word. I pray that you will put your hand upon us and guide us through your truth and help us to stay in humble heart, keeping ego out of the way......not using it as argument that is haughty and rude, but in celebration of your abiding love. We pray for the wisdom and knowledge that you would like us to have. Lord, I don’t claim to have all the answers, but you are, all knowing, all powerful, full of honor and glory and we praise you and worship you from the depths of our soul....Oh Holy Spirit, please send us your anointing through your most powerful words. We are putting our complete trust and life into your care only and not into what other people tell us.....Please see the desire of our hearts to know you more and to have a relationship with you....Create in me a clean heart oh Lord and renew a right spirit so that I can come before you spotless and pure. Thank you for your mercy and love, in your mighty and powerful Name Yahweh and the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Revelation 14
The Lamb and the 144,000
1 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb (Jesus), standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name (Jesus) and his Father’s name (Yahweh) written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as first fruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

Scripture – text from Old and New Testament....King James, NIV, and New Jerusalem Bible. The Hebrew text is not an option for me as I do not have that gift of understanding Hebrew. Some references are from wikipedia.

Note: explanation and information about a Messiah: below are scriptures that refer to a messiah, an awaited prince, savior, truth etc. Many scriptures spoke of a promised one, but did not actually use the word, Messiah. From what I understand, the actual word, ‘Messiah’ was someone of high honored position as King, Priest, Rabbi, or Prophet that brings hope........Christians refer to Jesus as Savior and Lord, deliver, redeemer.....the lamb of God. His gift of blood sacrifice cleansed sin and gave communion with God. The term ‘saved’ means, they are heaven bound, escaping the flames of hell. Jesus goal was never to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. He never claimed to be the King of the Jews.....that was placed over him as a mockery, none-the-less, He was a Jew! For me.....Jesus was King of the New, bringing hope and good news to a lost and dying world that could not live up to the old Law or truly love. He did not come just for the Jews, but for everyone! Jesus did not come to this world for a place of rank, he did not need that on earth for His kingdom was not of this world; but man expected Him to show up that way. Instead, he showed up as an example of what God wanted in all of us, not in wealth or pride but meek, humble and poor, not attached to worldly desires and possessions. I’m not so much interested in weather people were looking for a messiah back then or not, placing me in debate. I know it was a dark world and the Romans were in control......those people needed Gods help! How could God ever really understand a human mortal being, unless through His power, He manifested himself through his son......All that really matters is staying away from EGO, seeking, believing, humility, humility, humility and walking in love. Big God, little me! If I don’t walk in a place of love, then what is the point and my religion is in vain.

Isaiah 64:6
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. We all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away because of our sins.

John 3:16-21
For Yahweh so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17) For Yahweh did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
18) Whoever believes in Him is not condemned; but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of Yahweh’s one and only son, Jesus. 19) This is the verdict; light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20) Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21) But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through Yahweh, our sovereign God.

John 4:19-26
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

Daniel 9:25, 26 in the NIV
25 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the messiah, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One – the messiah will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

Note:
One of the reasons Jesus came was to put an end to the blood sacrifice of animals for the atonement of sin……and He gave his own life to be a finally sacrifice. The old covenant made it nearly impossible for anyone to be pure enough to make it to heaven and to commune with the Almighty God. While under the old covenant, only priest and prophets could get that close. So Yahweh sent his son and filled him with his fullness and power to accomplish this…..putting an end to the sacrifice ritual……then Jesus had to die and rise again to show the world, the power of God. He sent us hope……Jesus had to leave so that God would send the Gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then gave us the same power to do great and mighty things of God……things the natural mind of man has never been able to grasp. This was around 2000 years ago according to history. I don’t believe the Holy Spirit will always be with us and is here as a gift…….thus, from the time he put an end to the daily sacrifice and offering.

Isaiah 7:1-17
The Sign of Immanuel
1 When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.
2 Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.
3 Then Yahweh said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. 4 Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. 5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, 6 “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” 7 Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “‘It will not take place, it will not happen, 8 for the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. 9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.
If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’”
10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the LORD your God, ‘Yahweh’, for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”
12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put Yahweh to the test.” 13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also?
14 Therefore, Yahweh will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.15 He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 16 for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. 17 Yahweh will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.”

(The scriptures below describe Jesus completely)
Isaiah 9:6, 7
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of Yahweh will accomplish this.

Isaiah 11
The Branch from Jesse
1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of Yahweh will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD— 3 and he will delight in the fear of Yahweh. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. 6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Yahweh as the waters cover the sea. 10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
11 In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean. 12 He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth. 13 Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish, and Judah’s enemies will be destroyed; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim.
14 They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west; together they will plunder the people to the east. They will subdue Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them. 15 The Lord will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River; breaking it up into seven streams so that anyone can cross over in sandals. 16 There will be a highway for the remnant of his people that is left from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from Egypt.

Isaiah 28:16
16 So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one that relies on it will never be stricken with panic. 17 I will make justice the measuring line
and righteousness the plumb line.

I will stop here for today.....as you can see, it was clear in scripture that God has a plan and has since the beginning.....to make a way to back to Him......
I will continue this study on the Messiah...so stay tuned......and God Bless, Lisa