Signs for the arrival of the Messiah

[Igor Schwarzman]

I heard there are certain signs and requirements which mark the arrival of the Messiah in the Tanakh, and according to which we are able to prove that a person will be truly him.

I really don't want to attack Christians or mock their faith, but I also heard once that Jesus did not fulfill any of these signs and requirements. So I ask for points of the TANAKH about this, since I'm just interested whether this claim is true or not. Does anyone of you know it?

[edu]

Not wishing to reinvent the wheel among the sites you can visit for sources are
http://www.outreachjudaism.org/FAQ
http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/the_real_messiah.pdf

[muman613]

Here we had an extensive discussion of the Jewish concept of Moshiach...

http://jtf.org/forum/index.php/topic,55732.0.html

[Igor Schwarzman]

Thank you for the links. That's nearly exactly what I looked for, excerpt I would have also liked to see a list of passages in the Tanakh where it's sure the Messiah is mentioned. Do you maybe know such a list?

Also I'm reminded by these links for something used for centuries to persecute the Jews: The Supersessionism. Christians who claim that they are the new people of Israel... what do you think about this? Isn't this contradictory to the Tanakh, which they also recognize as Tanach? Isn't mentioned there that the covenant will be eternal?

[muman613]

Thank you for the links. That's nearly exactly what I looked for, excerpt I would have also liked to see a list of passages in the Tanakh where it's sure the Messiah is mentioned. Do you maybe know such a list?

Also I'm reminded by these links for something used for centuries to persecute the Jews: The Supersessionism. Christians who claim that they are the new people of Israel... what do you think about this? Isn't this contradictory to the Tanakh, which they also recognize as Tanach ? Isn't mentioned there that the covenant will be eternal?

Indeed the church uses 'Replacement Theology' which is what I refer to what you call supersessionism... The Tanakh indeed says that the covenant with the Jewish people is eternal. I have posted that portion of the promise in one of these threads {I cant remember which one}. If I remember the Parasha which talks about the Curses if we don't keep the Torah ends with a promise that in the end Hashem will never forget his chosen people.

I would refer to the links which edu posted regarding the Tanakh sources for the Moshiach...

http://www.moshiach.com/translated-texts/analysis-of-maimonides-3-sources-for-the-coming-of-moshiach.html

http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/highlights-of-moshiach/

http://koshertube.com/videos/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=4&task=videodirectlink&id=693

http://koshertube.com/videos/index.php?option=com_seyret&task=videodirectlink&id=696

[muman613]

Here are some good examples:

http://www.chabad.org/library/moshiach/article_cdo/aid/63607/jewish/Source-Texts.htm


Source Texts


A selection of source-texts on Moshiach and the future redemption


In the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth... and the spirit of G-d hovered over the waters...

Genesis 1:1-2

("The spirit of G-d hovered" -- this is the spirit of Moshiach - Midrash Rabbah).

And G-d saw all that He made, and behold, it is very good.

Genesis 1:31

All His work, which G-d created (for man) to develop.

Genesis 2:3

They shall build for Me a sanctuary and I shall dwell amongst them.

Exodus 25:8

You will cross the Jordan and settle the land which G-d is giving you as an inheritance. He will give you rest from all your enemies which surround you, and you will dwell secure. Then there shall be a place which G-d shall choose to cause His name to dwell therein...

There you shall seek Him...

- Deuteronomy 12:10-11; 12:5

"You will return to the L-rd your G-d...

And the L-rd your G-d shall return with your returnees... and He will return and gather you from all the nations amongst whom the L-rd your G-d has scattered you..."

"If your outcasts shall be at the ends of the heavens, from there will the L-rd your G-d gather you, from there He will take you... [He] will bring you into the Land which your fathers have possessed and you will possess it, and he will do you good and multiply you, more than your fathers...

[He] will circumcise your heart (remove its coarse covering, make it receptive to G-dliness) ... to love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul...

G-d will again rejoice over you... for you shall hearken to the voice of G-d... to keep His commandments and statues which are written in this book of the Torah...

- Deuteronomy 30:2-10

It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mount of the house of G-d shall be established atop the mountains, and be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall stream to it.

And many nations will go, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of G-d, to the house of the G-d of Jacob; and he (Moshiach) will teach us of His ways and we will walk in His paths." For from Zion shall go forth Torah, and the word of G-d from Jerusalem.

And he (Moshiach) will judge between nations, and decide among the peoples.

And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword upon nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

- Isaiah 2:2-4

There shall come forth a shoot out of the stem of Yishai, a branch shall grow from his roots. The spirit of G-d shall rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of G-d... Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faith the girdle of his reins.

The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid... the cow and the bear will graze... the lion will eat straw as the ox... the suckling child will play on the cobra's hole...

For the earth shall be filed with the knowledge of G-d, as the waters cover the sea.

- Isaiah 11:1-9

No longer shall your Master be cloaked; your eyes will behold your Master.

The glory of G-d will be revealed. And all flesh will see that the mouth of G-d has spoken.

- Isaiah 30:20; 40:5

I have given you a national covenant: to be a light unto the nations.

- Isaiah 42:6

I will set my Torah in their innards and write it upon their hearts...

- Jeremiah 31:32

I will take you from the nations, gather you from the countries and bring you to your land... From all your contaminations, from all your idols, I will cleanse you.

I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will place within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

I will place My spirit within you.

- Ezekiel 36:24-27

I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant... and I shall set My dwelling in their midst for evermore.

- Ezekiel 37:26

I will no longer hide my face from them.

- Ezekiel 39:29

I shall pour forth my spirit upon all flesh.

- Joel 3:1

Behold, days are coming, says G-d, when I will send a famine upon the earth; not a famine for bread, nor a thirst for water, but to hear the word of G-d.

- Amos 8:11

For then I shall turn to the nations a pure tongue, that all shall call upon the name of G-d to serve Him as one.

- Zephaniah 3:9

I shall remove evil from the world.

- Zechariah 13:2

And G-d shall be king over the entire world; on that day, G-d will be one, and His name, one.

- Zechariah 14:9

Behold, I am sending you Elijah the prophet, before the great and awesome day of G-d will come. He will restore the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers.

- Malachi 3:23-24

I am sleeping but my heart is awake.

- Song of Songs 5:2

(This refers to the state of galut. -Midrash Rabbah)

The voice of my beloved, behold he has come, leaping over the mountains, skipping over the hills... Behold, he is standing behind our wall, watching through the windows, peering through the cracks... Arise my loved one, my fair one, and go forth! For behold, the winter is over, the rain is over and gone. The blossoms have appeared on earth, the time of singing has arrived, and the voice of the guide is heard in the land!"

- Song of Songs 2:8-12

From the Supernal One cannot emerge both evil and good.

Lamentations 3:38

(Thus the "evil" we encounter is but the concealment of good. -Chassidic teaching)

See our pain, wage our battle, and redeem us, speedily, for the sake of Your name...

Sound the great shofar for our redemption, raise a banner to gather our exiles; gather us from the four corners of the earth to our land...

Restore our judges as of yore, and our advisers as before. Remove from us sadness and sighing. Reign over us, You, G-d, alone, with kindness and compassion, with righteousness and justice...

Return to Your city, Jerusalem, with mercy, and dwell within her, as You have promised. The throne of Your servant, David, in her establish, and rebuild her, soon, in our days, as an everlasting edifice...

The offshoot of David, Your servant, may you speedily sprout forth... for we await Your salvation all day long...

Find favour, G-d, with Your nation Israel, and turn to their prayers. Restore the service to the chambers of Your home...

May our eyes behold Your merciful return to Zion. Blessed are You G-d, Who restores His Shechinah to Zion.

- from the daily Amidah prayer

Therefore, we await you, G-d, to soon see the glory of Your power... To remove the idols from earth... To perfect the world through the sovereignty of G-d, so the all flesh will call in Your name...

May all dwellers of earth recognize and know: before You shall bend every knee, before You shall swear every tongue.

- from the daily Oleinu praye

[Igor Schwarzman]

Many thanks again, muman. I currently engage in the links you sent me. I'll let you know if I should get new questions.