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"We have found the Messiah, which being interpreted,
the Christ." John 1:41
The Credentials of the Messiah
How Can We Know?
"Mankind," it has been stated, "is
incurably religious." The Hebrew people in particular have been
described as possessing a "genius for religion."
A famous rabbi, however, declared, "We Jews
have given religion to the world, but we have little ourselves. We gave
God to the world, but we have little of God in our hearts. Jews are not
studying the Bible; other people are studying it. We are troubled with
the teachings of atheism, agnosticism, and materialism."
Every shade of opinion from the atheistic
to the orthodox may be observed among the Jewish people. Few are really
confirmed in their declared atheism, for God’s existence is truly
stamped upon the material world
("The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his
handywork" Psalms 19:1 KJV).
A large number in Jewry characterize
themselves by the term "agnostic." These individuals simply say, "I do
not know." Such a philosophy, cannot divorce anyone from the moral and
spiritual responsibility that rests upon intelligent people.
A great multitude do believe in the God of
Israel and in the Tenach (Old Testament) as God’s revelation. However
many have granted fallible manmade traditions a superior place to the
Hebrew Scriptures. God maintains only three witness unto Himself: the
Book, the People, and the Land.
The song of Moses records, "When the
most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated
the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the
number of the children of Israel" (Deuteronomy 32:8 KJV). Also,
God "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on
all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before
appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;" (Acts 17:26 KJV).
From these two passages of Scripture, we can see the value of studying
Israel in discerning the meaning of history.
The Lord declared through one of His
prophets, "I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall
be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it Him"
(Ezekiel 21:27 KJV). Many are still waiting for this One whom God
has promised to send the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the
nations. But the question is asked so often, "How can we know?" How will
we recognize Him when He comes?
Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach) proclaimed
"Search the scriptures... they are they which testify of me"
(John 5:39 KJV). Yet many of the vital passages in the Tenach presenting
the credentials of the Messiah are bypassed or ignored in public
reading.
Late one afternoon, two perplexed Jewish
men were walking from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus. Someone drew
near and asked them about their conversation. They informed him about
the events that transpired concerning Jesus. He was sentenced to death
and crucified, but we were hoping it was He who was going to redeem
Israel. Some women amazed us with a vision of angels who said He was
alive.
Then this One who drew near said, "O
fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his
glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto
them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke
24:25-27 KJV).
Paul the rabbi from Tarsus, wrote, "Christ
(Messiah) died for our sins according to the Scriptures (Tenach); And
that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to
the Scriptures:" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 KJV).
Yes, Messiah was born, lived, performed
mighty miracles, taught in parables, died and rose victoriously from the
dead— all according to the Tenach.
The God of Israel said to Moses, "I
will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee,
and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all
that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will
not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will
require it of him" (Deuteronomy 18:18-19 KJV).
In the New Covenant we read, "Then
those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is
of a truth that prophet that should come into the world" (John
6:14 KJV).
How can we know? Yeshua HaMashiach
possessed the required credentials. He came WHEN God foretold His first
advent would occur. He could come only after the scepter had departed
from Judah (Genesis 49:10).
Daniel the prophet also gives the very time
of His coming. "Know therefore and understand, that from the going
forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the
Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks (weeks of years),
and threescore and two weeks( a total of 69 sevens or 483 years):
the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for
himself:" (Daniel 9:25-26 KJV). This predicted time span
beginning with the command to rebuild Jerusalem ended during the earthly
days of Jesus.
He also came HOW the Tenach promised.
Genesis 3:15 speaks of the seed of the woman, And Isaiah promised that,
"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a
virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel"
(Isaiah 7:14 KJV).
The WHERE of Messiah is also recorded. "But
thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of
Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler
in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting"
(Micah 5:2 KJV).
WHAT can be said about His description? The
description coincides fully with the prophecies in the Tenach. He
sprang from the tribe of Judah; He was of the seed of David; He was the
Son of God.
How can we know? The credentials belong to
Him! Christ’s teaching, appearance, reception, rejection, ministry and
all details regarding Him were in accordance with the Jewish prophecies.
Just as surely as the prophecies about His
first advent (coming) were literally fulfilled, we can be assured that
those prophecies foretelling His glorious second advent as King of
kings, and Lord of lords will likewise literally be fulfilled.
According to the Word of God (the Tenach
and the New Testament), if Jesus Christ is not the promised Messiah,
none will ever come! Will you investigate and search for yourself?
Ask the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to
reveal Him to you , if He is the true Messiah!
~A.J. Overton, Jr.
If you would like
more information on what Messiah Jesus has done for you please contact
us.
If you would like to
study more of the prophecies concerning the Messiah and how Jesus has
fulfilled them, please request
Messiah shown to be the Son of
God on our request form or read it online.
If you would like to
receive the biblical account of Messiah Jesus cleaning the temple,
please request The Light a book from the New Covenant called the
Gospel of John.
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