A Jewish Messiah
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20 NASB
Come, Lord Jesus – erchou kyrie Iesou is the Greek text. But we would be sorely mistaken if we thought that John was writing about a Greek Messiah. When John expresses the desire for Yeshua HaMashiach to return quickly, he is not asking for an end of the earth scenario. Nor is he expecting a final demonstration of Yeshua’s sacred sacrifice. He’s looking for a political event, a fulfillment of the promises concerning the hallmarks of the Messiah. He wants God’s enemies defeated, world peace to reign and Torah to pour forth from Zion. The Jews never looked for the Messiah as a sacrifice for sin. The Messiah is about the Kingdom, establishing God’s presence with His people on earth, ridding the earth of wickedness and establishing Israel as God’s official place. For the Jews, the Messiah is ultimately a political victor, and since none of these things have happened, the Jews wait for the real Messiah to appear.
John is a Jew. His name isn’t “John.” It’s Yochanan. He is a first century follower of the man Yeshua, a one-time itinerant prophet from Galilee. As a result of Yochanan’s personal observation, he is convinced that this man is in fact the long-awaited Messiah. But there is one small problem. Those biblical and cultural expectations about the accomplishments of the Messiah haven’t happened. These expectations included:
- The Messiah will illumine the whole world, i.e., replace the purpose of the sun.
- He will cause running water to pour forth from Jerusalem; water that will heal every disease and ailment.
- He will cause the trees to produce their fruit every month.
- All ruined cities will be rebuilt and there will be no wasteland in the world.
- He will rebuild Jerusalem with sapphires.
- Peace will reign throughout nature.
- He will make a covenant between all creatures of the world and Israel.
- Weeping and wailing will cease.
- Death will cease in the world.
- Everyone will be happy.[1]
Yochanan wants to see the full display of Yeshua as Messiah, perhaps because he also wants the political expectations to come to pass and prove, beyond any doubt, that his conviction is truth. What better way could there be for convincing his Jewish brothers and sisters that this man, Yeshua, is the one they have been anticipating. So, erchou kyrie Yeshua. Show up! And show the world who you really are.
If you were a Jew in the first century, if you had family and friends who questioned your conviction, would you want just this? And does that change how we read this verse today?
Topical Index: erchou kyrie Iesou, come Lord Jesus, Messiah, politics, Revelation 22:20
[1] I have examined these Jewish expectations in a longer article (https://skipmoen.com/2016/12/a-jewish-messiah-yeshua-in-the-first-century/ ).
There was a famous Tale , about a dollars worth of God ,something to the sound of this.
I would like just a dollars worth of God please, enough to give me what I need, what I want,
But not enough to convict me of my sin.
I know my quote is way off, but the content is very good
I hope this what’s not the style of prayer that yochanan was praying?
Shalom everyone! This is what I think…
Yeshua Himself never said explicitily that He was here as Messiah, even though He hinted them (and us) that He is indeed Messiah…
He called Himself the Son of Man… So He came as the Son of Man, which is another Title for Him, with other attributes and purposes that we should know and be aware by now…
So in this verse, Yochanan is asking Him to come back as Messiah… as Skip has mentioned above.
“The Jews never looked for the Messiah as a sacrifice for sin”. Perhaps there is a valid reason for their never looking at the Messiah ‘as a sacrifice for sin’; “The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the father. Every man shall be put to death for his own sin.” [Deut. 24:16]
Sounds like a pretty solid commandment. Do we get to pick and choose which ones we accept or do we get to set aside even one to fit our desires, even if it is a precious theology? So what was the result of Yeshua’s murder on the tree?
12 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 FOR IF THE DEAD ARE NOT RAISED, not even Christ has been raised; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; YOU ARE STILL IN YOUR SINS. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. 20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. (1Cor. 15)
Could the death of Yeshua (actually murder) have just been the evidence of a life lived through Torah under God and the Grace extended by the Lord our God (who provided a way for sin forgiveness long before ‘the cross) for faithfully attempting to do as He willed…leading to the life after (the one) death?
According to Paul, it was about ‘the raising of the dead’ by God, of which the raising of Yeshua was the first evidence of such.
If he does not come to me sooner or later, I’ll go to him. That must be enough for me now. In the mean time I occupy until he comes (Luke 19;12-26).
What better man for the job of unconquerable Messiah than a 100% obedient to the Father,
unjustly persecuted first born son, resurrected from the dead never to die again!!!
Who else is sufficient?
“The Jews never looked for the Messiah as a sacrifice for sin.” While I believe they most definitely thought that would be a major part of His coming, let’s just say they weren’t or that there really wasn’t any indication of that in the prophets.
How much of the Apostolic text do we want to toss for that to be the case? I mean Yochanan proclaimed that to be true right off the bat. So, either we’re missing the boat or those whom Yeshua disciplined and taught were.
OK, point taken. When I said “Jews” I did not mean the Jews of the apostolic writings. However, even those I would argue did not see the Messiah as a sin offering. The Messiah’s role was much more than that.
Right, no doubt, the Jews of today don’t see it that way. But, I certainly think they did in the 1st century. I just see way too much in the Apostolic text that would say they did see Him as a sin offering. We could say it differently, as they do sometimes but, other times they just get right to it. 1John 2:1-2, Hebrews 9:28( even uses the term Messiah)10:10-14, As I mentioned above John 1:29. And of course, there are massive more.
I totally agree there is more to His role but, I think His coming the first time was primarily about the sacrifice. When He returns, most of what the Jews are looking for will happen as well.
I believe his death on the tree and resurrection showed we need not fear death anymore because he overcame it through the Fathers hand and we will all rise again on this earth in Olam Haba .Not as a sacrifice for sin.
Unfortunately, the text says He WAS the sacrificial lamb. That it IS through His laying down His life that we are forgiven. That it is by His blood which He shed that we are made right standing before the Father.
While it’s certainly true that His resurrection shows us we don’t have to fear death and that He overcame it for us, the whole cross event, at the Passover, has far more significance than that.
Come Yeshua, COME BACK. ..there is work to be acomplished, we need your help!