The Evolution of Moshiach

The concept of Moshiach (Heb. for messiah) is an iconic Jewish innovation that plays a major role in Jewish thought, as well as the other Abrahamic religions. It takes on a remarkable transformation throughout the ages, presented in Jewish literature starting from the Torah up until contemporary sources. We will see how it began as the prediction of a smaller-scale turn of events into a literal world-changing utopian end-of-days. The concept first appears in the Torah, develops in the Prophets, and takes on new dimensions in the Talmud and especially the Kabbalah.

 

So what did the Moshiach concept first look like? Does the Torah even mention a messiah? How did the Prophets understand it? Will the world be the same in that era? Will the dead be resurrected? And finally, did the messianic era already begin? Let’s find out – starting from the very beginning.

Some will see the evolution of Moshiach throughout the ages as evidence of the idea being man-made. Others will see it as a gradual divine revelation to mankind over time. That is for the reader to decide; the point here is to merely show an interesting evolutionary phenomenon with regards to the Moshiach concept. No conclusions are presented here – just the raw facts and the reader can decide what to make of it.

 

Messiah in the Torah

The only mention of the messianic era in the Torah (Five Books of Moses) is at the very end of Deuteronomy. Let’s take a look.

Deuteronomy 30:1-10:

וְהָיָה֩ כִֽי־יָבֹ֨אוּ עָלֶ֜יךָ כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה הַבְּרָכָה֙ וְהַקְּלָלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ֙ אֶל־לְבָבֶ֔ךָ בְּכָל־הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֧ר הִדִּיחֲךָ֛ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ שָֽׁמָּה׃

When all these things befall you—the blessing and the curse that I have set before you—and you take them to heart amidst the various nations to which the Lord your God has banished you,

וְשַׁבְתָּ֞ עַד־יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ וְשָׁמַעְתָּ֣ בְקֹל֔וֹ כְּכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם אַתָּ֣ה וּבָנֶ֔יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

and you return to the Lord your God, and you and your children heed His command with all your heart and soul, just as I enjoin upon you this day,

וְשָׁ֨ב יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ אֶת־שְׁבוּתְךָ֖ וְרִחֲמֶ֑ךָ וְשָׁ֗ב וְקִבֶּצְךָ֙ מִכָּל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר הֱפִֽיצְךָ֛ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ שָֽׁמָּה׃

then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and take you back in love. He will bring you together again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you.

אִם־יִהְיֶ֥ה נִֽדַּחֲךָ֖ בִּקְצֵ֣ה הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם מִשָּׁ֗ם יְקַבֶּצְךָ֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ וּמִשָּׁ֖ם יִקָּחֶֽךָ׃

Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the world, from there the Lord your God will gather you, from there He will fetch you.

וֶהֱבִֽיאֲךָ֞ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֛רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יָרְשׁ֥וּ אֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ וִֽירִשְׁתָּ֑הּ וְהיטִֽבְךָ֥ וְהִרְבְּךָ֖ מֵאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃

And the Lord your God will bring you to the land that your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will make you more prosperous and more numerous than your fathers.

וּמָ֨ל יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ֖ וְאֶת־לְבַ֣ב זַרְעֶ֑ךָ לְאַהֲבָ֞ה אֶת־יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ לְמַ֥עַן חַיֶּֽיךָ׃

Then the Lord your God will open up your heart and the hearts of your offspring to love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul, in order that you may live.

וְנָתַן֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ אֵ֥ת כָּל־הָאָל֖וֹת הָאֵ֑לֶּה עַל־אֹיְבֶ֥יךָ וְעַל שֹׂנאֶ֖יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר רְדָפֽוּךָ׃

The Lord your God will inflict all those curses upon the enemies and foes who persecuted you.

וְאַתָּ֣ה תָשׁ֔וּב וְשָׁמַעְתָּ֖ בְּק֣וֹל יְהוָ֑ה וְעָשִׂ֙יתָ֙ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺתָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם׃

You, however, will again heed the Lord and obey all His commandments that I enjoin upon you this day.

וְהוֹתִֽירְךָ֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ בְּכֹ֣ל ׀ מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָדֶ֗ךָ בִּפְרִ֨י בִטְנְךָ֜ וּבִפְרִ֧י בְהֶמְתְּךָ֛ וּבִפְרִ֥י אַדְמָתְךָ֖ לְטוֹבָ֑ה כִּ֣י ׀ יָשׁ֣וּב יְהוָ֗ה לָשׂ֤וּשׂ עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ לְט֔וֹב כַּאֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֖שׂ עַל־אֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃

And the Lord your God will grant you abounding prosperity in all your undertakings, in the issue of your womb, the offspring of your cattle, and the produce of your soil. For the Lord will again delight in your well-being, as He did in that of your fathers,

כִּ֣י תִשְׁמַ֗ע בְּקוֹל֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֤ר מִצְוֺתָיו֙ וְחֻקֹּתָ֔יו הַכְּתוּבָ֕ה בְּסֵ֥פֶר הַתּוֹרָ֖ה הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֤י תָשׁוּב֙ אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ (פ)

since you will be heeding the Lord your God and keeping His commandments and laws that are recorded in this book of the Teaching—once you return to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.

 

The messiah concept here doesn’t actually mention a messianic-figure.^[1] Instead it predicts a redemptive-era where the Jews return from their exile around the world to their historical homeland in Israel and establish a state there. This same turn-of-events occurred by the Second Temple era where many of the Jews exiled to Babylon returned to establish a new state in Israel and rebuilt the Temple.

This Second Temple phenomena seems strikingly similar to events that unfolded after the Holocaust, in which millions of Jews exiled returned from the diaspora to rebuild a state in Israel in 1948. Just as then, there was no messianic figurehead – just a political movement started by several individual Jewish leaders (Zerubbabel, Haggai, Ezra, Nehemiah, etc.). Just as by the Second Temple era, not everybody returned to the homeland – many opted to stay in the diaspora for economic and practical reasons. Just as by the Second Temple era, the world hasn’t fundamentally changed, and there was no resurrection of the dead. And finally, just as in the Second Temple era, not all Jews remained faithful to Judaism and not all have repented from their rejection of God.

This is known as the redemptive era. After the Curses of Deuteronomy unfold (destruction of the state, exile, persecution, etc.), there is a time thereafter when the Blessings unfold (return to the land, establishment of a state, economic prosperity, military strength, and religious awakening). This cycle can repeat itself over and over. The cycle happened in the 5th-century BCE by the Second Temple era and, arguably, repeated in 1948. The only key difference between the two is that the modern State of Israel has not rebuilt the sacrificial temple as was done by the Second Temple. It should be noted, however, that the temple plays a minimal role in the Curses and Blessings, only being mentioned in Leviticus 26:31. Furthermore, perhaps prayer has replaced sacrificial services in modern times (based on Maimonides’ view of the sacrificial role in primitive times), with the Western Wall serving as a temple of sorts.

Interestingly enough, this phenomenon has accurately played out itself in repetition with the Jewish people. It has not happened to the other nations of the world, as discussed here at length. It is part of the destiny of the Jewish people and was accurately predicted in Deuteronomy.

As seen, there is no mention of a messiah-king as a part of this era. Perhaps it was too trivial to mention or was simply taken for granted that there would be a king, as was normal at that time in history (a king seems to be a given as can be seen in the Covenant, Deut. 28:36). Either way, the messiah-king plays a tiny role, if at all, in contrast to his role in the prophetic literature of later times.

 

Messianic figurehead in the Prophets

By the time we reach the Prophets, several hundred years after Moses was to have written the Torah, a new, perhaps developed, look on Moshiach prevailed in Jewish thought and the prophecies of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and others. Extensive talk is made of the Messianic era as a glorious time with a messiah-king.

Isaiah talks of a warless era with peaceful coexistence.^[2] He also makes mention of beasts living in harmony and agriculture yielding supernatural abundance.^[3] All of the Jewish people will return from their exile among the nations to their home in Israel.^[4] In the messianic age, the whole world will recognize YHWH, the God of the Israelites, as the only true God to worship, and the Torah will be seen as the only true religion.^[5] The Temple will be rebuilt and its sacrificial rituals reinstated.^[6] Zacheriah makes mention of voluntary slavery of the gentile nations who seek to serve the Chosen Nation.^[7] Surprisingly, some books don’t mention the messiah-king at all, despite speaking of the era (Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Malachi, Joel, and Daniel).

A minority of Jewish sages disregarded the notion of a messiah-king as indicative from the following sources:

Sanhedrin 99a:

ר’ הילל אומר אין להם משיח לישראל שכבר אכלוהו בימי חזקיה

Rabbi Hillel says: There is no Messiah coming for the Jewish people, as they already ate from him, as all the prophecies relating to the Messiah were already fulfilled, during the days of Hezekiah.

אמר רב יוסף שרא ליה מריה לרבי הילל חזקיה אימת הוה בבית ראשון ואילו זכריה קא מתנבי בבית שני ואמר (זכריה ט, ט) גילי מאד בת ציון הריעי בת ירושלים הנה מלכך יבא לך צדיק ונושע הוא עני ורוכב על חמור ועל עיר בן אתונות

Rav Yosef says: May the Master forgive Rabbi Hillel for stating matters with no basis. With regard to Hezekiah, when was his reign? It was during the First Temple period. Whereas Zechariah ben Berechiah, the prophet, prophesied during the Second Temple period and said: “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; shout, daughter of Jerusalem; behold, your king will come to you; he is just and victorious; lowly and riding upon a donkey and upon a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). In the generations after Hezekiah, there are prophecies about both redemption and the coming of the Messiah.

 

Midrash Tanhumah, Acharei Mot, 12^[8]

אָמַר רַבִּי אַמִּי, מֹשֶׁה מְקַלֵּס לִכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, אַשְׁרֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִי כָּמוֹךָ עַם נוֹשַׁע בַּה’ (דברים לג, כט). עַם הוֹשַׁע בַּה’ אֵין כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא עַם נוֹשַׁע בַּה’. מָשָׁל לְאָדָם שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ סְאָה שֶׁל חִטִּין שֶׁל מַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי, מַהוּ עוֹשֶׂה מֵהֶן, נוֹתֵן מָעוֹת וּפוֹדֶה אוֹתָן. כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַה הֵם נִפְדִּין. כִּבְיָכוֹל בְּהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: עַם נוֹשַׁע בַּה’. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הֱיִיתֶם נוֹשָׁעִים עַל יְדֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם. בְּמִצְרַיִם, עַל יְדֵי מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן. בִּימֵי סִיסְרָא, עַל יְדֵי בָּרָק וּדְבוֹרָה. בַּמִּדְיָנִים, עַל יְדֵי שַׁמְגַּר בֶּן עֲנָת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיּוֹשַׁע גַּם הוּא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל (שופטים ג, לא). וְכֵן עַל יְדֵי שׁוֹפְטִים. וְעַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיוּ בָּשָׂר וָדָם, הֱיִיתֶם חוֹזְרִין וּמִשְׁתַּעְבְּדִין. אֲבָל לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא, אֲנִי בְּעַצְמִי גּוֹאֵל אֶתְכֶם וְשׁוּב אֵין אַתֶּם מִשְׁתַּעְבְּדִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יִשְׂרָאֵל נוֹשַׁע בַּה’ תְּשׁוּעַת עוֹלָמִים (ישעיה מה, יז).

1. Ammi said, “Moses praised the congregation of Israel (in Deut. 33:29), ‘Fortunate are you, O Israel; who is like you, a people saved through the Lord.’ ‘A people the Lord saved’ is not written here, but ‘a people saved through the Lord.’ It is comparable to a person who had a seah of wheat for a second tithe. What does he do? He gives coins to redeem it. So [it was] in the case of Israel. Through what were they redeemed? Through the Holy One, blessed be He, as it were, ‘a people saved through the Lord.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “In this world you are saved by means of flesh and blood: In Egypt by means of Moses and Aaron; in the days of Sisera by means of Barak and Deborah; among the Midianites by means of Shamgar ben Anath, as stated (Jud. 3:31), ‘and he also saved Israel’; and likewise through the Judges. But because they were flesh and blood, you again became enslaved. However, in the world to come, I myself will redeem you, and you will never again be enslaved. Thus it is stated (in Is. 45:17), ‘Israel has been saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation.’”

 

 

Resurrection of the Dead?

The resurrection of the dead in the messianic era is not mentioned anywhere in Tanakh, despite being such a novel, revolutionary concept in Judaism.^[9] The only one exception is at the end of the book of Daniel (which is from the latest books in Tanakh, and the latest according to critical scholarship^[10]). Interestingly enough, the Persian religion of Zoroastrianism – dominant at the time of Daniel – had an idea of resurrection of the dead for some people.^[11]

 

Daniel 12:2-13

וְרַבִּ֕ים מִיְּשֵׁנֵ֥י אַדְמַת־עָפָ֖ר יָקִ֑יצוּ אֵ֚לֶּה לְחַיֵּ֣י עוֹלָ֔ם וְאֵ֥לֶּה לַחֲרָפ֖וֹת לְדִרְא֥וֹן עוֹלָֽם׃

Many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, others to reproaches, to everlasting abhorrence….

וְאַתָּ֖ה לֵ֣ךְ לַקֵּ֑ץ וְתָנ֛וּחַ וְתַעֲמֹ֥ד לְגֹרָלְךָ֖ לְקֵ֥ץ הַיָּמִֽין׃…

But you [Daniel], go on to the end; you shall rest, and arise to your destiny at the end of the days.”

 

Ironically, even the only book that mentions the resurrection, understands it as a phenomenon limited to “many people” – and not all, and possibly not most.^[12]

 

Isaiah 65:20 even implies death at the messianic age:

לֹא־יִֽהְיֶ֨ה מִשָּׁ֜ם ע֗וֹד ע֤וּל יָמִים֙ וְזָקֵ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יְמַלֵּ֖א אֶת־יָמָ֑יו כִּ֣י הַנַּ֗עַר בֶּן־מֵאָ֤ה שָׁנָה֙ יָמ֔וּת וְהַ֣חוֹטֶ֔א בֶּן־מֵאָ֥ה שָׁנָ֖ה יְקֻלָּֽל׃

No more shall there be an infant or greybeard Who does not live out his days. He who dies at a hundred years Shall be reckoned a youth, And he who fails to reach a hundred Shall be reckoned accursed.^[13]

 

By the time we reach the Rabbinic era, the concept of resurrection of the dead already extended not only to “many” people as in Daniel, but to almost all Jews.

 

Mishnah Sanhedrin 10:1:

כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ לָהֶם חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה ס) וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ נֵצֶר מַטָּעַי מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי לְהִתְפָּאֵר. וְאֵלּוּ שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, הָאוֹמֵר אֵין תְּחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים מִן הַתּוֹרָה, וְאֵין תּוֹרָה מִן הַשָּׁמָיִם, וְאֶפִּיקוֹרֶס. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, אַף הַקּוֹרֵא בַסְּפָרִים הַחִיצוֹנִים, וְהַלּוֹחֵשׁ עַל הַמַּכָּה וְאוֹמֵר (שמות טו) כָּל הַמַּחֲלָה אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי בְמִצְרַיִם לֹא אָשִׂים עָלֶיךָ כִּי אֲנִי ה’ רֹפְאֶךָ. אַבָּא שָׁאוּל אוֹמֵר, אַף הַהוֹגֶה אֶת הַשֵּׁם בְּאוֹתִיּוֹתָיו:

All of the Jewish people, even sinners and those who are liable to be executed with a court-imposed death penalty, have a share in the World-to-Come, as it is stated: “And your people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land forever; the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, for My name to be glorified” (Isaiah 60:21). And these are the exceptions, the people who have no share in the World-to-Come, even when they fulfilled many mitzvot: One who says: There is no resurrection of the dead derived from the Torah, and one who says: The Torah did not originate from Heaven, and an epikoros, who treats Torah scholars and the Torah that they teach with contempt. Rabbi Akiva says: Also included in the exceptions are one who reads external literature, and one who whispers invocations over a wound and says as an invocation for healing: “Every illness that I placed upon Egypt I will not place upon you, for I am the Lord, your Healer” (Exodus 15:26). By doing so, he shows contempt for the sanctity of the name of God and therefore has no share in the World-to-Come. Abba Shaul says: Also included in the exceptions is one who pronounces the ineffable name of God as it is written, with its letters.

 

In contemporary times, the concept has been applied to literally all Jews. Most notably, the Lubavitcher Rebbe writes in a letter attempting to reconcile this notion – that all Jews will be resurrected – with the Talmudic statement mentioned above – that many Jews won’t be resurrected.^[14]

 

The Maimonidean View

According to Maimonides, the world’s nature will not change even one iota in the messianic era. The only difference between the non-messianic era and the messianic one is the emancipation from our subjugation to the gentile kingdoms. In that era, there will be neither famine or war, envy or competition for good will flow in abundance and all the delights will be freely available as dust. The occupation of the entire world will be solely to know God.^[15] Maimonides makes no mention of the resurrection of the dead in his legal code, the Mishneh Torah. However, he does emphasize the doctrine in his letter titled “Igeret Techiyat Hametim” and as one of his fundamental “13 principles of faith.” Maimonides does stress the messiah figurehead and his centric role in the redemptive era, in accordance with the Prophets’ understanding of the messianic age.

 

The Kabbalistic Take

In Chassidic teachings, a key focus is placed on the kabbalistic notion of a sacred spiritual mission to refine the world [tikun olam] and bring about the messianic era in which Godliness will be visually and sensibly revealed in this world. This messianic age is even regarded as the initial plan and ultimate goal of God in HIs creation of the world, according to Chabad Chassidic philosophy, based on Kabbalah.^[16]

 

So what’s the deal with Moshiach

We demonstrated that the messianic era looks different depending on the source we are looking at. Different generations saw the era differently than others, with a general trend that over time the concept became increasingly fantastical. In the Torah perspective (as well as some later sources), there is no major messianic figurehead. Instead, there is just a redemptive era, which we are arguably in again since the establishment of the state of Israel. Many religious Jews staunchly disagree with this notion, pointing to traditional sources that make mention of a messianic figurehead, a rebuilding of the temple, and a national religious awakening.

In the times of the Davidic Monarchy and the Prophets, many (but not all the prophets) saw the redemptive era as including a messianic figurehead from the House of David. Although human, some supernatural abilities are attributed to him, especially in later Rabbinic sources.

The Talmud and Midrash have an array of diverging opinions about the messianic age, pulling from various sources in Tanakh. Some understood it to be a utopian supernatural world, while others saw a more natural world.

Kabbalistic teachings became popularized in the 14th-century, with the spread of the Zohar. This genre emphasized supernatural, surreal divine elements to the messianic age, seeing a world completely different than today’s world. Maimonides (13th-century) staunchly disagreed, arguing that the world will not change even one iota.

The resurrection of the dead is now a key component of the messianic age. The concept is not mentioned anywhere in Tanakh, other than in the late book of Daniel which references a resurrection for “a small number of people.” In Talmudic teachings, the concept is applied to almost all Jews. And in modern times, the concept has been applied to literally all Jews.