Does Mankind Really Need a Messiah?

“WORLD IN NEED OF A MESSIAH, SAYS OFFICIAL”

That headline ran in The Financial Post of Toronto, Canada, in 1980. The official quoted was Aurelio Peccei, president and founder of a well-known think tank called Club of Rome. According to the Post, Peccei held that “a charismatic leader​—scientific, political, or religious—​would be the world’s only salvation from the social and economic upheavals that threaten to destroy civilization.” What do you think? Is this world really in such dire straits that mankind needs a Messiah? Consider just one of the problems this world faces​—hunger.

TWO big, brown eyes stare at you from a picture in a newspaper or magazine. They are the eyes of a child, a little girl not even five years old. But these eyes do not make you smile. There is no childish luster to them, no happy sense of wonder, no innocent trust. They are filled instead with bewildered pain, dull aching, hopeless hunger. The child is starving. Pain and hunger are all she has ever known.

Perhaps, like many, you do not like to dwell on such pictures, so you quickly turn the page. It is not that you do not care, but you feel frustrated because you suspect that it is too late for this girl. The wasted limbs and bloated belly are signs that her body has already begun to devour itself. By the time you see her picture, she is probably already dead. Worse, you know that hers is far from an isolated case.

Just how extensive is the problem? Well, can you picture 14 million children? Most of us cannot; the number is simply too high to visualize. Imagine, then, a stadium that seats 40,000 people. Now imagine it filled to capacity with children​—row upon row, tier upon tier, an ocean of faces. Even that is hard to picture. Yet, it would take 350 such stadiums filled with children to add up to 14 million. According to UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), that is the appalling number of children under five who die of malnutrition and easily preventable diseases each year in developing lands. That amounts to nearly one stadium of children dying each day! Add to this the number of hungry adults, and you get a worldwide total of some one billion people who are chronically malnourished.

Why All the Hunger?

This planet currently produces more food than humans now consume, and it has the capacity to produce more. Yet, every minute, 26 children die from malnutrition and disease. During that same minute, the world spends about $2,000,000 on preparation for war. Can you imagine what all that money​—or just a fraction of it—​could do for those 26 children?

Clearly, world hunger cannot simply be blamed on a lack of food or money. The problem goes much deeper. As Jorge E. Hardoy, an Argentine professor, put it, “the world as a whole has a chronic incapacity to share comfort, power, time, resources and knowledge with those who need these things more.” Yes, the problem lies, not with man’s resources, but with man himself. Greed and selfishness seem to be dominating forces in human society. The wealthiest one fifth of the earth’s population enjoys some 60 times more goods and services than does the poorest one fifth.

True, some are sincerely trying to get food to the hungry, but most of their efforts are hamstrung by factors beyond their control. Famine often afflicts countries that are torn by civil war or rebellion, and it is not uncommon for opposing forces to prevent relief supplies from reaching the needy. Both sides fear that by allowing food to reach the starving civilians in enemy territory, they will be feeding their enemies. Governments themselves are not above using starvation as a political weapon.

No Solution?

Unfortunately, the problem of starving millions is hardly the only crisis afflicting modern man. The rampant destruction and poisoning of the environment, the persistent plague of war that swallows millions of lives, the violent crime epidemics that breed fear and distrust everywhere, and the ever-degenerating moral climate that seems to lie at the root of many of these ills​—all these global crises join hands, as it were, and affirm the same hard truth—​man cannot govern himself successfully.

No doubt that is why many people have despaired of seeing a solution to the world’s problems. Others feel as did Aurelio Peccei, the Italian scholar mentioned at the outset. If there is to be a solution, they reason, it must come from an extraordinary​—perhaps even superhuman—​source. Thus the concept of a messiah has a powerful appeal. But is it realistic to hope in a messiah? Or is such a hope only wishful thinking?

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Cover photos: Top: U.S. Naval Observatory photo; Bottom: NASA photo

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WHO photo by P. Almasy

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WHO photo by P. Almasy

U.S. Navy photo

The Messiah​—A Real Hope?

He called himself Moses. His real name, though, is lost to history. In the fifth century C.E., he traveled throughout the island of Crete, convincing the Jews there that he was the messiah they awaited. He told them that soon their oppression, their exile and captivity would be over. They believed. When their day of liberation came, the Jews followed “Moses” to a promontory overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. He told them that they had only to cast themselves into the sea and it would part before them. Many obeyed, plunging into a sea that was not inclined to part. A great many drowned; some were rescued by sailors and fishermen. Moses, however, was nowhere to be found. That messiah was gone.

WHAT is a messiah? The words “savior,” “redeemer,” and “leader” may come to mind. Many people think that a messiah is a figure who inspires hope and devotion in his followers, promising to lead them from oppression to freedom. Since human history is largely a history of oppression, it is not surprising that more than a few such messiahs have emerged over the centuries. (Compare Ecclesiastes 8:9.) But like the self-styled Moses of Crete, these messiahs have more often led their followers to disappointment and disaster than to liberation.

“This is the King Messiah!” That is how the esteemed rabbi Akiba ben Joseph greeted Simeon Bar Kokhba in the year 132 C.E. Bar Kokhba was a mighty man who commanded a powerful army. Here at last, thought many Jews, was the man to end their long oppression at the hands of the Roman World Power. Bar Kokhba failed; hundreds of thousands of his countrymen paid for that failure with their lives.

In the 12th century, another Jewish messiah emerged, this time in Yemen. When the caliph, or ruler, asked him for a sign of his messiahship, this messiah proposed that the caliph have him beheaded and let his swift resurrection serve as the sign. The caliph agreed to the plan​—and that was the end of the Yemen messiah. In that same century, a man named David Alroy told the Jews in the Middle East to prepare to follow him on the wings of angels back to the Holy Land. Many believed that he was the messiah. The Jews of Baghdad waited patiently on their rooftops, blissfully ignoring the thieves who plundered their belongings.

Sabbatai Zevi arose in the 17th century out of Smyrna. He proclaimed his messiahship to Jews throughout Europe. Christians, too, listened to him. Zevi offered his followers liberation​—apparently by letting them practice sin without restraint. His closest followers carried out orgies, nudism, fornication, and incest, then punished themselves with whippings, by rolling about naked in the snow, and by burying themselves neck-deep in the cold earth. When he traveled to Turkey, Zevi was seized and told that he must either convert to Islam or die. He converted. Many of his devotees were shattered. Yet, for the next two centuries, Zevi was still called messiah in some quarters.

Christendom has produced her share of messiahs as well. In the 12th century, a man named Tanchelm built up an army of adherents and dominated the town of Antwerp. This messiah called himself a god; he even sold his own bathwater for his followers to drink as a sacrament! Another “Christian” messiah was Thomas Müntzer of 16th-century Germany. He led an uprising against the local civil authorities, telling his followers that this was the battle of Armageddon. He promised that he would catch the enemies’ cannonballs in his sleeves. Instead, his people were massacred, and Müntzer was beheaded. Many other such messiahs emerged in Christendom over the centuries.

Other religions, too, have their messianic figures. Islam points to the Mahdi, or rightly guided one, who will usher in an age of justice. In Hinduism, some have claimed to be avatars, or incarnations, of various gods. And, as The New Encyclopædia Britannica notes, “even as unmessianic a religion as Buddhism has produced the belief, among Mahāyāna groups, in the future Buddha Maitreya who would descend from his heavenly abode and bring the faithful to paradise.”

20th-Century Messiahs

In our own century, the need for a genuine messiah has become more urgent than ever; not surprisingly, then, many have claimed the title. In the African Congo of the 1920’s, ’30’s, and ’40’s, Simon Kimbangu and his successor Andre “Jesus” Matswa were hailed as messiahs. They died, but their followers still expect them to return and usher in an African millennium.

This century has also seen the rise of “cargo cults” in New Guinea and Melanesia. Members expect a ship or an airplane to arrive, manned by messiahlike white men who will make them rich and usher in an age of happiness when even the dead will rise.

The industrialized nations have had their messiahs too. Some are religious leaders, such as Sun Myung Moon, a self-proclaimed successor to Jesus Christ who aims to purify the world by means of a united family of his devotees. Political leaders have also tried to assume messianic status, Adolf Hitler being the century’s most horrendous example with his grandiose talk of a Thousand Year Reich.

Political philosophies and organizations have likewise achieved messianic status. For example, The Encyclopedia Americana notes that Marxist-Leninist political theory has messianic overtones. And the United Nations organization, widely hailed as the only hope for world peace, seems to have become a sort of messiah substitute in the minds of many.

A Real Hope?

This brief overview makes it only too plain that the history of messianic movements is largely a history of delusion, of shattered hopes and misplaced dreams. It is hardly surprising, then, that many people today have become cynical about the hope for a messiah.

Before dismissing the messianic hope outright, though, we should first learn where it comes from. In fact, “messiah” is a Bible word. The Hebrew word is ma·shiʹach, or “anointed one.” In Bible times, kings and priests were sometimes appointed to their positions by an anointing ceremony, wherein a fragrant oil was poured upon the head. Hence the term ma·shiʹach was rightly applied to them. There were also men who were anointed, or appointed to a special position, without any anointing ceremony. Moses is called “Christ,” or “anointed one,” at Hebrews 11:24-26, because he was chosen as God’s prophet and representative.

This definition of messiah as an “anointed one” sets Biblical messiahs well apart from the false messiahs we have discussed. Bible messiahs were not self-appointed; nor were they chosen by a mass of adoring followers. No, their appointment originated from above, from Jehovah God himself.

While the Bible speaks of many messiahs, it does raise one far above the rest. (Psalm 45:7) This Messiah is the central figure in Bible prophecy, the key to the fulfillment of the Bible’s most inspiring promises. And this Messiah really does grapple with the problems we face today.

The Savior of Mankind

The Bible Messiah addresses mankind’s problems by going to their roots. When our first parents, Adam and Eve, rebelled against the Creator at the instigation of the rebel spirit creature Satan, they were in effect arrogating to themselves the ultimate right of government. They wanted to be the ones to decide what was right and what was wrong. They thereby stepped out from under Jehovah’s loving, protective government and plunged the human family into the chaos and misery of self-rule, imperfection, and death.​—Romans 5:12.

How loving, then, that Jehovah God chose that dark moment in human history to provide all mankind with a glimmer of hope. In pronouncing sentence on the human rebels, God foretold that their offspring would have a rescuer. Referred to as the “seed,” this Savior would come to undo the terrible work that Satan had done there in Eden; the Seed would bruise that “serpent,” Satan, in the head, crushing him out of existence.​—Genesis 3:14, 15.

From ancient times, the Jews saw this prophecy as Messianic. Several Targums, Jewish paraphrases of the Sacred Scriptures commonly used in the first century, explained that this prophecy would be fulfilled “in the day of King Messiah.”

Little wonder, then, that from the very beginning, men of faith were thrilled with this promise of a coming Seed, or Savior. Just imagine Abraham’s feelings when Jehovah told him that the Seed was to come through his own lineage, and that “all nations of the earth”​—not just his own descendants—​would “bless themselves” by means of that Seed.​—Genesis 22:17, 18.

The Messiah and Government

Later prophecies linked this hope with the prospect of good government. At Genesis 49:10, Abraham’s great-grandson Judah was told: “The scepter will not turn aside from Judah, neither the commander’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him the obedience of the peoples will belong.” Clearly, this “Shiloh” was to govern​—and he would govern not only the Jews but “peoples.” (Compare Daniel 7:13, 14.) Shiloh was identified with the Messiah by ancient Jews; in fact, some of the Jewish Targums simply replaced the word “Shiloh” with “Messiah” or “the king Messiah.”

As the light of inspired prophecy continued to brighten, more was revealed about the rule of this Messiah. (Proverbs 4:18) At 2 Samuel 7:12-16, King David, a descendant of Judah, was told that the Seed would come from his line. Furthermore, this Seed was to be an unusual King. His throne, or rulership, would last forever! Isaiah 9:6, 7 supports this point: “There has been a child born to us, there has been a son given to us; and the princely rule [“government,” King James Version] will come to be upon his shoulder. . . . To the abundance of the princely rule and to peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom in order to establish it firmly and to sustain it by means of justice and by means of righteousness, from now on and to time indefinite. The very zeal of Jehovah of armies will do this.”

Can you imagine such a government? A just, righteous ruler who establishes peace and who rules forever. What a far cry from history’s pathetic parade of false messiahs! Far from being a deluded, self-appointed leader, the Bible Messiah is a world ruler with all the power and authority necessary to change world conditions.

This prospect is deeply meaningful in our troubled times. Mankind has never been in more desperate need of such a hope. Since it is all too easy to latch onto false hopes, though, it is vital that each one of us make a careful study of this question: Was Jesus of Nazareth the foretold Messiah as so many believe? The following article will consider the matter.

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A Messiah in Brooklyn?

Posters, billboards, and neon signs in Israel have recently proclaimed “Prepare for the coming of the Messiah.” This $400,000 publicity campaign has been mounted by the Lubavitchers, an ultraorthodox sect of Hasidic Jews. There is widespread belief among the 250,000-member group that their grand rabbi, Menachem Mendel Schneerson of Brooklyn, New York, is the Messiah. Why? Schneerson does teach that the Messiah will come in this generation. And according to Newsweek magazine, Lubavitcher officials insist that the 90-year-old rabbi will not die before the Messiah arrives. For centuries the sect has taught that each generation produces at least one man who qualifies to be Messiah. Schneerson seems such a man to his followers, and he has appointed no successor. Still, most Jews do not accept him as the Messiah, Newsweek says. According to the newspaper Newsday, 96-year-old rival rabbi Eliezer Schach has called him a “false messiah.”

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The belief that Moses of Crete was the messiah cost many people their lives

“We Have Found the Messiah”!

“First [Andrew] found his own brother, Simon, and said to him: ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means, when translated, Christ).”​—JOHN 1:41.

1. What did John the Baptizer testify about Jesus of Nazareth, and what did Andrew conclude about him?

ANDREW took a long, hard look at the Jewish man called Jesus of Nazareth. He did not have the appearance of a king, or a wise man, or a rabbi. He had no royal finery, nor gray hairs, nor soft hands and fair skin. Jesus was young​—about 30 years old—​with the callused hands and bronzed skin of a manual worker. So Andrew might not have been surprised to learn that he was a carpenter. Nevertheless, John the Baptizer said of this man: “See, the Lamb of God!” The day before, John had said something even more astounding: “This one is the Son of God.” Could this be true? Andrew spent some time listening to Jesus that day. We do not know what Jesus said; we do know that his words changed Andrew’s life. He hurried to find his brother, Simon, and exclaimed, “We have found the Messiah”!​—John 1:34-41.

2. Why is it important to consider the evidence as to whether Jesus was the promised Messiah?

² Andrew and Simon (whom Jesus renamed Peter) later became apostles of Jesus. After more than two years as his disciple, Peter said to Jesus: “You are the Christ [Messiah], the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16) The faithful apostles and disciples ultimately proved willing to stake their lives on that belief. Today, millions of sincere people are equally devoted. But on what evidence? Evidence, after all, makes the difference between faith and mere credulity. (See Hebrews 11:1.) So let us consider three general lines of evidence that prove that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.

Jesus’ Lineage

3. What do the Gospels of Matthew and Luke detail about Jesus’ lineage?

³ Jesus’ lineage is the first evidence the Christian Greek Scriptures give in support of his Messiahship. The Bible foretold that the Messiah would come from the family line of King David. (Psalm 132:11, 12; Isaiah 11:1, 10) Matthew’s Gospel begins: “The book of the history of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham.” Matthew backs up this bold claim by tracing Jesus’ descent through the line of his adoptive father, Joseph. (Matthew 1:1-16) Luke’s Gospel traces Jesus’ lineage through his natural mother, Mary, back through David and Abraham to Adam. (Luke 3:23-38)a Thus the Gospel writers thoroughly document their claim that Jesus was an heir of David, both in a legal and in a natural sense.

4, 5. (a) Did Jesus’ contemporaries challenge his descent from David, and why is this significant? (b) How do non-Biblical references support Jesus’ lineage?

⁴ Even the most skeptical opponent of Jesus’ Messiahship cannot deny Jesus’ claim to be a son of David. Why? There are two reasons. One, that claim was widely repeated in Jerusalem for decades before the city was destroyed in 70 C.E. (Compare Matthew 21:9; Acts 4:27; 5:27, 28.) If the claim was false, any of Jesus’ opponents​—and he had many—​could have proved Jesus a fraud simply by checking his lineage in the genealogies in the public archives.b But history has no record of anyone challenging Jesus’ descent from King David. Evidently, the claim was unassailable. No doubt Matthew and Luke copied the salient names for their accounts directly from the public records.

⁵ Second, sources outside the Bible confirm the general acceptance of Jesus’ lineage. For instance, the Talmud records a fourth-century rabbi as making a scurrilous attack on Mary, the mother of Jesus, for ‘playing the harlot with carpenters’; but the same passage concedes that “she was the descendant of princes and rulers.” An earlier example is the second-century historian Hegesippus. He related that when the Roman Caesar Domitian wanted to exterminate any descendants of David, some enemies of the early Christians denounced the grandsons of Jude, Jesus’ half brother, “as being of the family of David.” If Jude was a known descendant of David, was not Jesus as well? Undeniably!​—Galatians 1:19; Jude 1.

Messianic Prophecies

6. How abundant are Messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures?

⁶ Another line of evidence that Jesus was the Messiah is fulfilled prophecy. Prophecies that apply to the Messiah are abundant in the Hebrew Scriptures. In his work The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Alfred Edersheim tallied up 456 passages in the Hebrew Scriptures that ancient rabbis viewed as messianic. However, the rabbis had many wrong ideas about the Messiah; many of the passages they pointed to are not messianic at all. Still, at the very least there are scores of prophecies that identify Jesus as the Messiah.​—Compare Revelation 19:10.

7. What are some of the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled during his sojourn on earth?

⁷ Among them: the town of his birth (Micah 5:2; Luke 2:4-11); the tragedy of mass infanticide that took place after his birth (Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:16-18); he would be called out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:15); rulers of the nations would unite to destroy him (Psalm 2:1, 2; Acts 4:25-28); his betrayal for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12; Matthew 26:15); even the manner of his death.​—Psalm 22:16, footnote; John 19:18, 23; 20:25, 27.c

His Arrival Prophesied

8. (a) What prophecy pinpoints when the Messiah would arrive? (b) What two factors must be known in order to understand this prophecy?

⁸ Let us focus on just one prophecy. At Daniel 9:25, the Jews were told when the Messiah would come. It reads: “You should know and have the insight that from the going forth of the word to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Leader, there will be seven weeks, also sixty-two weeks.” At first glance this prophecy may seem cryptic. But in a broad sense, it asks us to find only two pieces of information: a starting point and a span of time. To illustrate, if you had a map that pointed to a treasure lying buried “50 rods east of the well in the town park,” you might find the directions puzzling​—especially if you did not know where this well was, or how long a ‘rod’ was. Would you not seek out those two facts so that you could locate the treasure? Well, Daniel’s prophecy is much the same, except that we are identifying a starting time and measuring the period that follows.

9, 10. (a) What is the starting point from which the 69 weeks are measured? (b) How long were the 69 weeks, and how do we know this?

⁹ First, we need our starting point, the date when ‘the word went forth to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.’ Next, we need to know the distance from that point, just how long these 69 (7 plus 62) weeks were. Neither piece of information is hard to come by. Nehemiah quite explicitly tells us that the word went forth to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, making it at last a restored city, “in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king.” (Nehemiah 2:1, 5, 7, 8) That puts our starting point at 455 B.C.E.d

¹⁰ Now as to these 69 weeks, could they be literal weeks of seven days? No, for Messiah did not appear just over a year after 455 B.C.E. Thus most Bible scholars and numerous translations (including the Jewish Tanakh in a footnote to this verse) agree that these are weeks “of years.” This concept of a ‘week of years,’ or a seven-year cycle, was familiar to the ancient Jews. Just as they observed a sabbath day every seventh day, they observed a sabbath year every seventh year. (Exodus 20:8-11; 23:10, 11) So 69 weeks of years would amount to 69 times 7 years, or 483 years. All we have left to do is count. From 455 B.C.E., counting 483 years takes us to the year 29 C.E.​—the very year when Jesus was baptized and became ma·shiʹach, the Messiah!​—See “Seventy Weeks,” Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 2, page 899.

11. How might we answer those who say that this is only a modern way of interpreting Daniel’s prophecy?

¹¹ Some might object that this is merely a modern way of interpreting the prophecy to fit history. If so, why were the people in Jesus’ day expecting the Messiah to appear at that time? Christian historian Luke, Roman historians Tacitus and Suetonius, Jewish historian Josephus, and Jewish philosopher Philo all lived near this time and testified to this state of expectation. (Luke 3:15) Some scholars today insist that it was Roman oppression that made the Jews long for and expect the Messiah in those days. Why, though, did the Jews expect the Messiah then rather than during the brutal Greek persecution centuries earlier? Why did Tacitus say that it was “mysterious prophecies” that led the Jews to expect powerful rulers to come from Judea and “acquire universal empire”? Abba Hillel Silver, in his book A History of Messianic Speculation in Israel, acknowledges that “the Messiah was expected around the second quarter of the first century C.E.,” not because of Roman persecution, but because of “the popular chronology of that day,” derived in part from the book of Daniel.

Identified From Above

12. How did Jehovah identify Jesus as the Messiah?

¹² The third type of evidence of Jesus’ Messiahship is the testimony of God himself. According to Luke 3:21, 22, after Jesus was baptized, he was anointed with the most sacred and powerful force in the universe, Jehovah God’s own holy spirit. And with his own voice, Jehovah acknowledged that he had approved his Son, Jesus. On two other occasions, Jehovah spoke directly to Jesus from heaven, thereby indicating His approval: once, before three of Jesus’ apostles, and another time, before a crowd of onlookers. (Matthew 17:1-5; John 12:28, 29) Furthermore, angels were sent from above to confirm Jesus’ status as Christ, or Messiah.​—Luke 2:10, 11.

13, 14. How did Jehovah demonstrate his approval of Jesus as Messiah?

¹³ Jehovah showed his approval of his anointed one by empowering him to accomplish great works. For example, Jesus uttered prophecies that detailed history in advance​—some extending to our own day.e He also performed miracles, such as feeding hungry crowds and healing the sick. He even resurrected the dead. Did his followers simply invent stories of these mighty acts after the fact? Well, Jesus performed many of his miracles in front of eyewitnesses, sometimes thousands of people at a time. Even Jesus’ enemies could not deny that he actually did these things. (Mark 6:2; John 11:47) Besides, if Jesus’ followers were inclined to invent such accounts, then why would they be so frank when it came to their own failings? Really, would they have been willing to die for a faith based on mere myths that they had personally invented? No. Jesus’ miracles are facts of history.

¹⁴ God’s testimony about Jesus as the Messiah went further. Through holy spirit he saw to it that evidence of Jesus’ Messiahship was written down and became part of the most widely translated and distributed book in all history.

Why Did the Jews Not Accept Jesus?

15. (a) How extensive are Jesus’ credentials identifying him as Messiah? (b) What expectations of the Jews led many of them to reject Jesus as the Messiah?

¹⁵ In all, then, these three categories of evidence include literally hundreds of facts that identify Jesus as the Messiah. Is that not enough? Just imagine applying for a driver’s license or a credit card and being told that three pieces of identification were not sufficient​—you must bring hundreds. How unreasonable! Surely, then, Jesus is amply identified in the Bible. Why, though, did many of Jesus’ own people deny all this evidence that he was the Messiah? Because evidence, important as it is to genuine faith, does not guarantee faith. Sadly, many people believe what they want to believe, even in the face of overwhelming evidence. When it came to the Messiah, most Jews had very definite ideas about what they wanted. They wanted a political messiah, one who would end Roman oppression and restore Israel to a glory resembling in a materialistic way that of the days of Solomon. How, then, could they accept this humble son of a carpenter, this Nazarene who showed no interest in politics or riches? How, especially, could he be Messiah after he suffered and died ignominiously on a torture stake?

16. Why did Jesus’ followers have to adjust their own expectations as to the Messiah?

¹⁶ Jesus’ own disciples were shaken by his death. After his glorious resurrection, they evidently hoped that he would ‘restore the kingdom to Israel’ right away. (Acts 1:6) But they did not reject Jesus as Messiah simply because this personal hope was not realized. They exercised faith in him based on the ample evidence at hand, and their understanding gradually grew; mysteries cleared up. They came to see that the Messiah could not fulfill all the prophecies about him during his brief time as a man on this earth. Why, one prophecy spoke of his arriving humbly, riding upon the colt of an ass, while another spoke of his coming in glory upon the clouds! How could both be true? Obviously he would have to come a second time.​—Daniel 7:13; Zechariah 9:9.

Why the Messiah Had to Die

17. How did Daniel’s prophecy make it clear that the Messiah would have to die, and for what reason would he die?

¹⁷ Furthermore, the Messianic prophecies made it clear that the Messiah had to die. For instance, the very prophecy that foretold when the Messiah would arrive foretold in the next verse: “After the sixty-two weeks [which followed the seven weeks] Messiah will be cut off.” (Daniel 9:26) The Hebrew word ka·rathʹ used here for “cut off” is the same word used for the death sentence under the Mosaic Law. Without a doubt the Messiah had to die. Why? Da 9 Verse 24 gives us the answer: “To finish off sin, and to make atonement for error, and to bring in righteousness for times indefinite.” The Jews knew well that only a sacrifice, a death, could make atonement for error.​—Leviticus 17:11; compare Hebrews 9:22.

18. (a) How does Isaiah chapter 53 show that the Messiah must suffer and die? (b) What seeming paradox does this prophecy raise?

¹⁸ Isaiah chapter 53 speaks of the Messiah as a special Servant of Jehovah who would have to suffer and die to cover the sins of others. Isa 53 Verse 5 says: “He was being pierced for our transgression; he was being crushed for our errors.” The same prophecy, after telling us that this Messiah must die as “a guilt offering,” reveals that this same One “will prolong his days, and in his hand what is the delight of Jehovah will succeed.” (Isa 53 Verse 10) Is that not a paradox? How could the Messiah die, and then “prolong his days”? How could he be offered up as a sacrifice and afterward make ‘what is the delight of Jehovah succeed’? How, indeed, could he die and remain dead without fulfilling the most important prophecies about him, namely that he would reign forever as King and bring peace and happiness to the entire world?​—Isaiah 9:6, 7.

19. How does the resurrection of Jesus reconcile the seemingly contradictory prophecies about the Messiah?

¹⁹ This seeming paradox was solved by a single, spectacular miracle. Jesus was resurrected. Hundreds of honesthearted Jews became eyewitnesses to this glorious reality. (1 Corinthians 15:6) The apostle Paul later wrote: “This man [Jesus Christ] offered one sacrifice for sins perpetually and sat down at the right hand of God, from then on awaiting until his enemies should be placed as a stool for his feet.” (Hebrews 10:10, 12, 13) Yes, it was after Jesus was resurrected to heavenly life, and after a period of “awaiting,” that he would finally be enthroned as King and act against the enemies of his Father, Jehovah. In his role as heavenly King, Jesus the Messiah touches the life of every person now living. In what way? Our next article will consider this.

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The Messiah’s Presence and His Rule

“This Jesus who was received up from you into the sky will come thus in the same manner as you have beheld him going into the sky.”​—ACTS 1:11.

1, 2. (a) How did two angels comfort Jesus’ apostles when he ascended to heaven? (b) What questions are raised by the prospect of Christ’s return?

ELEVEN men stood on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, staring up into the sky. Just moments ago Jesus Christ had risen up from among them, his form fading away until it was obscured by a cloud. In their years with him, these men had seen Jesus give abundant proof that he was the Messiah; they had even lived through the heartbreak of his death and the ecstasy of his resurrection. Now he was gone.

² Two angels appeared suddenly and spoke these comforting words: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus who was received up from you into the sky will come thus in the same manner as you have beheld him going into the sky.” (Acts 1:11) How reassuring​—Jesus’ ascension to heaven did not mean that he was finished with the earth and mankind! On the contrary, Jesus would be back. No doubt these words filled the apostles with hope. Millions of people today also attach great importance to the promise of Christ’s return. Some speak of it as the “Second Coming” or “Advent.” Most, though, seem confused about what Christ’s return really means. In what way does Christ return? When? And how does this affect our lives today?

The Manner of Christ’s Return

3. What do many people believe about Christ’s return?

³ According to the book An Evangelical Christology, “the second coming or return of Christ (parousia) establishes the kingdom of God, finally, openly, and for all eternity.” It is a widely held belief that Christ’s return will be openly visible, literally seen by everyone on the planet. To support this notion, many point to Revelation 1:7, which reads: “Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, and those who pierced him.” But is this verse meant to be taken literally?

4, 5. (a) How do we know that Revelation 1:7 is not meant in a literal sense? (b) How do Jesus’ own words confirm this understanding?

⁴ Remember, the book of Revelation is presented “in signs.” (Revelation 1:1) This passage, then, must be symbolic; after all, how could “those who pierced him” see Christ return? They have been dead nearly 20 centuries! Furthermore, the angels said that Christ would return “in the same manner” as he departed. Well, how did he leave? With millions watching? No, just a few faithful ones beheld the event. And when the angels spoke to them, were the apostles literally watching Christ’s journey all the way to heaven? No, a cloud cover had obscured Jesus from view. Sometime thereafter, he must have entered the spirit heavens as a spirit being, invisible to human eyes. (1 Corinthians 15:50) So, at most, the apostles saw only the beginning of Jesus’ journey; they could not watch its ending, his return to the heavenly presence of his Father, Jehovah. This they could only discern with their eyes of faith.​—John 20:17.

⁵ The Bible teaches that Jesus returns in much the same way. Jesus himself said shortly before his death: “A little longer and the world will behold me no more.” (John 14:19) He also said that “the kingdom of God is not coming with striking observableness.” (Luke 17:20) In what sense, then, will ‘every eye see him’? To answer, we first need a clear understanding of the word Jesus and his followers used in connection with his return.

6. (a) Why are words such as “return,” “arrival,” “advent,” and “coming” not adequate translations of the Greek word pa·rou·siʹa? (b) What shows that the pa·rou·siʹa, or “presence,” lasts much longer than any mere momentary event?

⁶ The fact is, Christ does much more than simply “return.” That word, like “coming,” “arrival,” or “advent,” implies a single event in a brief moment of time. But the Greek word that Jesus and his followers used means much more. The word is pa·rou·siʹa, literally meaning a “being alongside” or a “presence.” Most scholars agree that this word incorporates not only an arrival but also a subsequent presence​—as in a State visit from a royal personage. This presence is not a momentary event; it is a special era, a marked period of time. At Matthew 24:37-39, Jesus said that “the presence [pa·rou·siʹa] of the Son of man” would be like “the days of Noah” which culminated in the Flood. Noah was building the ark and warning the wicked for decades before the Flood arrived and wiped out that corrupt world system. Likewise, then, Christ’s invisible presence lasts over a period of some decades before it too culminates in a great destruction.

7. (a) What proves that the pa·rou·siʹa is not visible to human eyes? (b) How and when will scriptures that describe Christ’s return as visible to “every eye” be fulfilled?

⁷ Undoubtedly, the pa·rou·siʹa is not literally visible to human eyes. If it were, why would Jesus spend so much time, as we shall see, giving his followers a sign to help them to discern this presence?a However, when Christ comes to destroy Satan’s world system, the fact of his presence will be overwhelmingly manifest to all. It is then that “every eye will see him.” Even Jesus’ opponents will be able to discern, to their dismay, that Christ’s reign is real.​—See Matthew 24:30; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 1:5, 6.

When Does It Begin?

8. What event marks the beginning of Christ’s presence, and where did this happen?

⁸ The Messiah’s presence begins with an event that fulfills a recurring theme of the Messianic prophecies. He is crowned as King in heaven. (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Isaiah 9:6, 7; Ezekiel 21:26, 27) Jesus himself showed that his presence would be tied to his kingship. In several illustrations, he likened himself to a master who leaves his household and slaves behind, traveling for a long time to a “distant land” where he receives “kingly power.” He gave one such illustration as part of his answer to his apostles’ question about when his pa·rou·siʹa would begin; another he gave because “they were imagining that the kingdom of God was going to display itself instantly.” (Luke 19:11, 12, 15; Matthew 24:3; 25:14, 19) So during his time on earth as a man, his coronation was still a long time away, to occur in the “distant land” of heaven. When would it happen?

9, 10. What evidence is there that Christ is currently ruling in heaven, and when did he begin his rule?

⁹ When Jesus’ disciples asked him: “What will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” Jesus responded by giving them a detailed description of that future time. (Matthew, chapter 24; Mark, chapter 13; Luke, chapter 21; see also 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Revelation, chapter 6.) This sign amounts to a detailed portrait of a troubled era. It is a time marked by international wars, rising crime, deteriorating family life, disease epidemics, famines, and earthquakes​—not as localized problems but as globe-embracing crises. Does this sound familiar? Every passing day confirms that the 20th century perfectly fits Jesus’ description.

¹⁰ Historians agree that 1914 was a turning point in human history, a pivotal year after which many of these problems began to get out of control, escalating on a global scale. Yes, physical world events in fulfillment of Bible prophecy all point to 1914 as the year when Jesus began to rule as King in heaven. Furthermore, a prophecy in Daniel chapter 4 provides chronological evidence that leads us to the very same year​—1914—​as the time when Jehovah’s appointed King would begin his rule.b

Why a Time of Troubles?

11, 12. (a) Why is it hard for some to believe that Christ is ruling in heaven right now? (b) How might we illustrate what took place after Jesus was crowned as King?

¹¹ Some wonder, though, ‘Why is the world so troubled if the Messiah is ruling in heaven? Is his rule ineffective?’ An illustration may help. A country is run by an evil president. He has set up a corrupt system with tentacles extending into every corner of the land. But an election is held; a good man wins. Now what? As is the case in some democratic lands, a transition period of some months ensues before the new president is inaugurated. How would these two men act during such a period? Will the good man immediately attack and dismantle all the evils his predecessor has wrought throughout the country? Would he not, rather, concentrate on the capital city first, setting up a new cabinet and serving notice on the former president’s crooked cronies and henchmen? That way, when he comes into full authority, he can operate from a clean, efficient seat of power. As for the corrupt president, would he not take advantage of the short time he has left to extract from the land all the ill-gotten gains that he can before he loses all power?

¹² In effect, it is similar with Christ’s pa·rou·siʹa. Revelation 12:7-12 shows that when Christ was made King in heaven, he first hurled Satan and the demons out of heaven, thus cleaning up the location of His government. Having suffered this long-awaited defeat, how does Satan behave during the “short period of time” before Christ exerts his full authority here on the earth? Like that corrupt president, he tries to get everything he can out of this old system. He is not after money; he is after human lives. He wants to alienate as many people from Jehovah and His reigning King as he possibly can.

13. How do the Scriptures show that the beginning of Christ’s rule would be a troubled time here on earth?

¹³ No wonder, then, that the beginning of Messiah’s rule means a time of “woe for the earth.” (Revelation 12:12) Similarly, Psalm 110:1, 2, 6 shows that the Messiah begins his rule ‘in the midst of his enemies.’ Only later does he completely crush “the nations,” along with every facet of Satan’s corrupt system, into oblivion!

When Messiah Rules the Earth

14. What will the Messiah be able to do after he destroys Satan’s wicked system of things?

¹⁴ After he destroys Satan’s system and all who support it, the Messianic King, Jesus Christ, will at long last be in a position to fulfill marvelous Bible prophecies that describe his Millennial Reign. Isaiah 11:1-10 helps us to see just what kind of ruler Messiah will be. Isa 11 Verse 2 tells us that he will have “the spirit of Jehovah . . . , the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of mightiness.”

15. What will the ‘spirit of mightiness’ mean in the Messianic rule?

¹⁵ Consider what ‘the spirit of mightiness’ will mean in Jesus’ rule. When he was on the earth, he had a degree of mightiness from Jehovah, enabling him to perform miracles. And he showed a heartfelt desire to help people, saying, “I want to.” (Matthew 8:3) But his miracles of those days were just a foregleam of what he would do when ruling from heaven. Jesus will work miracles on a global scale! Sick, blind, deaf, maimed, and lame people will be healed for all time. (Isaiah 35:5, 6) An abundance of food, fairly distributed, will end hunger forever. (Psalm 72:16) What of those countless millions in the graves that God is pleased to remember? Jesus’ “mightiness” will include the power to resurrect them, giving each the opportunity to live forever in Paradise! (John 5:28, 29) Yet, even with all this mightiness, the Messianic King will always be profoundly humble. He finds “enjoyment . . . in the fear of Jehovah.”​—Isaiah 11:3.

16. What kind of Judge will the Messianic King be, and how will that contrast with the record of human judges?

¹⁶ This King will also be a perfect Judge. He “will not judge by any mere appearance to his eyes, nor reprove simply according to the thing heard by his ears.” What human judge, past or present, could be described that way? Even a very judicious man can judge only by what he sees and hears, using whatever wisdom or discernment he may possess. Thus, judges and juries of this old world may be swayed or confused by clever sophistry, courtroom antics, or conflicting evidence. Often it is only the wealthy and powerful who can afford an effective defense, in actuality buying justice. Not so under the Messianic Judge! He reads hearts. Nothing will escape his notice. Justice, tempered by love and mercy, will not be for sale. It will always prevail.​—Isaiah 11:3-5.

How His Rule Affects You

17, 18. (a) What glowing picture of mankind’s future is painted at Isaiah 11:6-9? (b) To whom does this prophecy primarily apply, and why so? (c) How will this prophecy have a literal fulfillment?

¹⁷ Understandably, the Messiah’s rule has a profound influence on its subjects. It changes people. Isaiah 11:6-9 shows just how extensive such changes are. This prophecy paints a touching picture of dangerous, predatory animals​—bears, wolves, leopards, lions, cobras—​in the company of harmless domestic animals and even children. But the predators pose no danger! Why? Isa 11 Verse 9 answers: “They will not do any harm or cause any ruin in all my holy mountain; because the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea.”

¹⁸ Of course, “knowledge of Jehovah” could have no effect on literal animals; thus these verses must primarily apply to people. The Messiah’s rule sponsors a global education program, teaching people about Jehovah and his ways, teaching all to treat their fellowman with love, respect, and dignity. In the coming Paradise, the Messiah will miraculously raise mankind to physical and moral perfection. The predatory, animalistic traits that mar imperfect human nature will be gone. In a literal sense, also, mankind will come to be at peace with the animals​—at last!​—Compare Genesis 1:28.

19. How does the rule of the Messiah affect the lives of people in these last days?

¹⁹ Remember, though, the Messiah is ruling now. Even now, the subjects of his Kingdom are learning to live peaceably together, fulfilling Isaiah 11:6-9 in one sense. Moreover, for almost 80 years, Jesus has been fulfilling Isaiah 11:10: “It must occur in that day that there will be the root of Jesse that will be standing up as a signal for the peoples. To him even the nations will turn inquiringly, and his resting-place must become glorious.” People of every nation are turning to the Messiah. Why? Because ever since he began ruling, he has been “standing up as a signal.” He has been making his presence known worldwide by means of the vast educational program described above. In fact, Jesus foretold that a global preaching work would be an outstanding sign of his presence before the end of this old system.​—Matthew 24:14.

20. What attitude should all subjects of the Messiah’s rule avoid, and why?

²⁰ So Christ’s presence in Kingly power is not a remote, theoretical affair, merely a subject of intellectual debate among theologians. His rule touches and changes lives here on the earth, just as Isaiah foretold it would. Jesus has drawn millions of subjects for his Kingdom out of this corrupt world system. Are you such a subject? Then serve with all the enthusiasm and joy that our Ruler deserves! Granted, it is all too easy to tire out, to join in the world’s cynical cry: “Where is this promised presence of his?” (2 Peter 3:4) But as Jesus himself said, “he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved.”​—Matthew 24:13.

21. How might all of us enhance our appreciation for the Messianic hope?

²¹ Every passing day draws us closer to the great day when Jehovah will direct His Son to make his presence manifest to the whole world. Never let your hope in that day grow dim. Meditate on Jesus’ Messiahship and on his qualities as reigning King. Think deeply, too, about Jehovah God, the author and mastermind of the great Messianic hope outlined in the Bible. As you do, no doubt you will feel more and more as the apostle Paul did when he wrote: “O the depth of God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge!”​—Romans 11:33.

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