SECTION 1 JUDAISM- TOPIC 2.1.3 MESSIAH

Question 1

The purpose of the Messiah

Answer 1

-rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem
-unite all the peoples of the world
-bring in the Messianic Age, when all will live at peace
-establish God’s kingdom.

Question 2

Messiah=

Answer 2

anointed one

Question 3

Most Jews believe that the nature of the Messiah will be to be:

Answer 3

-a descendant of King David
-a human, not a divine being
-a man of great learning
-a man of great piety and close to God
-a man with great leadership qualities.

Question 4

How messiahship is shown in the scriptures
SOWAA

Answer 4

“The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him.”

“The Messiah will rule wisely and justly”

The Messiah will rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.

Question 5

The Messianic Age

Answer 5

Nevi’im say that during this time:

-There will be peace among all nations
-There will be justice and prosperity throughout the world
-All the Jewish people will return from exile to Israel
-There will be no sin or evil as everyone will obey all the
commandments
-The whole world will accept the Jewish God and Jewish religion

Question 6

when the Messiah comes is known as the

Answer 6

Olam Ha-Ba

(messianic age)

Question 7

SOWAA FOR BELEIF IN MESSIANIC AGE

Answer 7

“I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah”

13 principle of faith by maimondes

Question 8

Different understandings of the Messiah

Answer 8

-Most rabbis have followed the teaching of Maimonides that no one can know when the Messiah will come other than God himself.

-Reform Jews believe that it is up to individual Jewish people to change this world, bringing the nations together and establishing justice and peace just as the Tenakh predicts the Messianic Age will do.

-coming of the Messiah will result in the resurrection of the dead and everyone being given a spiritual body to live in a spiritual world.

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Question 9

The importance of ideas about the Messiah for
Jews today

Answer 9

Belief in the coming of the Messiah is one the Thirteen Principles of the Faith

importance can also be seen in the fact that in the prayer which Jews recite three times a day, they pray for the coming of the Messiah

The way the idea of the Messianic Age (especially the Reform view) has attracted Jewish people to liberal and left-wing political causes shows another importance=Many think that the Messianic ideal of peace and justice for the poor is the reason why so many left-wing thinkers were Jewish (for example, Karl Marx and Leon Trotsky).