For other uses, see Messiah (disambiguation).

In Judaism, the Messiah (מָשִׁיחַ "anointed one", Standard Hebrew Mašíaḥ, Tiberian Hebrew Māšîªḥ Arabic المسيح;) initially meant any person who was anointed by a prophet of God. In English today, it is used in two major contexts: the anticipated saviour of the Jews, and one who is anticipated as, regarded as, or professes to be a saviour or liberator. Jews, however, don't generally use the word "saviour" in reference to the messiah, primarily because of the Christian connotation of the word "saviour."

In the first century, it was interpreted to refer more specifically to someone appointed by God to lead the Jewish people in the face of their tribulations with the Romans. Christians consider Jesus to be that messiah. The word Christ (Greek Χριστός, Khristos, "the anointed one") is a literal translation of "mashiach".

In Islam, Jesus (Isa) is also considered the Maseeh, or Messiah, and his eventual return to the Earth is expected with that of another messianic figure, the Mahdi.

Some speculate that the Jewish concept of the Messiah did not arise as depicted in the Hebrew Scriptures, but rather originates in the Zoroastrian idea of Saoshyant. For similar figures in other religions, refer to the "See also" section in this article.

The Septuagint, an ancient Jewish translation of the Old Testament into Greek, translates all thirty-nine instances of the word messiah as Khristos. The New Testament records the Greek form Μεσσίας, Messias, only twice, in John 1:41 and 4:25.

In the Hebrew Bible

Main article: Jewish Messiah

The concept of the messiah is prominent in many books in the Hebrew Bible. In the Hebrew Bible, Israelite priests, prophets, and kings were anointed with oil in consecration to their respective offices.

The Hebrew Bible contains a number (the number is debated) of prophecies concerning a future descendant of King David who will be anointed as the Jewish people's new leader (moshiach).

The prophecies regarding this person refer to him as a descendant of King David who will rebuild

The mainstream Jewish understanding of mashiach (the messiah) has little, if anything, in common with the Christian understanding of Jesus as Christ (messiah). This subject is covered in more detail in the entry on Jewish eschatology.

Traditional and contemporary Judaism

The concept of the messiah varies in traditional and contemporary Judaism. The view of the messiah in talmudic literature is that there are two messiahs, Mashiach ben Joseph (Messiah son of Joseph) and Mashiach ben David (Messiah son of David). The Hebrew ben can mean either son or descendant. In this sense it can also mean "in the manner of", i.e., there will be a "suffering servant" messiah in the manner of Joseph son of Israel/Jacob and a different messiah in the manner of King David.

A common rabbinic interpretation is that there is a potential messiah in every generation. A famous midrash tells of a man who went to a highly respected rabbi and asked, "When will mashiach come?" He was quite surprised when the rabbi answered, "Tomorrow." Overjoyed and full of anticipation, the man went to the Wailing Wall and waited all day. The next day he went to the rabbi, disappointed and puzzled, and asked, "You said messiah would come 'tomorrow' but he didn't come! What happened?" The rabbi replied, 'Scripture says, "Today, if you will hear his voice . . ." (Psalm 95:7)

Orthodox Judaism and Conservative Judaism believe in a future physical messiah who will bring peace to the world. Reform Judaism teaches there will be a time of peace, etc., but that it will be the result of tikkun olam ("repair of the world") through human efforts toward social justice, not the actions of one man.

In the New Testament

Main article: Christian views of Jesus

Christianity emerged from Judaism in the first century A.D. The first Christians were Jews. Within the Jewish tradition there was a belief that a messiah — a descendant of King David — would restore the monarchy/theocracy and Jewish independence. Some Christians also believe that the messiah was prophecied to become a sacrificial offering for the sins of the world. The fundamental confession of Christianity is that Jesus of Nazareth was this messiah.

According to mainstream Jewish belief, the failure of Jesus to restore the Kingdom and fulfil various other messianic prophecies, and his crucifixion by Romans, negated claims that he

Many Christians believe that Jesus' messianic character will be vindicated in his prophesied second advent. In this sense, Jesus is believed to be both the fulfilment of the Jewish Messiah, and will be the fulfilment of his own prophecies of the Second Coming.

Christian understanding of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament evaluates prophetic references to the Messiah in the context of New Testament witnesses; some passages are understood to deal with a contemporary fulfilment and a future fulfilment in Jesus. This is understood by Christians to be consistent with prophetic interpretation under the ancient Jewish tradition as well. In a unique example, the first Northern Kingdom ruler, Jeroboam received a prophecy of the future destruction of his idols by King Josiah (yet unborn) of Judah. This future prophecy was confirmed by a contemporary prophecy that the ashes of the altar would spill out. This occurred shortly thereafter and was taken as confirmation of the future prophecy.

In this view, the prophecies about Jesus became more definite and fuller as the ages rolled on. Different periods of prophetic revelation have been pointed out: (1) the patriarchal; (2) the Mosaic; (3) the period of David; (4) the period of prophetism, i.e., of those prophets whose work form a part of the Old Testament canon. Other periods have been defined as corresponding to the different dispensations (also seen as defined by covenants) of God's dealing with man. These principally involved the pre-Mosaic period, the Mosaic period, and finally the Christian period. This is not a full listing of the different periods of revelation, but a limited list helpful in the context. For a full listing, see Dispensationalism.

Another Christian view does not see several dispensations or ages as is espoused by Dispensationalism but rather sees a single elect company of believers from both sides of Calvary drawn from the Old Testament and New Testament periods and extending right up to the last day of this present age. In this view, there are only two dispensations, namely this present evil age and the age to come, the Millennium of the Messiah. This is the view held by many evangelicals who hold to a Resurrection of the righteous at the end of this age immediately followed by a Post Tribulation Rapture.

In Islam

Main articles: Isa, Mahdi, and Muhammad al-Mahdi

In the Qur'an, the scripture of Islam, Isa (Jesus) is described as a Prophet of God as well as "the Messiah." The belief is that he was raised to heaven and will return at the end of days to live out the rest of his natural life.

Some Muslims claims the Messiah was prophesized in the "testimony of Levi" in Genesis as a descendent of Levi, and that the prophecy about "the shoot of Jesse" was displaced in antiquity from the Joshua section to other Prophets scrolls, and that both Joshua prophecy and the Testimony of Judah ( the star, shoot) were already achieved in David.

The Mahdi (al-Mahdi, Imam Mehdi, etc.), is a different person from Jesus/Isa and is another messianic figure in Islam. The Mahdi will usher in a new age of peace, and restore a perfect Islamic society. Shia and Sunni opinions on al-Mahdi differ somewhat, but both sects agree that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah.

The Ahmadiyya sect believes that the Messiah and Mahdi have come in the form of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, India (1835-1908).

Other Messiahs

See Jewish Messiah claimants for an overview of such claimants and links to more detailed articles.

In Stregheria, Jesus Christ is believed to have been a sort of "evil messiah" or false messiah, while Aradia de Toscano is seen as the true saviour who came to free the poor and the oppressed from the bondages of Christianity.

Adherents to the Unification Movement consider Rev. Moon to be the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

The Shakers believed that Jesus was the male Messiah and Mother Ann Lee, the female Messiah.

For the Rastafari movement, Haile Selassie of Ethiopia was the messiah.

The Messiah in science fiction and fantasy

The idea of a messiah figure has long been an element in the genres of science fiction and fantasy. See the article Messiahs in fiction and fantasy.

See also

• Chosen one, a person who was chosen, usually by fate or God (or a godlike being), to save a group of people.
• God complex
• Jewish Messiah
• Jewish Messiah claimants
• Jewish view of Jesus
• Kalki
• List of messiah claimants
• Mahdi
• Maitreya
• Messianic prophecy
• Millennialism
• Muhammad al-Mahdi
• Messiahs in fiction and fantasy
• Saoshyant
• Second Coming
• Shambhala

Messies Messias Mesías Messie 메시아 Mesias Messia משיח Messias メシア Messias Mesjasz Messias (Judaísmo)

Мессия Messias