Apologeticae sive Theologiae Fundamentalis, Tomus I: Demonstratio Christiana

There was not one single messianic view among all the Jews who lived shortly before Christ or were contemporaries of Christ. Most cherished rabbinic messianism, others an eschatological, others a biblical one.

1. Rabbinic or Pharisaic messianism.¹ Pharisaico-rabbinic theology flourished most from the Babylonian exile down to the age of Christ, although it was committed to writing only in the first Christian centuries. Led by zeal for the Mosaic law, the rabbis, almost wholly neglecting the other books of the Old Testament, extolled the Torah alone, i. e. the Mosaic Pentateuch, in so far as it contains precepts. To the Torah they added the Mishnah, i. e. the tradition of the fathers embracing innumerable prescriptions.² Finally, to the Mishnah itself the rabbis, by force of cabbalistic exegesis,³ added the Gemara (Talmud).⁴ Rabbinic nomism, therefore, consisted of a threefold concentric circle: the Torah or the law; the Mishnah or the body of law, and the Gemara (Talmud) or the commentary on the body of law. According to the rabbis these three, taken together, constitute the revealed Law of Moses.⁵ The nucleus, however, of the threefold law is messianism.

And indeed, according to the rabbis, the kingdom of God descended from heaven together with the Law on Mount Sinai.⁶ With the Mosaic covenant concluded, the people of Israel was redeemed;⁷ all nations were subjected to the dominion of the Israelites; all material and sensual goods were conferred on the children of Abraham; nay, paradise itself was again established on earth.⁸

This kingdom of God, alas, perished through the adoration of the golden calf and will return only upon the perfect observance of the Law.⁹ In the time of David that happy observance of the Law was almost at hand, and the kingdom of the Messiah had begun to unfold, but it was hindered by the sins of David and of his son Solomon. But on the first day on which all Israelites shall have fulfilled all the prescriptions of the Law, the Messiah will appear, will increase the zeal for the Law, himself the most ardent of all the rabbis, will raise the throne of David more gloriously, will destroy the Roman empire, will make all nations tributary to the Jews, and will restore the whole Sinaitic kingdom of God with all its earthly goods.¹⁰

That this rabbinic messianism differs from the messianic concept of the Old Testament by the whole heaven is evident. Over against the spiritual and universal "kingdom of God" is set a political, material, earthly, national kingdom of the Jews. Since this kingdom is the reward of the legal observance of the individual Israelites, who are already redeemed,¹¹ and since it belongs to the Messiah alone to proclaim the kingdom on the appointed day, the Pharisaic Messiah is not the suffering and dying "Servant of God" for the sins of the human race. Nor is he the "Son of Man" described by Daniel, still less the true "Son of God", but he plays the part of some great rabbi and cares only for earthly things. The Pharisaic Messiah is a mere secular "Son of David", the greatest politico-national king of the Jews.¹²

2. Eschatological or apocalyptic messianism.¹³ Against the rabbinic messianism which pleased most Jews, some set the eschatological or apocalyptic. It is called apocalyptic because it took its origin from certain apocalyptic books written about the age of Christ, the principal of which are: the Book of Henoch, the Book of Jubilees, the Assumption of Moses, the Sibylline Oracles, the Apocalypse or fourth book of Esdras, and the Apocalypse of Baruch. It is called eschatological because it made the Messiah and his kingdom coincide with the last things, i. e. with the end of time and of the world and with the last judgment.

For certain "pessimists", seeing the Romans more and more taking possession of the public affairs of the Jews, despaired of obtaining the establishment of the Davidic-messianic kingdom in this world. Hence, neglecting the other messianic prophecies, they clung only to the prophecy of Daniel concerning the "Son of Man" who was to come at the end of time, to judge the world, and to govern the kingdom of God. They thought, therefore, that this worst of worlds must first be destroyed and another heavenly age created. Once this was done, they said, the Messiah, still kept in heaven, will descend in the clouds upon the new earth, will judge men, and will forthwith establish the kingdom of God.

This eschatological kingdom of God they imagine as wholly politico-national and material. The Messiah will subdue all kingdoms and all kings hostile to the Israelites, but will hand over to the Jews the government of the whole world.¹⁴ All nations will adore the sons of Israel and will be pressed into their harshest servitude.¹⁵ The Jews, however, will enjoy immense riches, unheard-of pleasures of the senses, and perpetual beauty and youth;¹⁶ protected and beatified by the presence of the Messiah.¹⁷

Hence eschatological messianism is politico-national and material without qualification, just as much as rabbinic messianism. It differs from the latter only in this, that it assigns the Messiah and his kingdom to a transcendental world and age. With the Old Testament this messianic eschatology has nothing to do. It indeed snatches up the prophecy of Daniel concerning the "Son of Man", but torn away from the other messianic prophecies.

3. Biblical or prophetic messianism.¹⁸ There were not wanting Jews who retained the messianic concept of the whole Old Testament, expecting already in this world the Messiah, the redeemer of all men, and a religious, universal kingdom of God.

Zechariah exults in that celebrated messianic canticle because the Messiah will procure for the Jews not only holiness, justice, knowledge of God and the remission of sins, but will also enlighten all nations with religion: "That being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him without fear, in holiness and justice before him ... To give knowledge of salvation to his people unto the remission of their sins. The orient from on high has visited us, to enlighten those [nations] who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death."¹⁹

That Joseph, the spouse of Mary, expected the Messiah as a spiritual Savior is evident from the words spoken to him by the angel: "Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins."²⁰

Simeon proclaims Jesus, the "Messiah of the Lord",²¹ to be not only the glory of Israel, but also the salvation and light of all nations; nay, he foresees the passion of the Messiah: "My eyes have seen thy salvation [Iahve], which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to the revelation of the gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel... Behold, this child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted, and thy own [Mary's] soul a sword shall pierce."²²

John the precursor professes more clearly the spiritual operation of the Messiah and his vicarious death for sinners. For he announces that Jesus, the founder of the kingdom of heaven,²³ will baptize "in the Holy Ghost and in fire",²⁴ i. e. will confer the spiritual gifts of the messianic kingdom, and that he is "the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world",²⁵ i. e. a lamb sacred, to be offered to God, and by this oblation to take away the sin of the world.²⁶

The Samaritans, too, expected the Messiah not as politico-national, but as the "Savior of the world".²⁷

Finally, all who searched the Old Testament with a devout and upright heart necessarily repudiated messianism, both rabbinic and eschatological.