MESSIAH (מָשִׁיחַ , mashiach, literally 'anointed one'), in the religious beliefs of Judaism, an ideal king, a descendant of David, who will be sent by God to bring about the deliverance of the people of Israel.

Word mashiach was originally an adjective meaning “anointed [with oil],” and was used in the Bible in relation to the kings of Israel and Judah (I Sam. 12:3, 5; 16:6; II Sam. 19:22; II Chron. 6:42 ; Ps. 18:51; 20:7), the high priests (Lev. 4:3; 5:16) and even to the foreign king Cyrus (Is. 45:1). Since the act of anointing symbolized the election of a person to perform important public functions, the meaning of the word mashiach expanded and began to be applied in a later period to especially revered persons who had not even undergone the literal rite of anointing with oil, for example, patriarchs (Ps. 105:15; I Chron. 16:22). Sometimes this word means the whole people of Israel (Ps. 89:39, 52; apparently also Ps. 84:10).

As a designation of the eschatological king-savior the word mashiach not used in the Bible. However, the origins of the idea of ​​the Messiah and, in a broader sense, messianic aspirations, which are not always associated with the person of the Messiah, can be traced back to the biblical period. The essence of the idea of ​​the Messiah is expressed by the faith of the prophets of Israel (see Prophets and Prophecy) in the coming of a time when a strong-spirited leader possessing earthly power will bring complete political and spiritual deliverance to the people of Israel in their land, as well as peace, prosperity and moral perfection to the entire human race . In Jewish messianism, political and ethical, national and universalist motives are inextricably linked.

Along with ethical monotheism and the idea of ​​social justice, the messianic idea represents the most important and unique contribution of the Jewish people to the spiritual heritage of humanity. A feature of messianic aspirations is the expectation of a golden age in the future, while other ancient peoples attributed the golden age to the past. The early history of the Jewish people was primarily a history of disasters and suffering, so they began to strive for a glorious future and dream of a savior and deliverer. The features of such a deliverer can be traced in the image of Moses, who not only led the people out of Egyptian slavery, but also spiritually enlightened them, bringing them the Torah and commandments (see Mitzvot). Thus, political liberation and spiritual revival merged in the minds of the people into a single image of future deliverance. In the Talmud and midrash, Moses is called the “first deliverer” (Ruth R. 2:14), in contrast to the Messiah - “the last deliverer” (Gen. R. 85). The tradition of Moses was the germ of the messianic idea.

However, the true prototype of the Messiah was King David, who is imprinted in the memory of the people as the owner of exceptional political and at the same time religious and ethical merits. David united all the tribes of Israel under his rule, turning them into a single and strong people; won numerous victories over his enemies. The reign of David was preserved in the memory of the people as the pinnacle of the historical path traveled. The division of the Davidic kingdom after the death of Solomon and dissatisfaction with the activities of later kings gave rise to the people's dream that in the future the house of David would again reign over the entire Land of Israel.

Messianic aspirations were a positive element in the preaching of the prophets. Ruthlessly denouncing their contemporaries, the prophets predicted the onset of an ideal future, the prologue of which would be the disasters of the present. The gloomier the present was, the more terrible the disasters that the immediate future promised were imagined, the brighter the vision of the final triumph became. The hope for the restoration of the Davidic kingdom is reflected in the prophecies of Amos (9:11–12), Isaiah (11:10), Hoshei (3:5), and Ezekiel (37:15–28). The prophets introduced universalist-humanistic and spiritual-ethical elements into messianic aspirations. The Messiah must be not only the liberator of the people from national oppression, but also the owner of the highest moral virtues. The messianic idea, without losing its political and national attributes, acquired an increasingly spiritual and universal character. The aspirations of the Jewish people became among the prophets the hope of all mankind: deliverance will come not only to the people and Country of Israel, but also to all peoples and lands (Isa. 11:10). It will extend to the natural world (Isa. 11:6–9). In Isaiah, the messianic idea takes on utopian and eschatological (see Eschatology) features: the future will not just restore the previous happy state, but will bring with it a complete transformation of the world on the basis of justice. All nations will believe in the God of Israel; eternal peace will reign (Isa. 2:2-4). Deliverance will be the ideal completion of the historical process, giving it meaning and direction. Messianic aspirations contain the idea of ​​progress, alien to the consciousness of other peoples of antiquity. The definition of “messianic” subsequently began to be applied to a variety of utopian and apocalyptic ideologies and movements, for example, to Marxism (see K. Marx).

The term Messiah began to denote the identity of an eschatological deliverer only during the Second Temple era. Initially, the idea of ​​deliverance dominated over the idea of ​​the Messiah. The period of the Second Temple includes works that tell about eschatological deliverance, in which the personality of the Messiah does not appear (the book of Tobit; Ben Sira's Wisdom). In the book of Daniel, the symbolic messianic figure of the Son of Man appears (Dan. 7). The most ancient version of the Amida expresses the hope of the return of all Jews from Galut and the restoration of the eschatological Jerusalem and Temple, but does not mention the identity of the Messiah. Even in those old prayers that contain the idea of ​​the Messiah, the word mashiach absent. Even in the biblical book of Zechariah, two messianic figures are mentioned: the high priest and the king. This idea survived in rabbinic literature, where the righteous priest (koch en tzedek) sometimes mentioned together with the Messiah-king from the house of David. These two figures (priest and king) played an important role in the eschatology of the Qumran community (see also Dead Sea Scrolls); Along with them, the prophet of eschatological times was mentioned. The three messianic figures symbolize the three functions of the ideal Jewish state - kingdom, priesthood and prophecy (I Macc. 14:41). Gradually, the image of the Messiah-king replaced other messianic images, which was facilitated by the mention of the eschatological king from the house of David in the books of the Bible.

A more detailed description of the Messiah-king is contained in the pseudepigraphic book of Enoch, as well as in the prophecies of the so-called “Jewish Sibyl” (about 140 BC). Since the adoption of the royal title by Aristobulus I, in apocryphal literature (see Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha), the idea of ​​a Messiah-king from the house of David (as opposed to usurpers) begins to prevail. During the era of the Roman conquest, the image of the king from the house of David becomes the only image of the Messiah. He appears in the 4th book of Ezra, the Syrian Apocalypse of Baruch (see Apocalyptic literature). In the New Testament, Jesus is identified with the Messiah of the house of David (the word "Christ" means "anointed" in Greek and is a translation of the word Mashiach).

Belief in the coming of the Messiah was part of everyday aspirations and hopes, and from the 1st century. n. e. inspired mass movements whose leaders claimed the role of the Messiah (see Messianic movements). The names of two such contenders are found in the Acts of the Apostles (5:36–37). Josephus tells about the messianic movements and their leaders (War 2:444–448). One such leader was Yeh uda the Galilean, founder of the Zealot movement. The leader of the most significant of the messianic movements of the Roman period was Bar Kokhba (see Bar Kokhba's revolt), whom Akiva recognized as the Messiah. Bar Kochba himself did not call himself a king, but only naxi(`prince`, `leader`). On the coins next to his name appears the name of the priest El'azar. About other contenders for the role of the Messiah in the 1st century. - early 2nd century says in the Talmud. Philo of Alexandria mentions messianic aspirations in connection with the Greek translation of the Pentateuch (Num. 24:17), where the word stirs(`rod`, `scepter`) is translated as “man”. This translation indicates that already at the beginning of the 3rd century. BC e. the term “son of man” (see Jesus) was used to mean Messiah. Messianic aspirations during the Second Temple era received different interpretations depending on the views of various movements in Judaism. However, the Messiah has always been viewed as a person, although endowed with some supernatural qualities, as an instrument of God, an executor of His will, but not as a God-man savior in Christianity. Although the Messiah's descent from the House of David was postulated, the claimant had to prove the authenticity of his claim by works—in the Second Temple era it was impossible to trace a genealogy back to David.

The teachers of the Talmud developed the idea of ​​the Messiah as a king who would bring redemption to Israel and rule over it at the end of time. He will be the instrument for establishing the kingdom of God. The King-Messiah is called malka meshikha(in Aramaic) ben david or Mashiach ben David. The time of deliverance is called Yemot x Ha-Mashiach(`days of the Messiah`). With the coming of the Messiah, biblical prophecies must come true: the Messiah will defeat the enemies of Israel, return their land to the people, reconcile them with God and bring them spiritual and physical prosperity. The Messiah will be a prophet, warrior, judge, king and teacher of the Torah. Apocalyptic literature also mentions the Messiah from the tribe of Joseph (or Ephraim; see also Tribes of Israel), who will come before the Messiah, the son of David, and will die in battle with the enemies of Israel. The idea of ​​the Messiah from the tribe of Joseph (“Messiah, son of Joseph”) and his death may have been inspired by the image of Bar Kochba and the defeat of his rebellion. In later Talmudic sources, national and political motives largely give way to spiritual and mythological ones.

According to these sources, the Messiah was born in Beth Lechem (or Jerusalem) on the day of the destruction of the Temple. He remains hidden for the time being - in Rome or in heaven (in the later midrash) - mourning the suffering of the people and his own powerlessness, in order to appear when the hour of deliverance comes. According to some sources, the Messiah was present at the creation of the world, and some even believe that the “name” (that is, the idea) of the Messiah preceded the creation of the world; according to others, the Messiah himself is endowed with a pre-world existence (Psi. R. 36:161). All teachers of the law believed that the Messiah would be a descendant of King David, but some argued that the Messiah would be the resurrected David himself, and others that the Messiah would only bear the name David. Jochanan ben Zakkai predicted the coming of King Hezekiah as the Messiah. There is also the name Menachem ben Hezkiyah, which can be attributed to the leader of the anti-Roman uprising (see Zealots), or simply symbolize the coming “consolation” (Menachem - literally “comforter”). The Messiah is even identified with Yeh udah ha-Nasi (Sankh. 98b). Sometimes called the Messiah Shalom(`peace`). Early sources do not mention a "suffering Messiah" - this concept does not appear until the 3rd century. Even later, the sufferings of the Messiah were given a redemptive meaning (Sankh. 98b; Psi. R. 1626), although different from that given by Christianity to the sacrificial death of Christ.

The Messiah may appear in humble form, riding on a donkey (cf. Zech. 9:9), or as a triumphant figure, seated on clouds (cf. Dan. 7:13). The purely human nature of the Messiah is evidenced by the fact that Rabbi Akiva recognized Bar Kochba as the Messiah (although he also said that the Messiah would take the throne next to God). The Talmudic source clearly attributes immortality to the Messiah (Suk. 52a), and midrash(mainly late) especially distinguishes him among the immortals in paradise. In the worldview of the teachers of the Talmud, the Messiah does not replace either God or the Torah. In the 4th century. Hillel ben Gamliel denied the coming of the Messiah (for which he was reproached), without denying the coming deliverance. The midrash states that the true deliverer will not be the Messiah, but God himself.

Medieval Judaism did not inherit from the previous period of Jewish history a coherent and consistent concept of the Messiah, messianic times and the coming messianic age. Although medieval Jewish messianism was based on earlier sources, it is a product of later thought and historical experience.

Political instability and incessant wars between Byzantium and Iran led at the turn of the 6th–7th centuries. to the emergence of messianic literature, which formed the basis of medieval Jewish ideas about the age of the Messiah. The pseudepigraphic book of Zrubavel describes visions of the last days and the coming of the Messiah, which should be preceded by the appearance of Emperor Armilus (on behalf of the first Roman king Romulus) - the son of Satan and a sculptural image of a woman. He will conquer the whole world, uniting it in the service of Satan (incarnated in himself). The Jews, led by the Messiah from the tribe of Joseph, who will be assisted by a woman named Hephzi-Bah, will go to war with Armilus. And although this Messiah will be killed, Hephzibah will save Jerusalem, and her son, the Messiah of the house of David, will defeat Armilus, and the messianic age will begin. Perhaps Zrubavel's book was written under the influence of the victories of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius (in particular, over the Persians), which seemed to a Jew living in Eretz Israel to be the first steps towards the creation of a worldwide Christian empire. The Messiah had to defeat not a weakened and divided, but a united and powerful empire, in which all the forces hostile to Jewry were concentrated.

Based on the book of Zrubavel, extensive apocalyptic literature has developed, foreshadowing the wars of the Messiah, his victory and the end of Galut. A distinctive feature of this literature is the absence of a doctrinal theological element: the apocalyptic future is only described, but not explained: the question of what the Jew must do to contribute to the coming deliverance is not addressed. In the Middle Ages, when various religious and ideological currents competed within Judaism, apocalyptic literature was acceptable in any country for all Jews: a rationalist philosopher, a mystic, a Kabbalist or an adherent of rabbinic traditionalism - all could accept the description of the messianic future contained in the book of Zrubavel and similar essays. Some works of apocalyptic literature date back to an even earlier period than the book of Zrubavel. One of the most important works of apocalyptic literature is “Otot Mashiach” (“Signs of the Messiah”): it lists the events that must precede the coming of the Messiah. Literature of this kind had a huge influence on medieval Jewry.

However, there were also non-apocalyptic concepts of the messianic age. Most Jewish philosophers rejected apocalyptic ideas: however, Sa'adia Gaon included in his work Emunot ve-de'ot (Beliefs and Views) a retelling of the description of messianic times from the book of Zrubavel. Maimonides and his followers viewed the coming of the Messiah as the political liberation of the Jewish people, without associating it with any cosmic upheaval or apocalyptic expectations. Maimonides identified the kingdom of the Messiah with a state structure based on the principles of Judaism and Jewish religious law: the utopian element of the messianic idea is reduced to a minimum: in the kingdom of the Messiah, every Jew will be able to freely indulge in the contemplative, philosophical knowledge of God.

In his work “Iggeret Teiman” (“The Yemenite Message”), Maimonides rejected from these positions the messianic claims of a certain Yemenite Jew (see Messianic movements). Avrah am bar Chiya (1065? -1136?), a rationalist philosopher close to Neoplatonism, tried in his work “Megillat ha-megalle” (“Scroll of the Seer”) to establish the date of the coming of the Messiah using astrological calculations.

Messianic speculation and attempts to calculate the date of the Messiah were a constant feature of Jewish culture in the Middle Ages and early modern times. Sometimes these dates coincided with years of great disasters in the history of the Jewish people (the Crusades, the Black Death, expulsion from Spain, pogroms of B. Khmelnitsky). Expectations for the coming of the Messiah invariably turned out to be in vain: this was explained by the supposedly insufficient righteousness of the Jews, and a new date for his coming was set. Since one of the main elements of the messianic concept is the anticipation of “messianic torment” ( hevlei mashiach), which will precede the coming of the Messiah, the most tragic moments of Jewish history (wars, persecutions) were invariably accompanied by the growth of messianic sentiments.

Despite the Jewish idea of ​​personal posthumous retribution that existed in the Middle Ages, the faith of the masses in apocalyptic deliverance did not weaken. Belief in the Messiah and the expectation of his coming became one of the firmly established principles of Judaism, which Maimonides included among the thirteen dogmas of the Jewish religion. But if Maimonides tried to give a rationalistic coloring to messianic aspirations, messianic speculation was very common among supporters of the Hasidim Ashkenazi movement. True, in their exoteric writings, the leaders of the movement, including El'azar ben Yehuda of Worms, pointed out the danger of messianic speculation and belief in false messiahs. However, esoteric writings and a number of other sources contain evidence of the widespread dissemination of such a belief among supporters and leaders of the Hasidic Ashkenazi movement.

Starting from the 13th century, especially after the publication of the book Zohar, messianic speculation and belief in the imminent arrival of the Messiah became predominantly the property of Kabbalistic literature (see Kabbalah). Zoh ar follows the aggadic tradition, viewing deliverance not as the result of the immanent progress of history, but as a supernatural miracle associated with the gradual illumination of the world by the light of the Messiah. When the spirit of impurity is expelled from the world and the Divine light shines freely upon Israel, the restoration of the world harmony that reigned in the Garden of Eden before the Fall of Adam will be accomplished. Nothing will separate the creation from the Creator. In the last section of the book Zoch Har, this prophecy is supplemented by the prediction of the liberation of the people of Israel from all the restrictions imposed on them by the Torah in Galut: after redemption, the true, mystical meaning of the Torah will be revealed, expressed by the symbol of the Tree of Life and contrasted with the Tree of Knowledge, in which good and evil, positive and negative prescriptions.

The expulsion of Jews from Spain (1492) was accompanied by an unprecedented growth in messianic sentiments: Kabbalists confidently predicted the timing of the coming of the Messiah. Disappointment in these unfulfilled predictions led to a rethinking of the messianic idea: the messianic theme became the subject of mystical speculation by the Kabbalists of Safed (see I. Luria, H. Vital), who gave the concepts of galut and redemption a universal cosmic meaning. In Lurianic Kabbalah galut of the people of Israel is only an expression of a great cosmic catastrophe: the Jewish people are entrusted with the mission to restore with the help of the Torah and mitzvot perfection of the world, free sparks of Divine light from captivity, and bring redemption closer through our own active efforts. The image of the Messiah undergoes a certain transformation: the Messiah will not bring deliverance, but will complete it. Messianic tasks are assigned to the entire Jewish people. The new interpretation of messianism contributed to the development of a sense of responsibility for their destiny among the Jewish people and prepared the way for the great messianic movement led by Sabbatai Zvi.

Sabbateanism was an expression of the crisis of the medieval worldview and the harbinger of a new era: the rejection of the passive expectation of the coming of the Messiah and the desire to hasten the onset of the messianic kingdom with their own human forces, although clothed in medieval ideological forms, prepared the transition to the secular concept of deliverance, according to which the people must take their destiny in own hands. This revolutionary concept was both a new expression of the original messianic aspirations of the Jewish people and a rejection of the traditional forms that these aspirations had taken in the centuries following the defeat of the messianic movements of the Second Temple era.

In contrast to religious Zionist circles, who see the creation of the State of Israel as the beginning of deliverance ( athalta di-geulla), the foundation laid by God's providence by human hands, on which He erects His edifice, the orthodox circles grouped around the Aguddath Israel party, while maintaining a strictly traditional concept of the Messiah, recognize the State of Israel as a secular political entity and reject only the messianic claims of Zionism. Judaism as a religion and civilization survived despite the adversities and trials that befell the Jewish people, largely due to an unshakable faith in a messianic future. Jewish messianism, despite its inherent mystical and apocalyptic features, never abandoned its fundamentally earthly orientation and the interpretation of the messianic transformations of the world in historical and socio-political concepts. It has become in the history of mankind the source and prototype of all forms of messianism - religious and political, national and internationalist.

KEE, volume: 5.
Col.: 307–314.
Published: 1990.

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Meaning of the word messiah

messiah in the crossword dictionary

Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language, Dal Vladimir

Messiah

Messiah m. Anointed; the Redeemer promised by the Old Testament, whom believers waited for in Christ, and the Jews are still waiting for. Messiin, which belongs to him.

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. D.N. Ushakov

Messiah

messiah, m. (from ancient Hebrew - anointed) (religious). In the Jewish religion, he is the expected savior of the Jewish people.

Christians have the epithet of Christ as the deliverer from sins.

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. S.I.Ozhegov, N.Yu.Shvedova.

Messiah

And, m. In Judaism and Christianity: the divine savior of humanity sent from above. The coming of the Messiah.

adj. Messianic, -aya, -oe.

New explanatory dictionary of the Russian language, T. F. Efremova.

Messiah

Epithet of Jesus Christ as the deliverer from sins, the savior of mankind (among Christians).

The expected deliverer of the Jewish people (in the Jewish religion).

Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1998

Messiah

MESSIAH (from ancient Hebrew Mashiach, lit. - anointed) in some religions, mainly in Judaism and Christianity, sent by God to earth, who must establish his kingdom forever. In ancient times and the Middle Ages, leaders of popular movements sometimes declared themselves the Messiah. In Muslim countries, the Messiah is called the Mahdi.

Messiah

Christ (from ancient Hebrew Mashiach, literally ≈ anointed; translated into Greek ≈ Christos), in a number of religions (primarily Judaism and Christianity) a savior sent by God, who must establish his kingdom forever. Ideas about the magical power of anointing with consecrated oil have existed everywhere in the East since ancient times, including as part of the ritual of enthroning a king. In the most ancient books of the Old Testament, the word “M.” means: king or, in a figurative sense, an ideal sovereign; priest. During the so-called period Babylonian captivity (586≈538 BC according to the latest data, 587≈538 BC) in connection with the destruction of the Kingdom of Judah, the idea of ​​a future king from the line of David appears. Perhaps this idea arose under the influence of Zoroastrianism, in which there was an image of the future “savior” - Saoshiant, a descendant of Zarathushtra.

The specific personality of M. was unclear for believers - he was presented either as a divine eternal being, identified with the Archangel Michael, or as a “son of man,” i.e., as a human teacher, reformer, or as a priest - a descendant of the mythical priest Melchizedek.

Faith in M. occupied an important place in the ideology of the Jewish sect of the Essenes-Qumranites (Essenes): the founder of the sect, the so-called. the teacher of righteousness was apparently understood as M. In the popular movements against Roman oppression (Jewish Wars 66≈73, 132≈135), the leaders of the uprisings (Johanan of Gihsala, Simon bar Giora, Bar Kokhba) declared themselves M.; After the defeat of the uprising, faith in the expected M. loses its former meaning, but in eras of especially difficult conditions of the masses (for example, in the Middle Ages), the leaders of popular movements again pose as M. In modern Judaism, faith in an individual M. is not of significant importance.

Christians from the very beginning declared the founder of their religion to be the messiah (Christ): Jesus was considered a descendant of King David, and Jewish messianic terminology was associated with him: “king of the Jews,” “lord” - Greek. kyrios "lord" ≈ "son of man". But the concept of "M." in Christianity it was transferred from the political and social sphere to the religious and ethical sphere: M. Christ is interpreted as the savior from the original sin inherent in humanity, “from the kingdom of Satan,” and not as a deliverer from economic and political disasters. At the same time, although M. Christ is declared to have already appeared and atoned for the sins of mankind with his death, Christians at the same time believe in his “second coming” to establish the eternal “kingdom of God” throughout the earth. “Salvation” is increasingly understood eschatologically, that is, as having to happen not in historical time, but in the “end of times.”

In the figurative sense of the concept “M.” and “messianicism” (“messianicism”) are also applied to the expected future saviors in other religions (especially in Islam, where messianism has a direct Judeo-Christian origin). In Muslim countries, messianism spread in the form of the doctrine of the Mahdi (Arabic). For example, Muhammad Ahmed, the leader of the uprising in Sudan at the end of the 19th century. against foreign colonialists, declared himself Mahdi (Mahdi of Sudan).

Messiahship in all its forms, which was objectively the result of the difficult situation of the people and at the same time pinned hopes only on a divine deliverer, often served as a means of distracting the masses from the active struggle for their interests.

A. P. Kazhdan.

Wikipedia

Messiah

Messiah(from, mashiach; , Christ) - literally “anointed one”. Anointing with olive oil (oil) was part of the ceremony performed in ancient times when monarchs were enthroned and priests were ordained.

In Judaism the word " mashiach" allegorically means "king". The Jews believe that an ideal king, a descendant of King David, will be sent by God to bring about the political liberation of the people of Israel from the rule of other nations. In Christianity, the Greek form of the term " mashiach" - Christ, as well as the term "Savior". In Christian theology, the role of Christ the Messiah goes significantly beyond the ideas of Judaism about the salvation of Israel and extends to all humanity.

Messiah (disambiguation)

• The Messiah is a messenger of higher powers in many religions.
• Messiah is an oratorio by Handel.
• Dune Messiah is a novel by Frank Herbert.
• The Messiah Cleanses the Disc is a novel by Henry Lyon Oldie.
• Lionel Messi or Messiah is an Argentine football player.

Examples of the use of the word messiah in literature.

I often thought that when Messiah will come for the Jews in order to take them to the Land of Israel, he, Abba, will remain in Frampol, in his house, on his hill.

This image Messiah there is one more step of the Old Testament consciousness towards the mystery of God-manhood.

When your entire world, not just a drawing on a book page, is transformed in this way, you experience a brain change that can turn a wealthy heiress into a bank robber, an unknown carpenter into Messiah, and an ordinary employee - into a mentally ill person.

It is only known that it was on that day in the evening, sitting with his family at the evening meal, that Ilya Davidovich uttered the following words: - Do you know what? Messiah will come soon, right?

Messiah, - said Yosef, responding with this word to two people at once: Dina, to whom he said that it was no longer possible to treat Ilya Kremer as an ordinary person and needed to come to terms with this at least for a while, if not forever, and I.

They strung the cakes and attached them to themselves, wincing from the burns, and followed their patient, who looked like a madman messiah, from the warm, bright starter bay into cold or stiflingly hot tunnels where the air was too thin, or too dense, or saturated with acidic fumes.

Often they talk about different things: Amos and Zephaniah about universal judgment, Hosea about Divine love, Isaiah and his disciples predict the coming of the universal Kingdom Messiah, Jeremiah teaches about the religion of the spirit, and Ezekiel is zealous for the temple Community with a solemn liturgical ritual.

They immediately notified him about the existence of the omnipotent Creator, who created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, about the chaos that had previously flown over the waters, about the first parents, their fall from grace, expulsion from paradise, and the coming of deliverance messiah, about love and mercy, and the king invited them from the audience hall to his chambers and began to pester them with malicious questions, to which they answered with patient understanding, knowing that these doubts did not come from heresy, but only from ignorance.

Just as Socrates is the child of Athens, so Isaiah is inseparable from Jerusalem, the spirit of which is felt everywhere in his sermons, in his teaching about the holiness of God, about the Remnant of Israel and about Messiah.

About the fact that at the same time as Dina, Ilya Kuprevich disappeared somewhere, Messiah Did not think.

And, if you go further into the open, you can outplay yourself: the idea messiah, how Maitreya is conceived, the second coming of the savior is the idea of ​​all religions, even the most ancient, and this idea has a purely human meaning everywhere - the one who loses always strives for revenge!

Unlike the rebel bands of self-proclaimed kings who clearly bothered everyone and everything messiahs, our headquarters thoroughly developed a plan for a secret union using the example of the Essene system, the secret was sealed with a religious spell herem, which you probably know from hearsay.

By the way, at that time the version of two messiahs- king and priest, according to popular tradition - in the theocratic practice of the Jewish state, the high priests were also God's anointed.

I'm holding on to my thoughts, version two messiahs appeared in the days of the humiliation of the high priests, when my ancestor was building a sanctuary in Leontopolis.

Or they said that Messiah, promised in the law of Moses, did not come, but would come, and they hoped that he would deliver them from the captivity in which they said they were, and lead them to the promised land.

In modern society, the word “messiah” is firmly associated with the Second Coming of Christ and the appearance of the Antichrist, and the subsequent Apocalypse and Last Judgment.

To create a complete picture of the definition of this concept, you need to look at the definition of the messiah from the perspective of several world religions.

Messiah - Teacher in Judaism

According to the Russian language dictionary by D. N. Ushakov, the meaning of the word “messiah” is the Savior, according to the theory of Judaism and Christian churches, sent to Earth by God to cleanse it from sin, and the word itself comes from the Hebrew “madlyashiah” (literally - anointed; Greek translation - Christ).

In ancient times, all kings who ascended the throne were anointed with oil. According to Judaism, the Messiah is a descendant of the clan. It should be noted that the Tanakh calls the word “madlyashiah” all the kings of Judah and Israel, priests, biblical patriarchs, the people of Israel, some prophets and the Persian king Cyrus due to his special services to the Jewish people.

The concept of the coming of the Messiah was introduced into Judaism by the prophets of Ancient Israel. The main criterion for this coming is considered to indicate that the Messiah will appear to the world in an era of social and interethnic changes. In the era of Moshiach, wars will stop, general prosperity will come on Earth, and people will turn their attention to spirituality and service to God, and the entire Jewish people will live according to the laws of the Torah.

According to the teachings of Midrash - the oral Torah - a parallel is drawn between the first coming of the “first Deliverer” Moses and the “second Deliverer” Messiah, which allows us to speak about the origin of the messianic idea back in ancient times.

Messiah in Islam

In Islam, the Mahdi - the Messiah - is the last successor of the prophet Muhammad, who will appear in the world on the eve of the end of the world. The coming of the Messiah is not mentioned in the Koran itself, but it is widely known in the hadiths of Muhammad, initially identified with the prophet Isa (Jesus), who will herald the approach of Qiyamat - the Day of Judgment.

In ancient centuries, the Mahdi was perceived as a future ruler who would restore the original purity of Islam. Therefore, messianic ideas have always inspired Muslim religious and

Separately, it is worth saying that due to certain dogmatic circumstances, faith in the Mahdi was perceived especially actively in Shiite Islam, where it merged with the belief in the return of the “hidden imam.”

The basis of the doctrine of the Messiah in Christianity

According to the new dictionary of the Russian language edited by T. F. Efremova, the Messiah is:

• epithet as the deliverer from sins and the savior of all mankind;
• the expected deliverer of the Jewish people from the prophecies.

In the Christian world, the belief in the appearance of the Messiah as the return of Christ to Earth has become most widespread. At the same time, there is a consensus that the Messiah is Jesus of Nazareth, who will be sent to people again by God to carry out the Last Judgment.

It is worth noting that in European folklore, which is based on numerous movements of Christianity and local pagan traditions, there is a common standardized image of Christ, who must ride into Jerusalem on a donkey at the beginning of his coming. Jesus himself will be very careful about using the word “Messiah”, so options for his self-proclamation are practically excluded.

Antimessiah in the Russian popular consciousness

In the Russian religious Orthodox tradition there is also a widespread belief that, in contrast to the Messiah, his complete antipode must be born on Earth. Moreover, if beliefs regarding Christ are reinforced by the biblical tradition about the unknown of the day of his appearance, then the Dark Messiah - Trishka, Antichrist - was expected by believers almost every century. To this day, some Orthodox believe that both of these phenomena, if they have not occurred in modern times, will certainly occur in the near future.

In the minds of the average person, Messiah and Dark Messiah appear as unusually charismatic personalities. They are also credited with the ability to instantly give a person a feeling of love for the world and people around them, to sense evil in them, and some other qualities.

In some cases, there is also a combination of the images of the Dark Messiah and the Lucifer - the angel Lucifer, the most beautiful of divine creatures, overthrown to hell for pride.

An analogue of this concept in Hinduism

What is the messiah in the Hindu religious tradition? This concept is directly related to the concept of Teacher and Savior, and seems to be the embodiment on Earth of ten avatars of the god Vishnu.

The avatar does not have to be represented in a human body. In previous incarnations, Vishnu was a fish, a turtle, a boar, a half-man, half-lion, a dwarf-brahman, the brahman Parashurama, Rama - the legendary king of Ayodhya, the shepherd Krishna and Buddha. Believers expect the last, tenth appearance of the avatar of Vishnu on Earth at the end of Kali Yuga, the era of human passions and the worst human manifestations.

According to the teachings, Kalki - the last avatar of Vishnu - will descend to Earth on a horse, endowed with a sparkling sword and eight human abilities. He will destroy unjust and greedy kings, restore justice, and also restore the minds of people living in the world, “making them pure as crystal.” It is assumed that all people who survive the end of Kali Yuga will move into the era of Krita, the age of Purity, and will live according to its laws.

Buddhism teacher

In Buddhism there is also a concept similar to the Christian and Judaic Messiah and having the features of a cyclical sojourn in the mortal world.

Strictly speaking, according to Buddhist religious tenets, there are countless numbers of Buddhas as beings who have comprehended the truth, and each of their appearances on the planet is nothing more than a link in the endless chain of the universe. Thus, every Buddha is an intermediary in achieving world knowledge between people and God. Close to the concept of Buddha in character, but alien in function, is the Bodhisattva - “a being striving for awakening” and who has decided to take on the role of a Teacher in the process of people achieving universal truth. The motivation for this action is considered to be the bodhisattva’s desire to save all living beings from suffering and liberate them from samsara - the endless circle of rebirths.

Therefore, the Buddhist Messiah is Bohisattva Maitreya, whose prophetic appearance at the end of Satya Yuga is recognized by all schools of Buddhism. His name literally means "Lord Called Compassion." He is the future Teacher of humanity, will give the New Teaching and will himself be the bearer of the Buddha’s Teaching. People will break the network of passions, learn to enter a trance and lead a chaste and righteous life.

One of the phenomena that heralds the coming of Maitreya will be a reduction in the area of ​​the oceans so that the Bodhisattva can easily cross them.

Appearances of the False Messiah throughout the 20th century

In history, there are many known phenomena of the False Messiah, carried out by people in order to enrich themselves or gain fame and influence. It is worth noting that often high hopes were associated with these people. Christ himself repeatedly warned his followers about the appearance of False Messiahs.

In modern psychiatry there is also a definition of “Jerusalem syndrome”, or “messianic syndrome”, applicable to mentally ill people who consider themselves prophets of the gods and teachers of humanity.

Among the most famous False Messiahs of the 20th century, the scandal involving the “resurrection of the children of Beslan” stands out; Jim Jones, founder of the Peoples Temple Church and instigator of the massacre of its adherents in 1978; Sun Myung Moon, founder of the South Korean sect "Unification Church"; Marina Tsvigun, who called herself the Virgin Mary Christ, created a sect named after herself in 1980 and declared herself “the Messiah of the Age of Aquarius and the Mother of the World.”

Messiah theme in art

George Frideric Handel, whose Messiah is now the most recognizable oratorio in the world, made a great contribution to culture. This wonderful work consists of three parts, with several scenes in each. Despite the hardships that Handel experienced in 1741, Messiah was written in just 24 days.

Another famous work dedicated to the Messiah is the opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" by Andrew Webber, written in 1970.

Many paintings by artists from different historical eras are also dedicated to the earthly life of the Messiah Christ.

Messiah in modern culture of European countries and America

The image of the Messiah is reflected in various areas of world culture. For example, one example of using the image of the Messiah as a kind of life guide is the inclusion of it in his surreal works by the American writer “The Pocket Guide of the Messiah” is a book oracle that at any moment can prompt the sufferer to the necessary solution or explain the current life situation.

The theme of "Antimessiah" was also reflected in the cultural perception of the masses, giving rise to a large number of computer games for users to choose from. One of these games is Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements, which has an exciting plot in the form of the search for an artifact and the struggle of the main character and his teacher with the demons of the apocalypse. The main character here appears as a Knight of Light, who needs to pierce the heart of the black magician Dark Messi with an arrow, finally defeating the army of Dark Forces.

Messiah(from the Hebrew “mashiach” -) - Lord; The Son of God, who became human for the salvation of people, offered Himself as an atoning Sacrifice on the Cross, was resurrected and ascended to Heaven; Head of the Church.

Why is the Lord Jesus Christ called the Messiah?

In the times of the Old Testament, anointing with a special substance - sanctified or myrrh - was accompanied by the initiation of a person into three types of social activities. This action was approved by God himself. It was believed that when performing the rite of anointing, God's blessings and the gifts of the Holy Spirit were brought down on a person. For this reason, the role of the anointed was placed in connection with serving God.

Man has known since ancient times about the Coming of the Great Righteous One, Who will deliver people from corruption and death, the power of the devil and sin. This Righteous One was repeatedly designated in the Holy Scriptures as a Priest (), then as a Prophet (), then as a King (). At the same time, He was reported as God (), Who, without ceasing to be the Lord of heaven and earth, would take human nature into His Eternal Hypostasis and be born as a Man (). And it is precisely as a Man that He will accept the fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (). All these prophecies were, of course, about the Lord Jesus Christ).

That is why He was called the Messiah or, what is the same, the Anointed One: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, for the Lord has anointed Me...” (). True, what was meant there was not the rite of anointing the Savior with the sanctified world: it was understood that the Spirit would rest on the Messiah, as on a Man, due to special blessings, and rest in fullness, as much as possible for human nature (). Later the apostle will note that “in Him dwells all the fullness of the Divinity bodily” ().

What were the messianic expectations of Old Testament Israel?

Immediately after the fall of Adam and Eve, which entailed grave consequences, God informed the ancestors about the coming Savior, who, when he came, would erase the head of the serpent (). Over time, as appropriate, God initiated man more and more into the details and purposes of the upcoming Coming of Christ.

First, the Lord informed Abraham that the Savior would come from his family (). Then God gradually brought the genealogy to Isaac, Jacob (), Judah (), David ().

Patriarch Jacob outlined one of the signs of the appearance of the Savior - the loss of power by the tribe of Judah (). And the prophet Daniel named a more precise time (). The Prophet Micah announced the birthplace of Christ, Bethlehem (), and Isaiah noted that this Birth would be miraculous, from a Virgin (). Both Isaiah and Micah emphasized that all nations without exception will be called into Christ (; ).

The Prophet Jeremiah predicted the conclusion of the New Covenant of God with people (). The prophet Haggai announced the preaching of Christ in the new Temple (

In contact with

In Judaism, the word “mashiach” figuratively means “king.”

The Jews believe that an ideal king, a descendant of , will be sent by God to bring about the "deliverance" (spiritual and/or physical) of the people of Israel and the salvation of mankind. In the Christian tradition the term "Savior" is also used.

In certain directions of Islam, the messiah is called the pir - the head of the community, the spiritual teacher of the Sufis and some other religious groups.

Messiah in the Old Testament (Tanakh)

The Tanakh calls the kings of Israel and Judea, priests, biblical patriarchs, some prophets, the entire people of Israel, and the Persian king Cyrus II “mashiach.”

Criteria for the coming of the Messiah in the Old Testament (Tanakh)

The concept of the coming of the Messiah was introduced by the prophets of ancient Israel. Thus, if a person declares himself (or someone declares him) to be the Messiah, then one should check whether he has done what the Hebrew prophets expect from the Messiah.

From the point of view of Judaism, in the Old Testament (Tanakh), the main criterion for the coming of the Messiah is the prophecy of Isaiah, which indicates that the days of the coming of Moshiach will be an era of interethnic and social changes:

“And all the nations will beat their swords into plowshares (that is, plows) and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, and they will no longer learn to fight.” (Isa.2:4)

Thus, according to biblical prophecies, during the time of Moshiach, wars will cease, universal peace and prosperity will come, and all people, enjoying peace and harmony, will be able to devote themselves to the knowledge of God and spiritual improvement.

Jewish tradition

In the Jewish tradition, the Mashiach (Messiah) is considered to be a king, a descendant of King David, who will be sent by God to deliver the people of Israel and save humanity.

In this context, "God's battles" may refer to the spiritual battles that are inevitable in an educational effort of this magnitude, but it may also refer to wars against neighboring peoples if they attack the Jewish state.

The prophet Jeremiah speaks of the Messiah, a descendant of David, as follows:

“Behold, the days will come,” said the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant for David, and he will reign, and will be wise and prosperous, and will administer justice and righteousness on earth. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety; and this is the name by which he will be called: The Lord is our justice.” (Jer.23:5)

Maimonides also emphasizes that the coming of Moshiach will not be accompanied by miracles, everything will happen naturally. Only further developments will show whether we can be sure that this is Moshiach.

When this person demonstrates the Divine source of his power and, as predicted by the prophets, gathers all the exiles into Eretz Israel and restores the Temple, only then will all doubts disappear and he will be recognized as Mashiach without any reservations.

Since Bible prophecies have not yet been realized, Judaism believes that the Messiah has not yet come.

In his Epistle to Yemen, Maimonides also adds that the Messiah will first appear in Israel and adds some more details.

Messiah in the Talmud

The image of the Messiah in the Talmud, especially in the Haggadah, is ambiguous. In some places he is depicted as laden with suffering as millstones or even as a leper beggar who sits in the gates of Rome, awaiting his time. The Messiah must arrive on a donkey or on a cloud, depending on the behavior of the people.

The time of arrival also depends on the behavior of the people. However, according to the prevailing opinion in the Talmud, there is a deadline that is unknown to anyone.

However, both the Talmud and later sages made predictions that did not come true. Although the Messiah must be from the line of David, the Talmud also mentions a Messiah from the line of Joseph, who prepares the way for the Messiah from the line of David and is killed.

Waiting for the coming of the Messiah

Judaism is characterized by the belief in the possibility of the coming of Moshiach every day. According to Maimonides, this principle ranks 12th among the "13 Principles of Judaism":

“I unconditionally believe in the coming of Moshiach, and although he is delayed, I will still wait for him every day.”

In ancient times, in cases where there was doubt about who should be king (for example, after an internecine war, or if the king did not have a direct heir, or if royal power was interrupted for some other reason), the king was appointed by the prophet. However, it is believed that since the destruction the prophetic gift has been lost.

The way out of the situation is the arrival of the prophet Elijah (Eliyahu ha-Navi), who did not die, but was taken alive to heaven. It is traditionally believed that before the coming of Moshiach, the prophet Elijah will descend to earth and anoint him to reign.

On holidays, there is a custom to place a poured glass of wine, an empty plate and cutlery, and leave the door open in anticipation of the arrival of the prophet Elijah, the harbinger of the coming of the Messiah.

False messiahs in Jewish history

The hopes of many Jews were connected with, who declared himself the Messiah and in 131-135. led his followers in an armed uprising against Rome. Many sages, including, supported the uprising and proclaimed Bar Kochba a potential Messiah.

The rebels managed to liberate Jerusalem, but ultimately the uprising was brutally suppressed by Emperor Hadrian. The failure of the uprising seriously shook the Jewish faith in the imminent coming of the Messiah.

However, according to Maimonides, Bar Kokhba was not a false Messiah in the full sense, but rather a candidate for this role who failed to play it.

The most famous are David Reuveni, Shabtai Zevi, and Jacob Frank who declared themselves the messiah. In his “Message to Yemen,” Maimonides gives a list of false messiahs known to him who operated in Yemen, Iraq, France, Morocco, Spain, etc.

In religious Zionism

Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook identified the period of Israel's creation with the time of "the beginning of the messianic process" ("Messiah from the line of Joseph") and preparation for the final redemption.

In ultra-Orthodox circles

Representatives of religious anti-Zionism, such as R. Teitelbaum, on the contrary, accused Zionism of being a heretical substitute for true messianism.

In the Chabad movement

The seventh Rebbe M. M. Schneerson was considered by the Chabad Hasidim to be the Messiah. Since the Rebbe's death in 1994, many Hasidim have refused to acknowledge his physical death.

Messiah in Jewish folklore

According to legend, based on biblical prophecy, the Messiah must ride into Jerusalem riding a donkey.

At the same time, the Jewish people created a large number of idioms and sayings mentioning the Messiah, expressing strong doubt that he will come very soon. Here are some from New York Jewish folklore:

• If a son comes and says that he has learned all his homework, cleaned his room, washed his clothes, swept around the house, prepared dinner for the family, and now he also wants to wash his father’s car, then they will say meshiahs tsayt - the times of the Messiah have come!
• If they insist too much on something that you don’t want to do, then the Jew will say lomir azoy derlebn meshiah - let’s live until the coming of the Messiah, similar to the Russian “wait until the second coming.”
• The popular phrase in New York neighborhoods: me zol nor dernomen meshiah, “let us not remember the Messiah in vain” also does not mean that the Messiah is expected any minute. On the other hand, they also say “We want mashiah now, we don’t want to wait.”

They say that the magid (preacher) and miracle worker Reb Zusya from Zolochev in Galicia (aka Meshullam Zusya from Ganipol) when asked by his disciples why he goes to bed in a prayer shawl and with boxes containing passages (parshiyot) from the Torah written on parchment () , answered that he was waiting for the coming of the Messiah, who could come at any moment, including at night.

And when he comes, you can’t linger, but you need to immediately go after him, taking only what you need. And what a Jew needs, even in a better world, is only supplies for prayer.

Helpful information

Messiah
Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ‎
translit. "Mashiach"
Old Greek Χριστός, Christ
Arab. المسيح
verbatim "anointed one"

Christian tradition

Christian religious tradition considers Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah.

Unlike the Jewish tradition, in Christianity the coming of the Messiah is divided into two stages - two comings. The Messiah came for the first time at the beginning of our era. e. in the person of Jesus (first coming), and in the future the Second Coming of Jesus is expected with the final establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth.

Interpretation of the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament

Christians believe that the prophecies of the Old Testament (Tanakh) concerning the Messiah speak of Jesus of Nazareth. This belief is based on the following prophecies (but is not limited to those listed below):

Pedigree. The Messiah must be a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Come from the tribe of Judah (Gen.49:10). To be the “root of Jesse” and a descendant of David (ZKi. 2:4). According to the texts of the New Testament (Luke 3:23-38), the genealogy of Jesus fully meets these requirements. It should be noted that genealogical records in ancient times were kept in the Temple, which was destroyed in 70 AD. e.; Thus, from the moment of the destruction of the Temple until now, it is not possible to trace anyone's genealogies with acceptable reliability.

Time of birth. Verse Genesis 49:10 gives Christians reason to claim that the Messiah will come before the loss of self-government and legislation by ancient Judea. The book of the prophet Daniel (Dan.9:25) indicates the year of the coming of the Messiah, counting from the decree on the restoration of Jerusalem (decree of Artaxerxes Nehemiah, 444 BC. Neh.2:1-8). The next two verses predict the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple after the death of the Messiah. Christians believe that this prophecy was fulfilled in 70 AD. BC, when Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by the armies of the Roman general Titus, so the Messiah had to come before this destruction. The calculations made point to March 30 (Nisan 10) 33 - the date of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

Place of Birth. He whose origin is from the days of eternity and who is to be a ruler in Israel must be born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2).

Birth of a virgin. The belief that the Messiah must be born of a virgin is based on the text of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (Is. 7:14).

Estimated at 30 pieces of silver. The Messiah is to be valued at 30 silver coins, which will be thrown onto the floor of the Temple. (Zechariah 11:12-13).

Suffering for the sins of people. The belief that the Messiah must suffer is based on a number of prophecies. In this regard, the most famous chapter is the 53rd chapter of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, which contains a description of the rejection, suffering and death of the Messiah. The suffering of the Messiah is also described by the prophet Zechariah (Zech. 12:10) and the Israeli king David (Ps. 21:17), predicting that the Messiah will be pierced.

Resurrection from the dead. The belief that the Messiah will rise from the dead is based on Psalm 15, as well as the closing verses of Isaiah 53, which describe the life of the Messiah after the execution (Ps. 16:10), (Is. 53: 10, 12).

Justifies people from sins. Justification from sins is associated with the knowledge of the Messiah (Is. 53:11).

In the New Testament, the life of Jesus Christ is described as the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament, and the text contains numerous quotations from these prophecies both by the evangelists and by Jesus himself.

New Testament Evidence

According to the Bible:

• there are indications that Jesus is the Messiah (Christ) - the words of the Angel spoken to Mary (Luke 1:31-33), in Jesus’ own testimony before the high priest Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:63,64) and in the confession apostles (Matt. 16:16; John 1:41).
• Jesus uses the word "Messiah" with caution. He himself very rarely called himself that (Mark 14:61, John 4:25-26)
• Jesus allows himself to be called the Son of David, but forbids those possessed by demons to declare that he is the Messiah (Luke 4:41). He accepts the confession of faith, but after Peter's confession he forbids the twelve apostles to say that he is the Messiah (Matt. 16:20). And from that time on, he begins to explain to them the essence of messianism - his suffering and death for the sins of people, and then the resurrection from the dead. His way of the Messiah is the way of the Son of Man.