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Questions & Answers
How to Identify Moshiach?
by
Mendel Green |
Are there any scriptures to help identify the Messiah?
—Linda Semler
Maimonides, in his Laws of Kings describes the defining features
of Moshiach:
"If a king arises from the House of David who meditates on
the Torah and occupies himself with the commandments like his ancestor
David, in accordance with the written and oral Torah, and he will
prevail all of Israel to walk in [the ways of the Torah] and strengthen
its breaches (in the observance of the torah), and he will fight
the battles of G-d - it may be assumed that he is Moshiach."
If he did [these things] successfully (and defeated all the nations
around him), built the Sanctuary on its site and gathered the dispersed
of Israel - he is definitely Moshiach! He will [then] correct the
entire world to serve G-d in unity, as it is said, "For then
I will turn to the peoples a pure tongue that all shall call upon
the Name of G-d and serve Him with one consent."
Had the Jewish people only paid more attention to these laws, we
could have spared ourselves much of the crushing disappointment
generated by false messiahs throughout the ages. For these impostors
built their cases on misconstrued midrashim, signs etc., but none
passed Maimonides Halachic test. Even when Moshiach comes, only
his Halachic suitability will confirm his identity.
Here are what the scriptures say about Moshiach:
"The spirit of G-d will rest upon him, a spirit of wisdom
and understanding, a spirit of counsel and might, a spirit of knowledge
and of the fear of G-d. He shall be inspired with fear of G-d, and
he shall not judge with the sight of his eyes nor decide according
to the hearing of his ears.
He shall judge the poor with righteousness and decide with equity
for the humble of the earth; he shall smite the earth with the rod
of his mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of his lips. Righteousness
shall be the girdle of his loins, and faith the girdle of his reins."
(Isaiah 11:2-5) "Through his knowledge My servant shall justify
the righteous to the many.." (Isaiah 53:10)
"Behold, My servant shall be wise, he shall be exalted and
lofty, and shall be very high." (Isaiah 52:13). His wisdom
shall exceed even that of King Solomon; he shall be greater than
the patriarchs, greater than all the prophets after Moses, and in
many respects even more exalted than Moses.
His stature and honor shall exceed that of all kings before him.
He will be an extraordinary prophet, second only to Moses, with
all the spiritual and mental qualities that are prerequisites to
be endowed with the gift of prophecy.
As a faithful shepherd he already cares so much about his people
that he volunteered to suffer all kinds of agonies to assure that
not a single Jew of all times will be lost.
Moshiach shall meditate on the Torah and be preoccupied with mitzvot.
He shall teach all the Jewish people and instruct them in the way
of G-d. He will prevail upon Israel to follow and observe the Torah,
repair its breaches, and fight the battles of G-d.
Moshiach will reveal altogether new insights, making manifest the
hidden mysteries of the Torah, to the point that "all the Torah
learned in the present world will be vain compared to the Torah
of Moshiach". Though Moshiach comes first and foremost to Israel,
all the nations will recognize his wisdom and sublimity and submit
to his rule. He will guide and instruct them as well.
There is no need for Moshiach to perform signs and wonders to prove
himself. Nonetheless, he will do so.
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