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While I have discussed the individual known as Moshiach ben David in a few of my older articles, I realized that it was important to write a new series which is wholly devoted to this particular topic. My decision to write this series is based on the following factors:

1. a heightened interest in this subject by both Christians and Orthodox Jews alike.

2. the persistence of the Orthodox Jews -- such as the Temple Mount Faithful, the Temple Institute and the Movement for the Establishment of the Temple -- in recent decades and years in their clear desire to construct a third temple on the summit of Mount Moriah -- that is, the Temple Mount -- which is also known as the "Noble Sanctuary" or "Haram Ash-Sharif" to the Muslims. In fact, this persistence has been ongoing since the the establishment of the Temple Mount Faithful during the late 1960s, who were the first significant group to advocate the Jewish takeover of the Temple Mount, even though such a takeover has repeatedly failed to come to fruition, to their frustration.

3. an increased expectation amongst the Orthodox Jews for the arrival of their long-awaited messiah, Moshiach ben David -- that is, King Messiah -- based on rabbinical teachings.

4. the ongoing preparations by the Orthodox Jews for the arrival of their messiah, which in fact includes the creation of the necessary priestly garments, as well as the required sacrificial instruments and furniture. If I recall correctly, there have even been classes given regarding how to properly perform a ritual animal sacrifice, or oblation.

5. ongoing attempts to breed a pure red heifer -- or "parah adumah" -- through genetic engineering which will meet the strict requirements which are found Numbers 19:1–22, and in the Mishnah Tractate called "Parah".

As some of my readers will know, within both the Jewish faith and the Christian faith, the phrase "Moshiach ben David" has been known for many years. In fact, for quite a few centuries. But exactly who is this man? Has he already come? Is he yet to come? Well, that depends on who you talk to. But perhaps we should begin by first explaining what the phrase actually means. The first word "moshiach" is derived from a Hebrew word which literally means "messiah". In some sources, the English transliteration is likewise spelled as "mashiyach" or "mashiah". In the Aramaic or Syriac language -- which is one of the languages which Jesus spoke -- it is similar to "meshiha". Regardless of which form of the word is used, they all mean the exact same thing. That is to say, "messiah". Interestingly, the word "messiah" is only found two times in the entire Authorized King James Version of the Bible. That is in the following two verses which are found in the Book of the Prophet Daniel:

"Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined."


Being as I explain what the previous two verses mean in a number of other articles, I will not be going into detail in this current series. As I said, nowhere else is the English word "Messiah" found in the AKJV Bible. To continue, the word "ben" is likewise a Hebrew word which means "son". The final word in the phrase "Moshiach ben David" refers to one of the most popular psalmists, warriors and kings who ruled Israel during the Old Testament era: King David. Furthermore, as you will learn a bit later in this same series, David was also a Prophet as well. So then, in its entirety, this phrase means "Messiah, son of David", and is referring to a Messiah who is a descendant of King David of old.

Now, of course, if you are a Bible-believing Christian, then it is more than likely that you already realize that from a Christian perspective, we believe and are convinced that the Messiah already arrived some two thousand years ago in the form of Jesus Christ. That is to say, Jesus the Anointed One. As some of you may be aware, "Christ" is not really the last name of our Savior. Our English word "Christ" is derived from the Koine Greek word "khristos" which simply means that God's spiritual anointing rested upon and filled Jesus bar Josef -- the word "bar" likewise meaning "son" -- who was the son of Joseph the carpenter and his wife Mary.

Concerning the name "Jesus", it is our westernized version of the Koine Greek name "Iesus", which is variably pronounced as "hay-soos", "ee-ay-soos" and "yay-soos". In original Hebrew, the common forms of the name are "Yeshua" -- which means "he is saved" -- as well as "Yehoshua" -- which is equivalent to our common English name "Joshua", and which means "Jehovah is salvation". Let me also add that when Hebrew is translated to Greek, the Hebrew "y" becomes an "i", or may even be dropped completely. As a result of this, "Yisrael" becomes "Israel", "Yhuwdah" becomes "Ioudas", and "Yeshua" becomes "Iesus" in the Koine Greek language.

Not only that, but with the formal separation of the letter "i" and the swash letter "i" -- or "j" -- sometime during the sixteenth century into two separate letters with two distinct sounds, the Hebrew letter "y" began to be exchanged for the modern letter "j". As a result, in the Authorized Version of the King James Bible, "Yhuwdah" becomes "Judah"; "Eliyahu" becomes "Elijah"; "Benyamin" becomes "Benjamin", "Yehoshua" becomes Joshua, "Yeshua" becomes "Jeshua", and "Iesus" also becomes "Jesus", to give just a few examples. As I explain in the article entitled "Jesus Christ or Yeshua Messiah?: More Christian Zionist Legalism", whatever you do, do not allow yourself to become ensnared in the legalists' trap who like to insist that we must use only Hebrew names. Use whatever name you feel comfortable with. After all, Jesus was only Jewish while He was in a body of flesh here on the Earth. As far as God's perspective is concerned, consider this verse:

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."


As I noted earlier, we Christians are convinced that Jesus the Christ was and is the prophesied Messiah who was to come, in order that He might redeem the world of sin, through His own Blood which was shed on a Roman cross. This point is made very clear in the Holy Scriptures, and it is a point which I also discuss in great detail in articles such as "The Blood Atonement: In Jesus' Own Words". In addition to the many Old Testament prophecies which Jesus Christ fulfilled during His lifetime -- some of which I will be sharing with you shortly -- in the three synoptic Gospels -- that is to say, Matthew, Mark and Luke -- He is repeatedly called the "son of David"; as we can determine by the following set of verses:

"The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham . . . But while he [Jospeh] thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou 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. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS."


"And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us."


"And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?"


"Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil."


"And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David."


"And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest . . . And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,"


"While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions."


"And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me."


"And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David? For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly."


"And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli . . . Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,"


"And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me."


"Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, That CHRIST COMETH OF THE SEED OF DAVID, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? So there was a division among the people because of him."


"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) Concerning his SON JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, WHICH WAS MADE OF THE SEED OF DAVID ACCORDING TO THE FLESH; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:"


"Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. Remember that JESUS CHRIST OF THE SEED OF DAVID was raised from the dead according to my gospel:"


"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, HE THAT HATH THE KEY OF DAVID, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;"


"And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDA, THE ROOT OF DAVID, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."


"I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I AM THE ROOT AND THE OFFSPRING OF DAVID, and the bright and morning star."


So as you can see, not only did the people of First Century Israel recognize Jesus as a legitimate descendant and heir of King David, but even Jesus Himself plainly declares that He has the key of David, and that He is the root and the offspring of King David of old. As such, there should be no doubt about this point whatsoever, unless one is in denial of what is plainly stated in the Scriptures. What about you?

Now, perhaps you are wondering why so many people of First Century Israel were convinced that Jesus was the legitimate son and heir of King David. Aside from the fact that it was well known that He was born in the town of Bethlehem -- just like King David his ancestor -- there are many prophecies in the Old Testament which speak of a descendant of King David who would be a "righteous Branch", a King who would rule with justice and righteousness, and who would raise up the throne of King David of old. It is important to note that all of the following prophecies were written several hundred years after the reign of the original King David. Thus, they must be referring to someone else. I like to refer to this group of prophecies as the "Throne of David Prophecies".

Before sharing the actual prophecies with you, I would like to make a very important point, lest some of you become a little bit confused. Because of the way in which the Bible is written, sometimes when certain names are used, they are not always referring to that actual person, but rather to their descendants. For example, oft times you will see the name Judah, or perhaps the name of another one of the sons of Jacob mentioned in the Old Testament. However, in many of these cases, the verses are not referring to the actual son of Jacob, but rather to his descendants, or tribe. I believe that this is likewise what occurs in some of the Scriptures which follow as well. While they use the name David, they are actually referring to a descendant of David; meaning, of course, Jesus. Here then are the prophecies:

"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious."


"And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness."


"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."


"But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them."


"In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness."


"And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it."


"And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever."


"For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days."


"In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:"


Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH."


"And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."


As you can no doubt see, the previous prophecies are not just talking about some earthly king. They are describing a person who is much more than that. They are talking about our Eternal King, Jesus Christ. The Apostles were very well aware of these prophecies, and they in fact quoted them in some of their public sermons. Some of the common people were aware as well. In fact, even the Angel Gabriel made it clear to Mary that Jesus would sit upon the throne of King David, as we see by the following group of verses:

"And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I WILL RETURN, AND WILL BUILD AGAIN THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID, WHICH IS FALLEN DOWN; AND I WILL BUILD AGAIN THE RUINS THEREOF, AND I WILL SET IT UP: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things."


"Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, HE WOULD RAISE UP CHRIST TO SIT ON HIS THRONE; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ."


"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgins name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: AND THE LORD GOD SHALL GIVE UNTO HIM THE THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID: AND HE SHALL REIGN OVER THE HOUSE OF JACOB FOR EVER; AND OF HIS KINGDOM THERE SHALL BE NO END."


"And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: BLESSED BE THE KINGDOM OF OUR FATHER DAVID, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest."


Perhaps you may recall that one of the verses of the Prophet Isaiah's amazing prophecy -- which I quoted to you earlier -- states the following:

"And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; TO IT SHALL THE GENTILES SEEK: and his rest shall be glorious."


As it turns out, both the Gospel of Matthew and the Apostle Paul's Epistle to the Romans confirm that this was another prophecy regarding Jesus Christ, as we see by these verses:

"Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. AND IN HIS NAME SHALL THE GENTILES TRUST."


"And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES TRUST."


To reiterate, there should be no doubt that all the previous verses I have shared with you point to Jesus Christ being the God-ordained son, descendant and royal heir of King David of old, and the Eternal King to come. It is unmistakable, as far as I am concerned.

Please go to part two for the continuation of this series.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .

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