The Messiah and the Messianic Age
One idea that emerged from ancient Judaism that has had a profound impact on the Western world is the idea of a messiah. From its very beginnings in the Hebrew Bible, however, this concept has meant different things to different audiences.
At its root, the term mashiach (Hebrew, “anointed one”; translated into English as “messiah”) means any person who was ceremonially anointed with oil in preparation for becoming a priest or a king. When most biblical writers used this term literally, that was all they had in mind.Nevertheless, later prophets such as the Second Isaiah (c. late sixth century bce) began to use this term metaphorically by applying it to either non-Israelite kings or to an unnamed future “prince” who would redeem his people from subjugation to foreign nations. As the beginning of the Common Era approached, the idea of a messiah continued to evolve. In works that lie outside of the Hebrew Bible, such as the first book of Enoch and the fourth book of Ezra, the term mashiach took on explicitly supernatural meanings, signifying a heavenly redeemer figure sent by God to rescue Israel and the world from evil. This more imaginative use of the messiah concept was linked in such books with end-of-the-world visions, complete with predictions of a new world order emerging from a final era of chaos and destruction. Such writers saw the Messiah as an instrument of divine power through whom God would accomplish both the final judgment and the ultimate renewal of life on earth.
When Christianity identified Jesus of Nazareth with this redemptive-supernatural messiah tradition, it prompted the rabbis of the Talmud to reevaluate the very notion of a “messiah.” What followed in their writings on this subject was a remarkably diverse collection of views, with some religious authorities identifying the biblical king Hezekiah (late eighth century bce) as a “messiah,” whereas others deferred the appearance of an equally human messiah (albeit one from the line of David) to the indefinite future. Despite this uncertainty over the Messiah’s precise identity, a lively debate ensued over which tasks such a messiah might be expected to accomplish and whether his mission would be accomplished within the span of human history or only at the “end” of time. Although centuries of longing for the fulfillment of these messianic visions have produced a succession of “false” messiahs in Judaism, this belief and its advocacy among traditionalist communities have persisted within contemporary Judaism.