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The Pre-existence of the Messiah

G

Georges

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Read this interesting article on the pre-existence of the Messiah from the http://www.Jewishencyclopedia.com article on Pre-existence....

I will highlight the interesting items......


...Preexistence of the Messiah:


This includes his existence before Creation; the existence of his name; his existence after the creation of the world. Two Biblical passages favor the view of the preexistence of the Messiah: Micah v. 1(A. V. 2), speaking of the Bethlehemite ruler, says that his "goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting"; Dan. vii. 13 speaks of "one like the Son of man," who "came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days." In the Messianic similitudes of Enoch (xxxvii.-lxxi.) the three preexistences are spoken of: "The Messiah was chosen of God before the creation of the world, and he shall be before Him to eternity" (xlviii. 6). Before the sun and the signs of the zodiac were created, or ever the stars of heaven were formed his name was uttered in the presence of the Lord of Spirits (= God; xlviii. 3). Apart from these passages, there are only general statements that the Messiah was hidden and preserved by God (lxii. 6-7, xlvi. 1-3), without any declaration as to when he began to be. His preexistence is affirmed also in II Esdras (about 90 C.E.), according to which he has been preserved and hidden by God "a great season"; nor shall mankind see him save at the hour of his appointed day (xii. 32; xiii. 26, 52; xiv. 9), although no mention is made of the antemundane existence either of his person or of his name (comp. Syriac Apoc. Baruch, xxix. 3).

Thus also the Rabbis. Of the seven things fashioned before the creation of the world, the last was the name of the Messiah (comp. Ps. lxxii. 17; Pes. 54a; Tan., Naso, ed. Buber, No. 19; and parallels); and the Targum regards the preexistence of the Messiah's name as implied in Micah v. 1 (A. V. 2), Zech. iv. 7, and Ps. lxxii. 17.

The "Spirit of God" which "moved upon the face of the waters" (Gen. i. 2) is the spirit of the Messiah (Gen. R. viii. 1; comp. Pesiḳ. R. 152b, which reads as follows, alluding to Isa. xi. 2: "The Messiah was born [created] when the world was made, although his existence had been contemplated before the Creation"). Referring to Ps. xxxvi. 10 and Gen. i. 4, Pesiḳta Rabba declares (161b): "God beheld the Messiah and his deeds before the Creation, but He hid him and his generation under His throne of glory." Seeing him, Satan said, "That is the Messiah who will dethrone me." God said to the Messiah, "Ephraim, anointed of My righteousness, thou hast taken upon thee the sufferings of the six days of Creation" (162a; comp. Yalḳ., Isa. 499). The preexistence of the Messiah in heaven and his high station there are often mentioned. Akiba interprets Dan. vii. 9 as referring to two heavenly thronesâ€â€the one occupied by God and the other by the Messiah (Ḥag. 14a; comp. Enoch, lv. 4, lxix. 29), with whom God converses (Pes. 118b; Suk. 52a).

Abode in Heaven.

The "four carpenters" mentioned in Zech. ii. 3(A. V. i. 20) are the Messiah ben David, the Messiah ben Joseph, Elijah, and Melchizedek (Suk. 52a). The Messiah will not come on the Sabbath-day, which is observed in heaven as well as on earth ('Er. 43a); and because of the transgressions of Zion he is hidden (Targ. Micah iv. 8), remaining so in heaven until the end ("B. H." ii. 55), where he sits in the fifth of the seven chambers (ib. ii. 49, top). With him are some who have not tasted deathâ€â€Enoch, Moses, and Elijah (II Esd. vi. 26, xiii. 52), and it is he who comes with the clouds of heaven (ib. xii. 3, based on Dan. vii. 3). Like heaven itself, he is made of fire (ib. xiii. 27-28; comp. Pesiḳ. R. 162a, based on Isa. l. 11), and he is accordingly regarded as a star (Targ. Num. xxiv. 17). The frequent expression, "The son of David shall only come" (Sanh. 38a et passim), presupposes his abode in heaven, and the statement that the world exists only to delight him (and David and Moses) implies his preexistence (Sanh. 96b); but he will not appear until all the souls have left the treasury ("guf"; 'Ab. Zarah 5a; comp. Weber, p. 350). His names, Son of the Stars (Ta'an. iv. 7-8 and parallels), Son of the Clouds (Sanh. 96b; comp. "B. H." iv. 20, 4, vi. 70, 5, following Tan., Toledot, 14, and I Chron. iii. 24), "He who dwelleth in the clouds" (Targ. I Chron. l.c.), "the Eternal" (following Jer. xxiii. 6 and Lam. R. i. []), "Light" (Dan. ii. 22, Lam. R. i., and Gen. R. i. 6), and "Tinnon" (Ps. lxxii. 17: "before the sun was created his name was"; Sanh. 98c and parallels), imply his origin and preexistence in heaven. He therefore stands higher than the ministering angels (Yalḳ. ii. 476), and he lives throughout eternity (Midr. Teh. ii.; Yalḳ. l.c.).



Just an interesting read......no comment expected...
 
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