Moshiach Ben Yosef – is – Moshiach Ben David

Throughout the history of the Tanakh, the peoples of Israel have had a prophetic hope of the Messiah who would bring salvation to Israel and the Gentile Nations (Goyeem). In that day, ‘the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea’ (Habakkuk 2:14) and the Messiah, YHWH’s servant, will be King over Israel. The Gentile nations would seek the ‘Root of Jesse’ the Messiah – Isaiah 11:10 who will be ‘a Light to the Nations’ -Isaiah 49:6. This Messiah is known by the Rabbis as ‘Messiah Son of David’ the exalted Messiah.

Ever since the Talmudic period this is the picture of the Messiah that has been portrayed in the minds and hearts of the Jewish people. Yet the ancient Rabbis were aware that the Prophets also spoke of a coming humiliated Messiah, also known as the Suffering Servant, who would die for His people (Israel). The Rabbis have made varied attempts at explaining the seemingly contradictory or confusing lines of prophecy portrayed in the Tanakh concerning Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben David.

One view was that there would be two different Messiah’s. One would suffer, be humiliated and pierced, thus fulfilling the prophecies concerning Moshiach ben Yosef. Then, another who would come at a later date being exalted, fulfilling the prophecies concerning Moshiach ben David [Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 52b]. It was taught that Messiah son of David would raise the first Messiah back to life, and establish the Messianic kingdom of peace on earth.

There is another view by Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, who expounded the scriptures as follows:

‘Behold, one like the Son of Man came with clouds of heaven’.
[Dan 7:13] (The exalted Messiah)

and

‘Poor and riding upon a donkey’.
[Zech 9:9] (The humiliated Messiah)

He explained it as such: If they (Israel) are worthy, He will come ‘with clouds of heaven’; if they are unworthy, He will come ‘poor and riding upon a donkey’ [Sanhedrin 984].

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi in one sense was correct, because ‘there is none that doeth good, no, not one’ – Psalm 14:3. Israel could never come to such a place of holiness enabling them to be worthy, for ‘all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all’ – Isaiah 53:6.
The Messiah did come the first time ‘poor and riding upon a donkey’ [Zechariah 9:9 fulfilled in the Brit Hadasha Matthew 21:5]. This he did to provide a means of atonement for Israel’s sins, so that when they *repent, He would come **with clouds of heaven’.

* Acts 3:18-21. “But those things, which G-d before had showed by the mouth of His prophets, that the Anointed One/Messiah should suffer, He hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the Lord. And He shall send Yeshua HaMashiach, which before was preached unto you. Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which G-d hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”
** Matthew 26:63-64. But Yeshua held His peace. And the High Priest answered and said unto Him, “I adjure thee by the living G-d, that thou tell us whether thou be the Anointed One (the Messiah), the Son of G-d.” Yeshua saith unto him, “Thou hast said, nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall you see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” (cf Daniel 7:13-14; Revelation 5:1-14 and Revelation 19:1-21).

What some Rabbis have failed to see, at this point, is ‘one Messiah’, who would come twice. He would do this for two distinct purposes. The first, would be to atone for the sins of Israel and the nations, with His own blood, bringing peace in their hearts (see John 14:27 and 16:33) to those who would repent and receive the atonement by faith. In doing this His kingdom of peace is then established within you. His second coming would be to bring judgement upon the unjust and to ‘rescue and renew His people and then restore the kingdom back to Israel’. He therefore establishes His kingdom upon the earth and ‘the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea’. (Habakkuk 2:14) Then and only then will there be worldwide peace. Yeshua as the Son of God is to rule with a rod of iron – Psalm 2:9 and Revelation 2:27.

The prophets are talking of none other than the Jewish Rabbi, Moshiach Yeshua Melech shel Yisrael (Messiah Jesus King of Israel). He is Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben David.

Two other teachings ‘The Tanakh teaches One Messiah but Two Comings’ and ‘Besorat HaMashiach’ should be read in conjunction with this teaching so that the reader gains a greater understanding and a fuller picture of this very important subject.

We must now turn our attention to a warning given by Yeshua in Yochanan 5:43 that another would come in his own name and be received by Israel. This is the anti-moshiach who will deceive many for a time by appearing to die and resurrect as The Book of Revelation teaches in chapter 13 verses 3 and 12. The time of this happening is drawing ever nearer and the only way to escape this Time of Jacob’s Trouble and the wrath of The Lamb upon the nations is to receive Yeshua (Jesus) as the Anointed One of G-d and the Saviour of mankind. G-d has so written this within His Word and we ignore His instructions and way of salvation at our peril. Yeshua (Jesus) said He was the Messiah in (John 4:25-26) and many have put their faith and trust in Him receiving the gift of eternal life and gaining entrance into Heaven. There is no other way, that is the plain teaching of the New Covenant. (Acts 4:12)

His blood atoned for our sins which have separated us from G-d. There are two ways before us, we must make the choice by repenting (this is the life and death principle within the Scriptures) or rejecting. We have freewill to choose where we want to go – Heaven or Hell! All of us have gone astray, each of us deciding what is best! (Isaiah 53:6. Psalm 14:2-3. Romans 3:23; 6:23). The L-rd G-d has the right to make the rules and we have no right to break them! Good deeds are not enough we must come before the Almighty as He has prescribed, without the shedding of blood there is no remission for our sins. As it is written in Leviticus 17:11, ‘it is the blood that maketh atonement’, nothing else dear reader.

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