The Nature & Role of the Messiah (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))
Revision Note
Written by: Glenn Millington
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
The Concept of the Messiah in Judaism
Who is the Messiah in Judaism?
The word Messiah comes from the Hebrew word Mashiach, which means “anointed one” or someone who is chosen to rule
The term was originally used in the Tenakh to refer to the kings of Israel:
The first king was Saul. In preparation for his role as King the prophet Samuel anointed him to show that he was chosen by God
There are no direct references to the Messianic Age in the Torah but there are certain verses that are interpreted as references to it:
“He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear, but with righteousness, he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked” (Isaiah 11:1–9)
Although the Torah does not make reference to the “Messiah”, it does make several references to the “End of Days”, which is the time of the Messiah, or the “Messianic Age”
Maimonides in the 12th century refers to a belief in the Messiah as one of the 13 Principles of Judaism
Some Jews believe that during the Messianic Age, the Messiah will come to Earth to bring a time of perfect peace and prosperity
In the Tenakh there are references to the Messiah bringing Jews back to Israel, rebuilding the Temple and bringing about a time of peace for all
The Role of the Messiah
There are different beliefs about the Messiah within Judaism mainly because there are no direct quotes in the Torah. This leads to different interpretations
Orthodox and Reform Jews have different opinions about the Messiah
Orthodox Jewish beliefs about the Messiah | Reform Jewish beliefs about the Messiah |
|---|---|
The Messianic Age will only start after the Messiah’s arrival on Earth. It is therefore important for Jews to pray for the Messiah to come | Human beings are responsible for bringing peace to the world. Instead of praying for a Messiah, Jews should pray for a Messianic Age, which will be an age of peace. Jews should pray for redemption rather than for a “redeemer” |
The Messiah will be a human being descended from King David, although he will have superhuman qualities and abilities | There will not necessarily be a person who is the Messiah |
In the Messianic Age, Jews will triumph over the enemies of Israel, leading to the destruction of weapons and people living in peace | Humans can bring on the Messianic Age by joining together to create a better world. The Messianic Age will bring peace and understanding between all people |
The Messianic Age will be a sign of the end of the world and the physical resurrection of the dead | Many Reform Jews do not believe that there will be an end to the world, or that the dead will be resurrected |
The Messiah will rebuild the ancient Temple in Jerusalem and restore the authority to rule over Israel to the descendants of King David | The rebuilding of the Temple is a metaphor for the Messianic Age where there is peace and all people know God and follow his commandments |
Worked Example
Explain two ways in which belief in the future Messiah influences Jews today
(4 marks)
Answer:
Some Orthodox Jews believe that the Messiah will arrive at the end of the world when everyone will be judged, and so Jews will try to ensure that they live good lives to be able to go to heaven (2 marks)
Some reform Jews believe that the Messianic Age will be achieved when humans act to bring peace into the world. Therefore, they need to make the changes and not rely on someone else to arrive and sort everything out (2 marks)
Examiner Tips and Tricks
It is possible that you may have to respond to a question where you are evaluating the role/purpose of the Messiah.
For example,
“For Jews, the most important role of the Messiah is to bring peace to the world”
Evaluate this statement.
In your answer you should:
refer to Jewish teaching
give reasoned arguments to support this statement
give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view
reach a justified conclusion (12 marks)
In your response for this it is important that you consider whose responsibility it is within Judaism to bring peace. Orthodox Jews may agree with this statement and look to the Messiah to bring about peace for everyone, however other Jews (Reform Jews) may believe that it is the responsibility of every human to make this happen now.
Responses in support of the statement could include:
Orthodox Jews believe every generation has a potential Messiah who will be directed by God to be a redeemer if the Jews are worthy of redemption and who will rule with kindness and justice, not war and injustice. He will rebuild the Temple and usher in a time of world peace, and will unite humanity as one. They believe that bringing peace to the world is the most important role of the Messiah.
Through upholding the Jewish Law and Commandments, the Messiah will establish peace and justice, preventing the need for war, and other nations will look to the Messiah for guidance and his message of peace will become universally adopted. The Hebrew Bible says, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns’” (Isaiah 52:7)
Responses in support of other views could include:
The term “Messiah” means “anointed one” and was first used for Saul and the kings of Israel, some of whom were warriors themselves and so peace was clearly not a priority for them.
Many Reform Jews do not believe in an individual Messiah, and they believe every person has the responsibility to create world peace. They believe that the Messianic age will come as a result of people's collective action and not as a result of a special individual.
The role of the Messiah will be to uphold Torah law and be the ultimate teacher of it and to rebuild the Temple and gather all Jews back to Israel. Bringing peace is important but it might not be the most important role of the Messiah.
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