The Messiah according to the Hebrew Bible

Published on 3 October 2025 at 20:37

4 Literal Passages on a Coming Messiah in the TaNaK

Isaiah chapter 53, the “suffering servant”, Isaiah chapter 7, “born of a young woman (not virgin).”  The reality is that the so-called “messianic prophecies” that are said to point to Yeshua/Jesus were never taken to be messianic prophecies by Jews prior to the Christians who saw Jesus as the messiah.  The word "Messiah" ("Meshiach" in Hebrew), does not even occur in Isaiah chapters 7 nor 53.  The Old Testament (TaNaK) in fact never says that the messiah will be born of a virgin, that he will be executed by his enemies, and that he will be raised from the dead, or that he would come twice.  If I were to ask my readers to read Isaiah again, focusing on chapters 7 and 53 in context, they would have to admit that christians read Jesus into these passages.  Fact: There are only four passages in the Hebrew TaNaK that prophecy a coming messiah.  Let's take a look at these four passages individually.

  1. Jeremiah 23:5-6: “See, a time is coming, declares YHVH, when I will raise up a true branch of David’s line. He shall reign as king and shall prosper, and he shall do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah shall be delivered, and Israel shall dwell secure. And this is the name by which he shall be called: “YHVH is our righteousness.” This short passage doesn’t state David’s branch will come twice, nor be a sin sacrifice.  Two comings of a Messiah is never even hinted in the TaNaK.  All 4 passages on the coming Messiah, including this one, discuss Israel and Judah (both the North and the South) being secure, safe, and at peace.  Israel and Judah are simply not at peace.  Jesus is not reigning as king.  In fact, Israel has a Knesset (Parliament) and a Prime Minister.  Jesus is not a king at all.  Jesus is not known as יְהֹוָ֥ה צִדְקֵֽנוּ YHVH is our Righteousness.
  2. Jeremiah 33:15-18: “In those days and in that time, I will cause to grow for David a plant of righteousness, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days, Judah shall be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell securely, and this is the name that He shall call it, the Lord is our righteousness. For so said the Lord: There shall not be cut off from David a man sitting on the throne of the house of Israel. And of the Levitic priests, there shall not be cut off from before Me a man offering up a burnt offering, or burning a meal-offering or performing a sacrifice for all time (eternity).” Jerusalem has not dwelt securely since the lifetime of Jesus.  Jerusalem was not secure in the lifetime of Jesus.  There is not a man sitting on the throne of the house of Israel.  The Levites are not making burnt offerings, the Temple is not re-established.  After Jesus’ death, the Temple and sacrifice ended within 40 years.  No two comings, no sacrifice of David’s king in Jeremiah 33.  What is most damning to christians about this messianic prophecy, is the christian bible teaches Jesus is the last sacrifice.  Yet the Hebrew prophecies are that Israel will always have a Davidic King, and the Levites will always have priests offering burnt offerings (which are sin offerings according to the Torah of Moshe).  This prophecy in Jeremiah 33, completely proves that Jesus is not the messiah prophesied by the Prophets of Israel.
  3. Isaiah Chapter 11:1-16: “And a shoot shall spring forth from the stem of Jesse, and a twig shall sprout from his roots. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and heroism, a spirit of knowledge and fear of YHVH. And he shall be animated by the fear of YHVH, and neither with the sight of his eyes shall he judge, nor with the hearing of his ears shall he chastise. And he shall judge the poor justly, and he shall chastise with equity the humble of the earth, and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips he shall put the wicked to death. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faith the girdle of his loins. And a wolf shall live with a lamb, and a leopard shall lie with a kid; and a calf and a lion cub and a fatling [shall lie] together, and a small child shall lead them. And a cow and a bear shall graze together, their children shall lie; and a lion, like cattle, shall eat straw. And an infant shall play over the hole of an old snake and over the eyeball of an adder, a weaned child shall stretch forth his hand. They shall neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mount, for the land shall be full of knowledge of the Lord as water covers the seabed. And it shall come to pass on that day, that the root of Jesse, which stands as a banner for peoples, to him shall the nations inquire, and his peace shall be [with] honor. And it shall come to pass that on that day, the Lord shall continue to apply His hand a second time to acquire the rest of His people, that will remain from Assyria and from Egypt and from Pathros and from Cush and from Elam and from Sumeria and from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. And He shall raise a banner to the nations, and He shall gather the lost of Israel, and the scattered ones of Judah He shall gather from the four corners of the earth. And the envy of Ephraim shall cease, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, nor shall Judah vex Ephraim. And they shall fly of one accord against the Philistines in the west, together they shall plunder the children of the East; upon Edom and Moab shall they stretch forth their hand, and the children of Ammon shall obey them. And the Lord shall dry up the tongue of the Egyptian Sea, and He shall lift His hand over the river with the strength of His wind, and He shall beat it into seven streams, and He shall lead [the exiles] with shoes. And there shall be a highway for the remnant of His people who remain from Assyria, as there was for Israel on the day they went up from the land of Egypt.  This is another passage that disproves christianity's messiah.  Isaiah 11:4 states that the messiah will "put the wicked to death."  11:6 makes clear that wolves will lie with lambs and leopards with kids. (This is figurative, describing a peaceful world.)  It is clear the earth is not at peace.  11:9 makes clear that there there would be no more harm or destruction on the Temple Mount.  The world is divided over the Temple Mount still.  11:9 continues saying that the "earth would be full of the knowledge of YHVH as water covers the seabed."  This has clearly not been fulfilled.  Verse 11:10 says that "the Root of Jesse (the House of David)" would be a banner for all peoples, and gentile nations would inquire."  This is clearly not happening.  Verses 11:12-13 make clear all of Israel will be gathered from the ends of the earth.  Not all of Israel are living in Israel today.  11:15 says that YHVH would "dry up the Egyptian Sea."  The Egyptian Sea (Red Sea or Mediterranean) is not dried up.  The lost of Israel (Judah and Ephraim) are not yet all gathered.   Ephraim and Judah are NOT reconciled.  No mention of human sacrifice, nor two comings.  Jesus did not fulfill any of this passage.
  4. Hosea 3:5 Afterwards shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their king, and they shall come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness at the end of days.” No two comings, no human sacrifice.  Judah is waiting for David their king.  This passage is unfulfilled.
    While I said I would discuss only four passages, I am adding a fifth.  
    Isaiah Chapter 2 vs. Micah chapter 4 (both are almost the same, probably the same authors/editors did the compiling). Micah: 4:1-4:
    “And it shall be at the end of the days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be firmly established at the top of the mountains, and it shall be raised above the hills, and peoples shall stream upon it. And many nations shall go, and they shall say, "Come, let us go up to the Lord's mount and to the house of the God of Jacob, and let Him teach us of His ways, and we will go in His paths," for out of Zion shall the Torah come forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge between many peoples and reprove mighty nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nations shall not lift the sword against nation; neither shall they learn war anymore. And they shall dwell each man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them move, for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken. For all peoples shall go, each one in the name of his god, but we will go in the name of the Lord, our God, forever and ever.”
    While the words “Messiah” and “David” do not occur in this passage, Messianics, Christians, and Judah (Jews) recognize this as a Messianic prophecy.  It is not literal, in fairness.  But the Torah is not kept by the church, Jerusalem is not raised above the other hills, and the entire planet is not streaming to it.  Two Billion Muslims are still streaming to Mecca.  World peace has yet to come.  And if one were to read the writings of Paul in the christian Bible, Paul says that Jesus put an end to the Torah (Law) of Moses.  According to these two passages (Isaiah Chapter 2 and Micah Chapter 4), both of these passages state that "the Torah will come forth out of Zion, and the word of YHVH from Jerusalem."  Christianity is as Torahless as it could possibly be, and its religious writings teach against the Torah, given by YHVH.


While Yahwists are not looking for a coming Messiah, but venerate YHVH and keep His commandments (especially the Mishpatim in the Torah), this is an important topic.  Too many christians try to claim that YHVH is three but one, that Jesus is YHVH himself.  Therefore, we most recognize this folly, and keep our focus on YHVH as the ONLY God.

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