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Two Messiahs - Part I

 

Stay with us as we shall, Allah-Willing, explore the issue of the 'Two Messiahs', and its connection to Imam Mahdi (May Allah hasten his glorious Emergence) … .



 

In other writings of this site, kindfather.com, such as the articles: "Mohammad, the Promise of Torah - II", "What the Bible says about Muhammad - I" and "What the Bible says about Muhammad - II" we have mentioned that in some of the older and perhaps less distorted scriptures found in the twentieth century archeological discoveries, such as the "Dead Sea Scrolls", the Promise of two Messiahs were mentioned, let us re-read the statements of two prominent research books in regard to this issue:

 

In The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered, by Robert Eisenman and Michael Wise, we read that the early scrolls spoke of two messiahs, but that later on, the communities of the Jews began to combine them into one messiah As we have suggested, contrary to the well-known 'two-Messiah' theory of early Qumran scholarship, these references to the two Messiahs in the Damascus Document are singular not plural... and one possible explanation for it is that it is evoking a Messiah with both 'priestly' and 'kingly' implications, like the somewhat similar recitations of Hebrews (The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered, Robert Eisenman and Michael Wise, p. 162).

 

According to the dominant view in the sectarian texts from Qumran, two messiahs were to lead the congregation in the End of Days, one 'priestly', and the other 'lay' (Reclaiming the Dead Sea Scrolls, Lawrence H. Schiffman, pp. 321-322).

 

But, the mention of two Messiahs is not limited to the old scriptures of "the Dead Sea Scrolls" discovered in 1947 A.D., rather this Prophecy can also be found in the current Jewish and Christian scriptures; M. P. L. Dunteman, in the 'Descent of Messiah' writes:

 

"In the 'Talmud', a collection of traditions and commentaries from the Post-Biblical period (from about 300 B.C.E. until about 500 C.E.), there are two messiahs mentioned--one who suffers and is rejected by his people and another who reigns gloriously … ."

 

It is noteworthy to mention that in the older times the expectation of anticipated "Messiah" -as Savior bringing peace- among Jews was so great that the title Messiah was being used for kings, priests and Prophets hoping that they would be the real anticipated Savior; M. P. L. Dunteman continues:

 

"Messiah comes from the Hebrew Mashiach, which means "anointed one". This expectation increased under Solomon, the king who built the First Temple. Every king of Israel was considered the Messiah for his generation, including even Saul (I Sam. 24:9-10, etc.). Also, the High Priest was called "the priest that is anointed" (Heb. Haccohen Hammashiach, Lev. 4:3,5,16). Sometimes, even a prophet was anointed to begin his ministry (I Kings 19:16) ... .

 

In spite all that anticipation, when Jesus (PBUH) came, the leaders of the Jews were so attached to their high worldly positions that they rejected Jesus and did not accept him as the anticipated Messiah; their acceptance would have meant giving up their worldly status which was so dear to them. … They said that since Jesus did not fulfill all the prophecies of the savior such as bringing peace to the world, and the prophesy of Genesis 49:10, -which states that the scepter passes from the tribe of Judah to another tribe, and Jesus was said to be a descendant of David via the tribe of Judah, and …- hence Jesus could not have been a recipient in the Last Days of the scepter, therefore based on this logic, Jesus could not have been the expected Messiah. (N. Kesar) So the Jews are still anticipating their Messiah; i.e. some Jews -because Jesus (PBUH) did not comply with the prophecies about the Savior of the Last Days (the second Messiah, as named in the scriptures) such as bringing the Ever-Promised Peace to the world (as confessed by Jesus himself, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." Bible, gospel of Matthew 10:34-35), and due to the fact that acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah would have meant giving up worldly status, and …- have rejected Jesus (PBUH) as the first Messiah, and have forsaken the concept of 'two Messiahs', and are awaiting one Messiah (savior) in the future.

 

Qur'an clearly in many verses, verifies that Hazrat 'Eesa (Eisa) -Jesus- (PBUH), was Maseeh (Messiah) son of Maryam, such as in the following verse:

 

4:171 O followers of the Book! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, and do not speak (lies) against Allah, but (speak) the truth; the Messiah, Isa son of Maryam is only a messenger of Allah and … .

 

In general, before the discovery of the "Dead Sea Scrolls" the issue of two Messiahs had, very conveniently, been almost abandoned by both Jews and Christians because for the most part, they both had hard times justifying it in a way to support their different claims, so most of the Biblical statements in regard to the issue were hardly ever mentioned, and also many scriptures have been distorted or forsaken and concealed; but after the discovery of the "Dead Sea Scrolls" in which two separate Messiahs were clearly mentioned, and following the public presentation of some pictures from the "Scrolls", and also considering that the Muslims have suggested that, the first "priestly" Messiah mentioned in the "Scrolls" (a "priest" from the descendants of the clergy progeny of Bani-Israel) was Jesus (PBUH) as verified by Qur'an too, and that, the appearance of the second "kingly" and "lay" Messiah (a "king" and ruler not a priest from the clergy progeny of Bani-Israel rather from the people, therefore mentioned as "lay" in the scriptures) could be an indication of the final kingdom of God based on the Ever-Propagated Religion of Allah by all Prophets (before being distorted by malevolent followers) - Islam-, through the Ever-Promised final Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) at the hand of his last Divinely Chosen Successor, Hazrat Mahdi (PBUH), both the Jews and Christians have each frantically re-started their old attempts to try to justify their own "dual Messiahs" cases.

 

Some Jewish rabbis, while disregarding Jesus as Messiah, have also attempted to justify the issue of two Messiahs and have said that the first earlier Messiah will die in the final future war between Israel and Gog and Magog; His death will then pave the way for the reign of the other Messiah in the Last Days when Israel will rule over the whole world. One Midrash explains by stating that in the future to come, "the anointed" (Messiah) of War will arise, and then the second Messiah will arise and be stronger than the first.

 

Others -although being adherents to the Bible themselves- such as Dr. Patai, in order to introduce Jesus as the only promised one, have also tried to completely dismiss the issue of the two Messiahs, by suggesting that the Jews , had invented the concept of dual Messiahs to solve the dilemma of many irreconcilable discrepancies and contradictions in the Bible, such as in the books of Genesis, Zechariah, Daniel and …, regarding the issue of Messiah, as well as other issues.

 

But, most Christians in their part, have tried to justify the "two Messiahs" concept by some how combining all prophesies regarding the two Messiahs (as they confess themselves, with all the irreconcilable discrepancies and contradictions) in to one Messiah, so that Jesus (PBUH) could be both the "priestly" Messiah of earlier time and also the triumphant "kingly" Savior of the Last Days. In order to do that, Jesus had to be more than one entity!!!

 

To be continued …