SPECIAL TOPIC: MESSIAH

SPECIAL TOPIC: MESSIAH

Old Testament usage
The difficulty in interpreting this term is because of the different usages associated with the term "Messiah" or "anointed one" (masiah, BDB 603, KB 645). The term was used of placing special oil on a person to denote God's call and equipping for an assigned leadership task.
1. used of Jewish kings (e.g., 1 Sam. 2:10; 12:3; 24:6,10; 2 Sam. 19:21; 23:1; Ps. 89:51; 132:10,17; Lam. 4:20; Hab. 3:13; "Anointed Prince" in Dan. 9:25)
2. used of Jewish priests (i.e., "anointed priests," Exod 29:7; e.g., Lev. 4:3,5,16; 6:15; 7:36; 8:12; possibly Ps. 84:9-10; and 133:2)
3. used of Patriarchs, and prophets (cf. Gen. 20:7; 1 Chr. 16:22; Ps. 105:15, which refers to the covenant people corporately; possibly Hab. 3:13)
4. used of prophets (cf. 1 Kgs. 19:16; possibly 1 Chr. 29:22 and Isa. 61:1)
5. used of Cyrus II (i.e., a Gentile ruler, cf. Isa. 45:1)
6. #1 and #2 are combined in Psalm 110 and Zechariah 4
7. used of God's special coming, Davidic King to bring in the new age of righteousness (i.e., Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-36)
  1. line of Judah (cf. Gen. 49:10)
  2. house of Jesse (cf. 2 Samuel 7)
  3. universal reign (cf. Psalm 2; Isa. 9:6; 11:1-5; Mic. 5:1-4ff; Hab. 3:13)
  4. ministry to the needy (cf. Isa. 61:1-3)
8. usage in Psalms
  Most allusions to Messiah are in the Royal Psalms (i.e., Psalm 2; 18; 20; 21; 45; 72; 89; 101; 110; 132; 144). In context they refer to an anointed Davidic King but since the predictions were never realized in Israel's history, most commentators assert they must refer to an end-time period.
New Testament usage
I personally am attracted to the identification of "an anointed one" with Jesus of Nazareth (Messias, cf. John 1:41; 4:25) because of
1. the introduction of an eternal Kingdom in Daniel 2 during the fourth empire (i.e., Rome)
2. the introduction of "a son of man" in Dan. 7:13 being given an eternal kingdom
3. the redemptive clauses of Dan. 9:24, which point toward a culmination of fallen world history
4. Jesus' use of the book of Daniel in the NT (cf. Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14)
  It must be admitted this is a rare title in the OT, possibly only Dan. 9:25 (also used of another end-time person in Dan. 9:26). Although the title "Messiah" is rare, the concept of a Davidic King who will reign over YHWH's people is recurrent). It must also be acknowledged that Jesus does not fit the OT general description of the Messiah.
  1. not leader in Israel
  2. not officially anointed by a priest
  3. not savior just of Israel
  4. not only "son of man," but shockingly "Son of God"
In Mark there are several places where Jesus is related to the rabbinical understanding of a coming Davidic Savior King (cf. Mark 12:35; 13:21-29; 15:32).
This discussion of Jesus of Nazareth as the coming King is continued (cf. Acts 9:22; 17:3; 18:5,28).

SPECIAL TOPIC: SON OF MAN

SPECIAL TOPIC: SON OF GOD

SPECIAL TOPIC: OT TITLES OF THE SPECIAL COMING ONE