COGwriter
Israel365 News (I365) reported the following:
Messiah won’t revive dead or perform miracles, head of Shiloh Institute warns
March 24, 2021
In a recent lecture, the Head of the Shiloh Institute, Rabbi David Bar-Hayim, busted a common misconception among the Jewish people and how they view the Messiah.
Restoring the Kingdom of Israel
He based his explanation on the teachings of Moses ben Maimon, commonly known as Rambam (Maimonides). …
Rambam writes: “do not imagine for one moment says that the messiah will have to perform miracles that are beyond the normal day-to-day running of the world.”
The rabbi adds that those who think the Messiah will revive the dead are “foolish.”
He adds that just as 850 years ago, most Jews believed that the Messiah was a miracle worker, so that is the majority belief today.
Bar-Kokhba
The rabbi used the example of Bar-Kokhba, who 1st-century Tanna Rabbi Akiva and many other sages believed was the Messiah. But once Bar-Kokhba was killed, they realized that he was not the messiah. At no stage did Rabbi Akiva attempt to qualify Bar-Kokhba as a messiah with any performance of miracles.
And although Rabbi Akiva was wrong in his assessment of Bar Kokhba being the messiah, his method of qualifying him as a messianic candidate went unchallenged by the other sages. https://www.israel365news.com/267781/messiah-wont-revive-the-dead-or-perform-miracles-head-of-shiloh-institute-warns/
Yes, the Messiah will reign in the coming Kingdom of God as scripture teaches that.
That being said, the other statements from rabbi David Bar-Hayim are not based on the Bible but on his acceptance of faulty teachings from two other rabbis.
Let’s deal with Rabbi Akiva first. In order to support a revolt against the Romans, he supported Simon Bar-Kokhba as the Messiah. Akiva falsified history to eliminate over a century in order to claim that the 9th chapter of the Book of Daniel pointed to c. 130 A.D. for Simon Bar-Kokhba to be the Messiah (for some details, watch: Jewish Year 5779 or 5990?
Furthermore, notice a Jewish translation of some passages in Daniel:
24Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sin, and to forgive iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal vision and prophet, and to anoint the most holy place. 25Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem unto one anointed, a prince, shall be seven weeks; and for threescore and two weeks, it shall be built again, with broad place and moat, but in troublous times. 26And after the threescore and two weeks shall an anointed one be cut off, and be no more; and the people of a prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; but his end shall be with a flood; and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. (daniel 9:24-26)
Akiva changed dates so that the 69 weeks would fit for Simon Bar-Kokhba. And no Jews should have accepted that. Furthermore, notice the sequence in Daniel 9:26:
- The Messiah is cut off.
- Then the city of Jerusalem and sanctuary would be destroyed.
Item one happened c 30/31 A.D.
Item two happened in 70 A.D.
The sequence is that FIRST the Messiah would come, then the Temple would be destroyed.
The sequence in Daniel was NOT first the Temple would be destroyed and then 60 years later then Messiah would come.
Let’ also look at another Jewish translation of Daniel 9:26:
26 Then, after the sixty-two weeks, Mashiach will be cut off and have nothing. The people of a prince yet to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary, but his end will come with a flood, and desolations are decreed until the war is over. (Daniel 9:26, CJB)
The “anointed one” as the JPS renders it, is the Messiah (rendered as the “Mashiach” in the Complete Jewish Bible). Thus, Jews should clearly realize that the Messiah already came and most did not recognize Him. Most still do not see Him.
As far as otherwise being challenged, many Jewish scholars over the centuries realized the Akiva’s date change was wrong. For referenced details, check out the online article: Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?
Let’s look at an explanation from the old Radio Church of God about the Daniel 9 prophecy:
At the time of Jesus’ life on this earth, Herod — the king in Judea — the wise men from the nations to the east, and many of the priests, scribes, and elders, as well as the common people, realized that the seventy weeks prophecy of Daniel 9 was nearing its completion. The Messiah, the Prince, was eagerly looked forward to, to free them from the yoke of Roman oppression. The Messiah was expected because of an understanding of this prophecy. But He was misunderstood when He appeared in the fulfillment of this prophecy, because they refused to recognize the first portion of the prophecy and hung their hope only on the last portion. …
Here, very plainly, is listed the exact time at which the prophesied Messiah would appear to begin to do the work mentioned in verse 24. The command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem was given by Artaxerxes in 457 B.C. Much of the book of Ezra and the entire book of Nehemiah cover this particular event. Seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks equal sixty-nine weeks. So the prophecies show that from the going forth of the command to rebuild Jerusalem in 457 B. C. it would be 483 years until the appearance of the prophesied Messiah to begin fulfilling the works of verse 24. (Hill DJ. HERE’S WHY Jews Reject Jesus and Christians Reject Christ! Plain Truth, April 1962)
Adding 483 to the year 457 B.C. brings the year 27 A.D. (there was no year “zero” between B.C. and A.D.). That brings us to the time that Jesus began His ministry (apparently in the Fall of the year). His ministry is believed to have lasted 3 ½ years, hence the veil would have been torn in the Spring of 31 A.D. (some other evidence suggests perhaps 30 A.D.).
Consider also something from the Jewish Babylonian Talmud:
Rav says: The son of David will not come until the evil Roman kingdom will disperse throughout Eretz Yisrael for nine months, as it is stated: “Therefore will He give them up, until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the remnant of his brethren shall return with the children of Israel” (Micah 5:2/3). Once a period equivalent to a term of pregnancy passes, the redemption will come. (Sanhedrin 98b)
The New Testament (cf. John 11:48), as well as Jewish and other historical sources, clearly say that the time Jesus came was when Rome controlled Israel. This is also consistent with some Jewish writings about the timing of the Messiah.
The result of Akiva’s falsehoods was that Jerusalem was destroyed and around 2,000,000 Jews died or were killed as the result. That was the “fruit” of following him. This is known by pretty much all Jewish scholars.
As to the claim by Maimonides that the Messiah would not do miracles or raise the dead, this is ignoring what the Bible teaches.
The Old Testament prophesied the Messiah would include a ministry of miracles, sometimes called wonders:
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. (Isaiah 35:5-6)
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. 24 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. (1 Chronicles 16:23-24)
The New Testament shows that Jesus did miracles:
2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” 4 Jesus answered and said to them, ”Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (Matthew 11:2-6)
22 ”Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— (Acts 2:22).
Ancient Jews who did NOT accept Jesus as the Messiah admitted He did miracles, but they referred to them as sorcery. Here is something from the Jewish writing called the Talmud:
Yeshu … practised sorcery … (Sanhedrin 43a)
Yeshu is a reference to Yeshua, more commonly referred to in English as Jesus.
Here is more information on that from The Jewish Encyclopedia:
Jesus as Magician.
According to Celsus (in Origen, “Contra Celsum,” i. 28) and to the Talmud (Shab. 104b), Jesus learned magic in Egypt and performed his miracles by means of it; the latter work, in addition, states that he cut the magic formulas into his skin. It does not mention, however, the nature of his magic performances (Tosef., Shab. xi. 4; Yer. Shab. 13d); but as it states that the disciples of Jesus healed the sick “in the name of Jesus Pandera” (Yer. Shab. 14d; “Ab. Zarah 27b; Eccl. R. i. 8) it may be assumed that its author held the miracles of Jesus also to have been miraculous cures.
Different in nature is the witchcraft attributed to Jesus in the “Toledot.” When Jesus was expelled from the circle of scholars, he is said to have returned secretly from Galilee to Jerusalem, where he inserted a parchment containing the “declared name of God” (“Shem ha-Meforash”), which was guarded in the Temple, into his skin, carried it away, and then, taking it out of his skin, he performed his miracles by its means. (Jacobs J, et al. Jesus of Nazareth)
The bottom line is that we have early Jewish sources agreeing that Jesus did miracles. Although the Jewish sources claim that such miracles were from other than God, that is consistent with what the New Testament reports the Jews said about Jesus’ miracles (e.g. Matthew 9:34, 12:34).
Perhaps it should also be mentioned that even some old Jewish writings support the view that the Messiah would come twice. Notice the following from my free online book Proof Jesus is the Messiah:
Notice the following from the Hungarian-Jewish author Raphael Patai:
Messiah ben Joseph, also called Messiah ben Ephraim, referring to his ancestor Ephraim, the son of Joseph, is imagined as the first commander of the army of Israel in the Messianic wars. He will achieve many signal victories, but his fate is to die at the hands of Armilus in a great battle in which Israel is defeated by Gog and Magog. His corpse is left unburied in the streets of Jerusalem for forty days, but neither beast nor bird of prey dares to touch it. Then, Messiah ben David comes, and his first act is to bring about the resurrection of his tragic forerunner.
Scholars have repeatedly speculated about the origin of the Messiah ben Joseph legend and the curious fact that the Messiah figure has thus been split in two. It would seem that in the early legend, the death of the Messiah was envisaged, perhaps as a development of the Suffering Servant motif. A prophecy of Daniel, … is the earliest source speaking of the death of a Mashiah (“Anointed”) sixty-two (prophetic) weeks after his coming and after the return and the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Dan. 9:24-26). While it appears that Daniel had a temporal ruler in mind, whom he calls Mashiah Nagid (“Anointed Prince”), … later, the author of 4 Ezra unmistakably refers to the Messiah, belief in whom had developed in the meantime, when he puts words in the mouth of God to the effect that after four hundred years (counted from when?), MY son the Messiah shall die (4 Ezra 7:27-30).
When the death of the Messiah became an established tenet in Talmudic times, this was felt to be irreconcilable with the belief in the Messiah as the Redeemer who would usher in the blissful millennium of the Messianic age. The dilemma was solved by splitting the person of the Messiah in two: one of them, called Messiah ben Joseph, was to raise the armies of Israel against their enemies, and, after many victories and miracles, would fall victim to Gog and Magog. The other, Messiah ben David, will come after him (in some legends will bring him back to life, which psychologically hints at the identity of the two), and will lead Israel to the ultimate victory, the triumph, and the Messianic era of bliss.
This splitting of the Messiah in two persons, which took place in the Talmudic period, achieved another purpose besides resolving the dilemma of the slain Messiah. According to an old tradition, the Messiah was perfectly prefigured in Moses. But Moses died before he could lead the Children of Israel into the Land of Promise. Consequently, for the parallel to be complete, the Messiah, too, had to die before accomplishing his great task of ultimate Redemption. Since however, the Messiah would not be the True Redeemer of God if he did not fulfill that ultimate task, the only solution was to let one Messiah, like Moses, die, and then assign the completion of the work of Redemption to a second Messiah. (Patai R. The Messiah Texts: Jewish Legends of Three Thousand Years. Wayne State University Press, 2015, pp. 165-166)
Thus, it should be clear that some Jewish scholars felt the Messiah could suffer or die. Furthermore, though the above comes up with two Messiahs, the Bible shows that Jesus came once—and fulfilled over 200 prophecies—and that Jesus will come a second time to fulfill others. …
Furthermore:
On the Great Day of Atonement the Jew feels that his sins must be forgiven before God. On that day even Isaiah 53 is sometimes mentioned. Although Isaiah 53 has been omitted from the annual reading of the prophets, so called haphtaroth, it appears in a remarkable prayer which is read in the Synagogue. The separate prayerbook for the feast days, the Mahzor Rabbah, contains a literary prayer by Rabbi Eleazar Qalir which may be from the ninth or even from the sixth century AD. … The main body of the prayer reads as follows:
“Then, before the creation, he already set up the Temple and the Messiah (the Rabbis’ interpretation) – the Messiah our Righteousness has turned away from us, we are shaken, and can find no-one who can justify us. The yoke of our sins and our transgressions is a burden to us; and he was wounded for our transgressions, he suffered on his shoulders our iniquities-, there is forgiveness for our sins. In his wounds we are healed; it is time to create for ever a new creation. Send him back from the circles, bring him back from Seir, so that we might hear him in Lebanon a second time through Yinnon. He is our God, our Father, our King, he is our Saviour and he will liberate and redeem us for a second time and let us hear of his grace a second time in everyone’s sight, as it is said: ‘I will save you at the end as at the beginning so that I will be your God.” (Santala, pp. 111-112)
Thus, there are several reasons to conclude that some early Jews did believe that some of the passages of the servant in Isaiah 52/53 were messianic. Denying that in the 20th and 21st centuries does not change historical facts. The view that an old Atonement prayer supports the idea of a second coming of a messiah from a Jewish perspective is also interesting.
Perhaps it should be pointed out that Risto Santala translated a portion of the Ruth Rabbah V,8,1 as follows:
the kingdom taken from him for a time … he was restored to his kingdom (Santala, p. 126)
The above is consistent with a second coming of the messiah, like Christians teach. (Thiel B. Proof Jesus is the Messiah. Nazarene Books, 2018)
Sadly, despite the fact that Jesus fulfilled over 200 writings/prophecies in the Hebrew scriptures (for details, check out our free online book: Proof Jesus is the Messiah), many still do not see this.
The Jews should have accepted Jesus, but, as prophesied in the Bible, most rejected Him:
3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. (Isaiah 53:3)
21 The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They said, “Barabbas!” 22 Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!” 23 Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!” (Matthew 27:21-23)
The Jews expected Jesus to come as a king. But on His first coming He came as a Prince.
As far as Daniel 9 and the Jews go, the Continuing Church of God has this sermon on our ContinuingCOG channel:
1:15:14
Here is a link to the sermon: Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus.
Notice also this sermon from our ContinuingCOG channel:
1:10:53
Here is a link to the sermon: Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?
Jews should have accepted Jesus. The New Testament records that He fulfilled over 200 prophecies in the Old Testament, He came when the Romans ruled, and the Temple was destroyed after Jesus came, consistent with the prophecy in Daniel 9.
For more details, check out our free online book: Proof Jesus is the Messiah.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but … These videos cover nearly all of the book, plus have some information not in the book. We also have the book translated in the Spanish PRUEBA de que JESÚS es el MESÍAS and French PREUVES QUE JÉSUS EST LE MESSIE languages.
The Bible and Astrology Should Christians avoid participating in astrology or did God inspire it? Does the Bible encourage astrology? What does the Bible actually teach? What is astrology? How does astrology differ from astronomy? Should Christians Be Involved In Astrology?
Tradition and Scripture: From the Bible and Church Writings Are traditions on equal par with scripture? Many believe that is what Peter, John, and Paul taught. But did they? A related sermon is titled Tradition and Scripture.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection. A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? Two related sermons about this are also available: Real Repentance and Real Christian Repentance.
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2030 or 20xx? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to four related sermons: The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
