If Jesus came to redeem Zion (the Jews) he failed miserably. This is far from a prophecy "Jesus fulfilled.." The opposite happened -- both in his lifetime and ever since. . . The Jews in Judah 2000 years ago were under the yoke of Rome. They were not freed in Jesus' lifetime. Less than 100 years after Jesus' supposed death the Romans exiled the Jews from the land (125 CE). For 2000 years Christians have systematically murdered, exiled, and pillaged the Jewish people. If this is the result of Jesus redeeming the Jews what would his being our enemy look like??? The word in the passage is גּוֹאֵ֔ל -- and it means to redeem your relatives, your "kin." גּוֹאֵ֔ל comes from the word meaning "to deliver," or "to redeem"). It applies to the nearest relative of one placed under certain obligations to his "kin." This includes "redeeming" a relative from slavery (for example). Vayikra / Leviticus 25:40-41. Christians can't use the excuse that this passage had anything to do with Jesus "redeeming" non-Jewish souls. It has nothing to do with non-Jews and it has nothing to do with immortal souls. That is not the meaning of the word, or the passage. Y'shayahu / Isaiah 59:20 says: "And a redeemer shall come to Zion, and to those who repent of transgression in Jacob, says the L-rd." Isaiah is warning the people of his generation that they are "going through the motions" -- but their hearts are not in being loyal to G-d. The prophet says that G-d could save / redeem them at any time -- but the people's prayers are not sincere, the courts are corrupt. They have rebelled against G-d and all of His teachings. The people were not worthy of being rescued from their enemies, G-d will exile the Jews in an attempt to bring them to their senses -- and when the time comes G-d will save the Jewish people, not for our sake -- but for Himself. A savior / rescuer -- the messiah -- will eventually be G-d's instrument to return all these exiles to the land of Israel. This never happened with Jesus. The Jews were primarily in exile in his lifetime (more lived outside Judah than in it) -- and around 90 years after his death the Romans exiled the Jews from the land -- Jesus never returned the exiles to Israel. The Jewish concept of the messiah is very different from the Christian concept. Again – remember that with thousands of iterations of Christianity one will say Jesus was a human while another will say he was G-d in human form (G-d forbid). Jesus was never a moshiach (messiah) -- and he did not have the "birth right" to be a rightful king of the Jews. The right parentage is just “table stakes.” It is a requirement – but there are men from the tribe of Judah through David and Solomon who are alive today and none are the messiah. The true messiah will build the Sanctuary (Jesus lived during the time of the Second Temple and it was destroyed within 40 years of his death – so this is the opposite of the prophecy). The messiah gather the dispersed of Israel and return them to the land. Jesus did not do this – and within 100 years of his death the Jews were exiled from the land by the Romans – again the opposite of the prophecy. Jewish law (Halacha) will be re-instituted in his days. Many Christians think that Jesus removed all the mitzvot – so again we have the opposite of the prophecy occurring – his followers deserted Halacha. Jews were under Roman law during Jesus’ lifetime. . . The messiah will resume sacrifices and will bring a sin sacrifice (see Yechezkel / Ezekiel). Most Christians believe that Jesus was the "last and final sacrifice." Yet the T'nach (bible) tells us that the messiah (called the prince in Yechezkel / Ezekiel) will bring sacrifices in the messianic era -- including a sin sacrifice for himself (Christians believe Jesus was "without sin" -- he never brought a sin sacrifice). "the burnt-offerings and the meal-offerings and the libations on the Festivals and on the New Moons and on the Sabbaths, and on all the times fixed for meetings of the House of Israel shall devolve on the prince (the messiah); he shall prepare the sin-offering and the meal-offering and the burnt offering and the peace-offering, to effect atonement for the House of Israel. . . And the prince shall make on that day for himself and for all the people of Israel a bull for a sin-offering." Yechezkel / Ezekiel 45:17-22. Within 40 years of Jesus’ death the Temple was destroyed and sacrifices ceased. Again we have the opposite of the true messianic prophecies with Jesus. The messiah will build the Temple as described in Yechezkel / Ezekiel 43 (the Second Temple, existing during the time of Jesus, had been built hundreds of years prior to his birth -- ergo he did not build it. The Second Temple was not built to the prophecy of Yechezkel / Ezekiel in chapter 43, more proof that Jesus was not the messiah and that the Second Temple was not the Temple of the messiah). Chapters 40-48 of Ezekiel gives a very detailed directions for building the messianic era Temple -- and again this Temple did not exist 2000 years ago (meaning Jesus was not "the" messiah). The Second Temple (the one standing 2000 years ago) was specifically NOT built to Yechezkel / Ezekiel's prophecy because the prophets alive when it was constructed were told by G-d that it was not to be the messianic Temple. When it came time to rebuild the second Temple, G‑d commanded through his prophets Chaggai, Zechariah and Malachi not to build it according to the specifications in Ezekiel. When missionaries use the term “messiah” or “christ” (Greek) they mean Jesus and only Jesus – if they think of what the word means they probably assume it means “king” (it can refer to kings, but it refers to any anointed one and is often used to speak of Jewish priests). No, Jesus was not "a" messiah, and he most certainly was not "the" messiah. He was not the redeemer of Israel.
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