When professor asked us, during the class on Monday (03/31/08), if the Old Testament prophecies mentioned in the gospels were talking about Jesus, I said "YES" without thinking further about the question. Just like other Christians around the world, I strongly believe that Jesus was sent from God as the fulfillment of the Hebrew prophecy; I also believe that Jesus was the Messiah whom the Jews had awaited for centuries.
Yet, Jesus was clearly neither the King Messiah nor the Priest Messiah figure who the Jews had expected to see; Jesus came neither to reconstruct the temple of Jerusalem nor to fight against the Roman Government. Moreover, various historians/scholars have argued that a number of fulfillment citations found in the gospels were not related to Jesus/the future Messiah at all.
For example, both Mark and Luke claim that Jesus was born of a virgin referencing Isaiah 7:14, but the scholars have pointed out that Isaiah 7:14 is not about virginal conception (it is about God's destroying the armies of Syria & Northern Israel).Therefore, some concluded that the Old Testament prophecies were reinterpreted to fit Christians' beliefs in Jesus (after Jesus' crucifixion or... resurrection).
For example, both Mark and Luke claim that Jesus was born of a virgin referencing Isaiah 7:14, but the scholars have pointed out that Isaiah 7:14 is not about virginal conception (it is about God's destroying the armies of Syria & Northern Israel).Therefore, some concluded that the Old Testament prophecies were reinterpreted to fit Christians' beliefs in Jesus (after Jesus' crucifixion or... resurrection).
As a Christian, I cannot agree that the authors of the gospels had reinterpreted the Hebrew prophecy to make a random person the future Messiah depicted in the Old Testament.
However, I respect that everyone has his/her own belief and opinion about anything. So, which do you think came first, Jesus or the Hebrew prophecy.... and how do you think, your answer is going to affect all the Christians around the world?
However, I respect that everyone has his/her own belief and opinion about anything. So, which do you think came first, Jesus or the Hebrew prophecy.... and how do you think, your answer is going to affect all the Christians around the world?
1 comment:
I'm Jewish so the whole belief of Jesus Christ as my savior is not really applicable, but I still have some notion of the coming of a Jewish messiah, or what have you. That being said, I found the way you phrased the last part of your post interesting, "I cannot agree that the authors of the gospels had reinterpreted the Hebrew prophecy to MAKE (emphasis mine) a random person the future Messiah depicted in the Old Testament." This whole notion of the Messiah being "made" by earthly means should seem reason enough the take much or what is said and listened to by authors with a grain of salt. One of the major characteristics of the divine is that they are made that way by God, not how they came into this world per say but perhaps divine influence in their actions and/or words.
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