Yeshua Ben Yosef HaMashiakh

The Tanakh, specifically the Prophets, inform us that God would reveal Himself on earth as man in the form of "Suffering Messiah" and then would come as "Reigning Messiah." They will look on Him whom they pierced is a prophetic statement from Zechariah of the Lord when He returns to Israel and restores the Kingdom to them. The piercing alludes to death and that can only be accomplished by someone who was once alive and then died. Zechariah continues with they shall mourn for Him as an only son. One doesn't mourn for a living only son, unless of course he is a complete imbecile. Isaiah 53 is not Israel, but refers to a suffering man, and that is plainly seen. Ironically, the first century Sages correlated the pierced one in Zechariah with Isaiah 53.

The exact time of His suffering and death was given to us in the book of Daniel. Thousands of Jews, including the wise men--possibly Jews from Babylon--who came from the East were anticipating the Messiah's arrival around the year 4 B.C. E. (Before Common Era). Only the religious hypocrites (Pharisees and Scribes) had denied and not accepted these prophecies, for they were more interested in the kingdom of earth and maintaining it for their own superficial purposes, as all religious people tend to do.

Daniel 9:24-27 gives us the exact time line for the appearance of the Messiah. The time frame is from the decree to rebuild the walls. This was done around 457 B.C.E. The Temple had all ready been rebuilt.516 B.C. So the clock starts at the decree to rebuild the walls, not at the beginning of the captivity, nor at the rebuilding of the Temple. The time is referred to as 70 weeks, 70 times 7 or 490 years. So in 457 B.C.E. the decree went forth to rebuild the walls in troublesome times. When we add the 49 years to the 434 years we have a sum of 483 years. "After 62 weeks Messiah will be cut off." (Daniel 9:26) This 434 years after the first section of 49 years for a total of 483 years. Cut off is the Hebrew word Karat. It means to die. So at the end of 483 years, from the decree to rebuild the walls, the messiah will die. From 457 B.C.E., 483 years later, we come to a very significant date in history. In this year that the Messiah is cut off. Who is he? Some would contend it was Cyrus. But he was not Jewish and the prophecy of Daniel clearly states it concerns his people (Jews). It cannot be Titus either for the same reason. In the year 31 A.D. a Jewish man named Yeshua (Jesus) ben Yosef is crucified outside the walls of Jerusalem. He is literally killed (Karat). No other person during this time qualifies as Messiah. It is a secular historical fact, as having been attested by the Jew, Josephus, who describes His crucifixion.

The Essenes, who lived in Qumran by the Dead Sea, understood the Messiah to be God made flesh for the purpose of suffering and dying for atonement of sins. Understanding the significance of the sacrifices pertaining to the suffering "Lamb" of God, they refused to participate in the Temple sacrifices because they had been corrupted. The first century sages knew this messiah as Mashiakh Ben Yosef, (Messiah son of Joseph) even though they didn't, as far as we know, accept that Yeshua was this person. Nevertheless, about one million Jews at the turn of the first century had accepted Yeshua as the Messiah. One million Jews who knew their Scriptures, believed and trusted God and who accepted Yeshua Ben Yosef as their Messiah!

God is one! He is not three Gods in one. He is not a person and should not be referred to as such. He is Spirit, who created the universe and redeemed man by His sacrifice. Yeshua is the way, the truth and the life. He is the Word (God) made flesh. He did this so His flesh could tempted and die, for God in Spirit cannot die or be tempted, but in the flesh of man it was possible, for He was made like us, under the law to redeem us from the law. Our salvation is dependent upon this personal admission and commitment to the one God of Israel. Shalom and God bless.