The history of mankind is a history of the quest for REDEMPTION. Emancipation/redemption/freedom is what mankind desires (down deep). America was founded on the idea of eventual redemption for the human soul. Another word for redemption is freedom/equality/justice/peace. We all want these emotions for our daily living. I want redemption, You want redemption, Mankind wants redemption. But we do not HAVE redemption in real-time (today). Why? Thinking Jews have a history of wanting REDEMPTION for mankind. Let's review this history to better discern our current situation!
The role of a Messiah (I assume) is to bring the world REDEMPTION (emancipation/liberty/freedom). Many thinking Christians ASSUME that the last Messiah person (called Jesus or Yeshua) was the one who brought mankind REDEMPTION (I listen to Christian theology daily). The mantra is 'ACCEPT the salvation of Jesus' and YOU are (will be) REDEEMED. The 'blood' of this historical rabbi is assumed to be mankind's final REDEMPTION. But why do thinking JEWS (also most Muslims and many Gentiles) reject this theology (called the theology of orthodox/evangelical Christianity)?
Let's outline the core reasons as follows:
1. Thinking Jews (generally) believe that God is a 'transcendent' spirit BEING (not a prior created human being who lived on planet Earth).
2. Thinking Jews (generally) assume that Jesus/Yeshua was a false Messiah person (not the Messiah of Isaiah 2 who brings the world full redemption).
3. Thinking Jews (generally) believe that God is Singular (ONE)...not a TRINITY (three god person's).
4. Thinking Jews (generally) believe that salvation can not come from HUMAN sacrifice (death of Jesus/Yeshua). For Jews, Jesus, was a human person (a Jew from Nazareth).
5. Thinking Jews (generally) believe that the real Messiah (an anointed of God) is still in the process of coming. Isaiah 2, Daniel 7, are text which support the Jewish point-of-view.
6. Thinking Jews (mostly) do not accept the idea that Jesus/Yeshua was 'glorified' after his death. They assume that Yeshua was fully human and died normally by crucifixion. No 'glorification' occurred.
7. Thinking Jews (generally) do not view Jesus/Yeshua (this historical rabbi) as having 'ascended' to the transcendent/invisible Jewish God (Yahweh/HaShem). For Jews our Creator is not a prior human being (Messiah or otherwise who ascended to God). Our Creator is the God of Jewish history (invisible/transcendent) who sent us the Commandments of Moses as our moral guide.
Let's cover these bullet points with additional comments and history. First of all, a thinking Jew generally believes that Abraham provides the real Covenant for Jews. Abraham was chosen by an invisible/transcendent God and his off-spring, Isaac and then Jacob, continued the relationship with this invisible/transcendent God. After the time of Moses (say 1400 B.C.) this transcendent/invisible God became personal with the 'name' I AM or Yahweh. Today, Jews use the word HaShem (mostly) in lieu of Yahweh.
For thinking Jews, Moses set the foundation for Judaism. Then Prophet Samuel, during the time of the Judges, became the first real Prophet. Then the tribes of Israel (all 12 tribes) desired a human KING to lead them. They desired to replace the invisible/transcendent God which had led them up to that point. Samuel talked to Yahweh and this led to the first human KING (Saul) for the Israelites (all 12 tribes).
After King Saul (he reigned some 40 years) then King David was anointed for a term of 40 years. Then Solomon was anointed for another 40 years. David desired a TEMPLE for his God, Yahweh. Solomon built this TEMPLE for the God, Yahweh. Then the 12 tribes broke up and some 10 tribes took on the name ISRAEL and the 2 tribes (Judah and Benjamin) took on the name Judah (Jews). Then tribulation emerged for all these thinking Israelites.
Then the first TEMPLE was destroyed by the Babylonians around 586 B.C. After another exile (70 years) the Jews (now mostly of the tribe of Judah/Benjamin) were allowed (under Cyrus) to go back to Jerusalem and build a 2nd TEMPLE. This TEMPLE was expanded under King Herod and then this Temple was destroyed completely by the Romans in 70 A.D. (never to be rebuilt again). The Jews were scattered to all parts of planet Earth after this destruction. This Diaspora continued until the return in 1948.
During the period of (say) 4 B.C. to 33 A.D. a Jew (from the tribe of Judah) emerged who became a rabbi/teacher/prophet/Messiah. This human being, tribe of Judah, tried to redeem the Jews and their beliefs with his message called the Kingdom of God. This Jew was baptised by his cousin, John, and then he was supposedly anointed by Father God (Yahweh) after his baptism. He then started his preaching ministry which lasted some 1 to 3 years.
This rabbi's Aramaic name was Yeshua (later called Jesus by most Gentiles and English speaking believers). This rabbi had a message (he assumed was from Yahweh God) that was later rejected by the elites within Judaism during his lifetime. The Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, and Scribes mostly rejected this preacher/rabbi/prophet/Messiah (his message). Many gentiles called this Jew The KING OF THE JEWS! In reality he was an anointed MESSENGER of Yahweh God.
Today, we have a religion that emerged after the DEATH of this Jew from Nazareth called Christianity. This religion started under confusion and diversity but gradually grew into this HUGE Roman Catholic Christian religion which has dominated mankind for nearly 2,000 years. Today, this religion is divided into sects and denominations but the general theology is basically this Catholic theology which espouses the idea that the historical Yeshua/Jesus was exalted to Godhood (the 2nd person of a TRINITY of God person's). He is now EQUAL (as God) with the other person's of this TRINITY.
This exaltation (called Christology) produced a growing religion (over time) with Jesus/Yeshua (now equal with the historical God of Judaism in the mind of many). All this grew and emerged mostly since the time of Constantine and this conference called the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. The Roman Catholic Church emerged later with a theological system that permeated all of our real-time society. Today, we have division within Christianity but the core concept of Jesus/Yeshua being God is common to most Christian believers.
What is now emerging is a general sense that this Church Age of Christianity is coming to an end and that God will send another Messiah (a 2nd Coming) so that a New Kingdom Age can emerge for planet Earth. Jews generally think that their God (now called HaShem) will bring us this new Messiah so that a NEW AGE can emerge for our planet. Christians generally sense that their 'glorified' (historical Jesus) will RETURN to planet Earth and set up his Kingdom (called the Kingdom of Christ for planet Earth).
Basically, Christians think that their historical Messiah person (Jesus) is now living (spiritually) next to the God of Judaism (Yahweh) in the heavens. They use the language that Jesus is at the RIGHT hand side of the Father. Most assume that this RIGHT hand side idea produced a God person who is EQUAL with the Father (Yahweh). A TRINITY (of equal god person's) is assumed with Jesus (as God the son), the Father (as God the Father), and the Holy Spirit (as God the Holy Spirit). This confusing idea is assumed to be the Christian GOD (or Godhead). No-one has been able to discern/explain this concept fully!
Thinking Jews (mostly) reject this theology of Christianity. They reject the idea of a 'virgin' birth. They reject the idea that a Messiah is equivalent to their invisible/transcendent God. They reject this idolatry called the TRINITY. They reject the idea that a Jew (a prior human being) can be offered as a SACRIFICE for the sins of mankind (called redemption). They reject the idea that this ascended Jew (assumed to be 'glorified') will come again to set up a Kingdom of himself. For Jews there is only ONE LORD and this LORD is HaShem (also called Yahweh or FATHER in their theology). Jesus or Yeshua can not be God and/or their Messiah.
This brief history and overview of Christian/Jewish beliefs should help with your understanding of this division within Christianity/Judaism/Islam. We could add the theology of Islam to the mix to make the issues even more complicated. Islam emerged after 610 A.D. with Muhammad's theology and later this emerged into a growing religion for Arabs and many converts. I will not expound on this theology at this time. But basically, this theology rejects Jesus as God and espouses the idea that Allah (Yahweh) is the ONLY GOD and CREATOR. Most Muslims do assume that Allah is the Arabic name for the Jewish Yahweh!
Think for yourself to discern all these nuances on issues of theology. I must do likewise. Have a good day! I am: Donald B. Swenson, Economist/Philospher, donaldswenson.blogspot.com.
http://kingdomecon.wordpress.com
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