The Yiddish Cup: What Judaism Teaches about the Messiah's Coming... / February 2003

Jews sometimes use an interesting word picture to explain how they think. It is called the "Yiddish Cup." Only after looking in and tasting the cup can you determine exactly what is in a cup. In the same way, you must look into and drink from the cup to understand how Jews think about the Messiah.

Moshe Ben Maimon (Maimonides) was a great Jewish philosopher and scholar around the 1200's who espoused in written form much of what the religious Jews have been thinking and think today. There are other sages as well, but Ranbam, as he is affectionately called, spelled out the articles of faith for Jews and Judaism. Article 12 of his principles of faiths reads as follows:

"I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah. Though he tarry, nevertheless I await for him every day, knowing he will come."

Before we go any further, maybe I should answer an obvious question. Why am I trying to explain a doctrinal position of Judaism when I am a Messianic believer of Yeshua and writing to believers of Yeshua? What does Judaism understand about the Messiah and His coming that Christians don’t understand? As you will see, there are several things that Judaism is expecting that the Christian Church doesn’t know about. What is even more fascinating is that Yeshua spoke of these very things.

Many of you have learned recently that the Hebrew roots of our faith in Yeshua the Messiah go much deeper than the Church traditionally has taught and understood. I want to share with you that those same roots of understanding have a lot to say about the Messiah’s second coming. Albeit Judaism is expecting His first coming (because they reject Yeshua’s Messiahship), they believe in the same Scriptures and promises that we believe in. With that common ground, let us look into and drink from the "Yiddish Cup" concerning the Messiah and His coming.

The belief in the Messiah is foundational to Judaism’s faith, thought and order. It is referred to as halacha (the walk of faith). Judaism’s way emphasizes active behavior over the intellectual thought of faith. Therefore, belief in the Messiah and His coming is first born out of the first commandment of the ten commandments.

I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Exodus 20:2

Most Christian don’t realize that this is the first commandment of the ten commandments. Most Christians think the ten commandments begin with verse 3.

You shall have no other gods before Me.

Exodus 20:3

The first commandment is not written in the imperative mood (you are commanded to do something). Instead, it is written in the indicative mood (a statement of truth) with a hint of mystery. So, what is the mystery? It is about the Messiah.

The Messiah is to lead us once again on a greater exodus. It won’t be from Egypt, but from what Egypt means. In Hebrew, Egypt is Mitzrayim. It is plural. It means "trials and tribulations." The commandment is to believe in God, but more than that; it is to believe in the Messiah who will lead us out of this world (trials and tribulations) to the Kingdom of God.

Jeremiah speaks of this greater exodus. He is the same prophet who spoke of the righteous branch of David that would be raised up and the New Covenant that would be ushered in. Remember the covenant with Israel came with the exodus. So, Judaism expects the new covenant to come at the greater exodus when the Messiah will lead them.

"Therefore behold, days are coming," declares the Lord, "when it will no longer be said, 'As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' but,' As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.' For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers." "Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen," declares the Lord, "and they will fish for them; and afterwards I shall send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and from the clefts of the rocks.

Jeremiah 16:14-16

Did you note that the Lord would send fishermen to get them? Do you remember when Yeshua called his disciples the fishers of men? Part of Yeshua’s great commission is the beginning of the gathering of the remnant of Israel from the nations.

"Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord, "When I shall raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, "The Lord our righteousness."

Jeremiah 23:5-6

The Messiah is the son of David. The Messiah is the King. The Messiah is to rule and reign over Israel and the world with righteousness.

Therefore behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord, "when they will no longer say, 'As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,' but,' As the Lord lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.' Then they will live on their own soil."

Jeremiah 23:7-8

Again, Jeremiah speaks of the greater exodus. You will note this reference comes immediately after explaining the Messiah.

"Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the Lord. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the Lord, "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the Lord, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

Jeremiah 31:31-34

The New Covenant is compared to the covenant given to Israel at the exodus. However, this covenant will be more than the giving of the Torah. It is when all men will "know the Lord." Ask yourself something, do all men know the Lord today? Are we not recipients of the New Covenant? So why don’t all men know the Lord today? Obviously, it is in process. The redemption of Israel and the world is in process. The final redemption will come when the Messianic Era is here.

The Evangelical Christian world is expecting the Messiah to come and lead us out of the Great Tribulation at the end of the age. Judaism teaches that Jews are to believe in the coming of the Messiah who will lead them out of tribulation into the Kingdom. Religious Jews are to await the coming Messiah as a deliverer and as a savior just as their ancestors awaited Moses leading them to the historical exodus. Christians believe that Yeshua has redeemed us from the slavery of sin and will lead us out of tribulation.

Judaism’s article of faith is also an active faith for every day. There is a sense of anticipation and expectation for the Messiah to come in every generation. This is why the statement includes the words, "I await." "I await" is the active part of "I believe."

One of the greatest complaints against Yeshua is that He did not gather the exiles of Israel and lead the greater exodus out of the nations back to the land of Israel. He didn’t cause all men to know the Lord or bring an end to sin and death. The world is not being ruled by righteousness yet. We, of course, believe that Messiah has started the process with His death, burial and resurrection. We are waiting for His return and the physical establishment of His kingdom here on earth.

Let’s review, briefly, how Judaism views the Messiah and His coming.

The Messiah’s Nature

1. Born a man.

Judaism expects the Messiah to come as a man, to be one of Israel’s countrymen as promised by Moses.

The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. This is according to all that you asked of the Lord your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, "Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, lest I die." And the Lord said to me, "They have spoken well."

Deuteronomy 18:15-17

Judaism sees the Messiah coming as a prophet from among their countrymen. We as believers of Yeshua the Messiah see that God did exactly as Moses said. Yeshua was raised up among us and He came speaking the word of God, the word of His Father, the same words that were heard from the mountain. We, ourselves, made this agreement with God. We prefer to hear the word of God come from a man that comes from the mountain (heaven) rather than the word directly from heaven. We were too afraid.

There is another reference to the prophet raised up from among us; however, the emphasis is upon the likeness of Moses.

I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And it shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.

Deuteronomy 18:18-19

Judaism teaches that Moses is the greatest prophet and that no one since him compares. We as believers of Yeshua disagree. We believe as Moses said that the Messiah would be like Moses but greater than Moses. The reference to Moses for the Messiah is two-fold: Messiah would be the greatest teacher of Torah and the Messiah would lead a greater exodus.

2. The Son of David.

David was the greatest king over Israel. He is a prophetic model for the kingship of Messiah. Therefore, the Messiah is prophesied to be the son of David just as David was the son of Jesse. David was anointed to be king over Israel well before he became king, the Messiah is the same. This is why He is Messiah – the Anointed One.

Then it will come about in that day that the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, who will stand as a signal for the peoples; and His resting place will be glorious.

Isaiah 11:10

Paul quotes Isaiah to illustrate and compare the emphasis of how the Messiah is to be king over all the nations (Gentiles).

And again Isaiah says, "There shall come the root of Jesse, And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, In Him shall the Gentiles hope."

Romans 15:12

Even the Messiah questioned the religious Jews of His day and they rightly answered then as they do today.

Matthew 22:42 saying, "What do you think about the Messiah, whose son is He?" They said to Him, "The son of David."

3. Anointed with the Spirit of God

The Spirit of the Lord is actually seven spirits forming the Spirit of the Lord. This is the anointing oil of the Messiah.

Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision by what His ears hear; but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; and He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, and faithfulness the belt about His waist.

Isaiah 11:1-5

Not only did Isaiah speak of how the Messiah would be anointed, but also how He would do His work. Not surprisingly, Yeshua quoted these words of Isaiah to explain his ministry (work) of healing and good works.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord,

Isaiah 61:1-2a

4. The Servant of God

For those who are mature in the Lord, being set free from sins is not the ultimate goal of our faith. Instead, it is to take the freedom given us and to become the bond servant of God, to not go out as a free man, but serve for the reason of love. This is why the Messiah is the greatest among us.

And now says the Lord, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, in order that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the Lord, And My God is My strength), He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth." Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and its Holy One, to the despised One, to the One abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers, "Kings shall see and arise, Princes shall also bow down; because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You."

Isaiah 49:5-7

Did you notice that the great Servant (the Messiah) is to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel? Reference is being made to the Messiah about restoration as well as redemption (salvation).

5. The Faithful Shepherd

We as the people of God have been likened unto a flock of sheep. The Messiah is prophesied to be the Shepherd of that flock.

Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; He will feed them Himself and be their shepherd.

Ezekiel 34:23

When Yeshua came, Israel was a divided flock. The House of Judah was in the land, but the House of Israel was scattered. Yeshua spoke directly of this fact and His role as Shepherd.

I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd.

John 10:11,14-16

The goal of one flock and one shepherd is the hope of Israel. It is like the days of old when David was king over all Israel. First, David was a shepherd, then he was a king. However, he was anointed doing both. In the same way, we see the Messiah (the Anointed One) first as shepherd then as king.

And say to them, "Thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations, and they will no longer be divided into two kingdoms. And they will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God. And My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances, and keep My statutes, and observe them.’"

Ezekiel 37:21-24

6. He will be the Torah Teacher

Judaism has no difficulty in seeing the Messiah as the Greatest Torah teacher. It is Christians who do not understand. The double prophecy of Isaiah (a prophet to the House of Judah) and Micah (a prophet to the House of Israel) is a clear Messianic prophecy given in the same days.

And many nations will come and say, "Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Isaiah 2:3 and Micah 4:2

Yeshua, Himself, taught against those who are against the Torah. Even Judaism knows that Yeshua taught Torah and quoted this verse. But Christians continue to twist the word "fulfill" to be "done away with, annulled, and completed."

Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.

Matthew 5:17

Yeshua adds warning to Christianity today. Annul any commandment of Torah and you will be least in the kingdom. I know of many teachers today who do not heed this warning. According to the following definition, Messiah Yeshua will be greatest in the Kingdom because He does keep and teach the Torah.

Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:19

7. He will lead all nations

Judaism struggles with the second Psalm because of the references to "His Anointed" because "My Son, today I have begotten Thee." But, they have no difficulty agreeing with His authority to rule the nations with a "rod of iron."

The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed: but as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain. I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, 'Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee. Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Thine inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, Thou shalt shatter them like earthenware.

Psalms 2:2,6-9

Based on this Psalm, John had no difficulty describing Yeshua both in His ascension and in His return.

And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.

Revelation 12:5

And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.

Revelation 19:15

What the Messiah is to do to bring about the Messianic Era

1. He will restore the Bet Hamikdash (the temple)

King Solomon, the son of David, built the temple in Jerusalem. It was a prophetic model that the Messiah, the son of David, would build the temple.

And behold, I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to David my father, saying, "Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he will build the house for My name."

I Kings 5:5

Ezekiel spoke directly of this model and announced that the Messiah would build His dwelling place, the temple after gathering the scattered of Israel and making the final covenant – the covenant of peace.

And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. And the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.

Ezekiel 37:26-28

2. He gathers the exiles of Israel

Moses first described the greater exodus this way. Many churchmen are expecting a rapture of the church; it will be an exodus of the greater Israel

Then the Lord your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back.

Deuteronomy 30:3-4

3. He will resurrect the Dead

The blessed hope of all believers is the resurrection.

Therefore prophesy, and say to them, "Thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. And I will put My Spirit within you, and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it,’" declares the Lord.

Ezekiel 37:12-14

4. He will cause all men to know God

When the Messiah is dwelling with us in the Kingdom, we do not have to teach others about Him. He is with us and everyone will know Him.

"And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the Lord, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

Jeremiah 31:34

5. He will bring an end to evil and sin

He will also brings an end to disease and death.

"In those days and at that time," declares the Lord, "search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but there will be none; and for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I shall pardon those whom I leave as a remnant."

Jeremiah 50:20

The remnant of Israel will do no wrong and tell no lies, nor will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths; for they shall feed and lie down with no one to make them tremble.

Zepheniah 3:13

"And it will come about in that day," declares the Lord of hosts, "that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land."

Zechariah 13:2

"For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze," says the Lord of hosts, "so that it will leave them neither root nor branch."

Malachi 4:1

6. He will lead all men in the worship of God

And many nations will come and say, "Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us about His ways and that we may walk in His paths." For from Zion will go forth the law, even the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Isaiah 2:3 and Micah 4:2

Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths [the Feast of Ingathering].

Zechariah 14:16

7. He will rule the world with peace

And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever.

Ezekiel 37:26

And the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one.

Zechariah 14:9

All of these seven expectations are about the Messianic Era. These are the hopes of Judaism and all Messianic believers.

What the world will do just before the Messiah comes

According to Judaism, the world will be in much travail and tribulation just before the Messiah comes. It is referred to as chevlei Maashiah (the birthpangs of the Messiah). It is also called Jacob’s Trouble (distress). Many Christians who believe in the pretribulation rapture have been told that the Apostles and early Christians believed in an imminent return of the Messiah. They confuse the hopes and aspirations of the final redemption and restoration of Israel with their own perception. The believers of Yeshua’s day and Judaism today share a common expectation of the Messiah’s coming. There will be great difficulty and tribulation first leading to the Day of the Lord.

Now these are the words which the Lord spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah, for thus says the Lord, "I have heard a sound of terror, of dread, and there is no peace. Ask now, and see, if a male can give birth. Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth? And why have all faces turned pale? Alas! for that day is great, there is none like it; and it is the time of Jacob's distress, but he will be saved from it." "And it shall come about on that day," declares the Lord of hosts, "that I will break his yoke from off their neck, and will tear off their bonds; and strangers shall no longer make them their slaves. But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up for them." "And fear not, O Jacob My servant," declares the Lord, "And do not be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. And Jacob shall return, and shall be quiet and at ease, and no one shall make him afraid." "For I am with you," declares the Lord, "to save you; for I will destroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you, only I will not destroy you completely. But I will chasten you justly, and will by no means leave you unpunished."

Jeremiah 30:4-11

This is just as Yeshua said.

And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

Matthew 24:6 -8

Hastening the Messiah’s coming

Judaism also believes that the Messiah has a definite plan and time to bring in the Messianic Era, but they also believe that they can hasten it. By hastening it, they mean they can prepare and help accelerate the Messiah’s coming. This is probably the most contentious of their thoughts about the Messiah. I say that because Judaism’s adherents believe they play an important role. Let me explain.

Some of Judaism’s faithful believe that if they could get every Jew to keep Sabbath or to say the Shema [Hear O’Israel. The LORD our God, the LORD is One.] together, that the Messiah can not resist coming. They base this on the belief that keeping Sabbath and saying the Shema would be the act of teshuvah (repentance and submission to God). They also include in this the study of Torah which produces tzedakah (righteousness). Supporting this is Isaiah.

Thus says the Lord, "Preserve justice, and do righteousness [tzedakah], for My salvation is about to come And My righteousness [tzedakah] to be revealed."

Isaiah 56:1

Personally, I don’t believe we can do anything to hasten or to slow down the Messiah’s coming to rule and reign. I do, however, agree with Isaiah’s word that our anticipation of the Messiah’s coming should be translated into preserving justice and doing righteousness.

The Role of Elijah in Messiah’s Coming

As a final note of what Judaism believes about the Messiah and His coming is illustrated in the role of Elijah and the cup set for him at the Passover seder.

Remember the law [Torah] of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse.

Malachi 4:4-6

The Passover Seder is set with four cups: Sanctification, Instruction, Redemption, and Praise. However, there is always an exception. There is another cup after Redemption and just prior to Praise. It is the cup of Elijah. Traditionally, this cup is filled to the brim (almost overflowing) in an attempt to hasten Elijah’s coming. Elijah is to come just before the Messiah comes. It is an indirect way of hastening the Messiah’s coming, by getting Elijah to come quickly. But it also speaks of something else.

Remembering the teaching (the Torah) of Moses in combination with the spirit of Elijah is one of the best ways to prepare for the Messiah’s coming. It draws us back to our Fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It renews the promises of God given to them and to their descendants – us. You see, the Messiah is coming to save us, to dwell with us, and to drink the last cup of Praise with us.

This Passover, when you hold up the cup of Praise, stop and say these words with me.

"I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah. Though he tarry, nevertheless I await for him every day, knowing he will come."

It expresses well our anticipation and hope for the Messianic Era. As you have now seen, my Jewish brethren are looking for the Messiah to come just as we are. Very soon, the veil will be removed and all Israel will mourn (for joy) in a Son that was pierced, but has been raised up like Joseph over us all. And just as Joseph used a cup to reveal himself, so Yeshua will use the last cup of the Passover (the cup of Praise) to show Himself in His Kingdom. It turns out the cup is also a "Yiddish Cup."

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