Issue no. 5: 2006 1st Quarter; article overview:
Page 1:First Article;The Messianic context of Psalm 110 -exegesis part two
Page 2:Second Article;Samson Option, Samson as national allegory in Deuteronomistic theology
Page 3:Third Article;Qohelet and the background to Ecclesiastes
Page 4:Fourth Article;Nathaniel under the Bo-tree - Buddhism and the problem of suffering
Page 5:Fifth Article;The Spirit in the latter days-Part four
Page 6:Sixth Article;Book review of the writings of Santala
For the PDF version of this article click here
The Writings of Risto Santala
A review of the writings of Risto Santala with commentary from a missionary perspective (a guest contribution)
Rabbinic sources
Having spent a lifetime living in Israel, Risto Santala (a Finnish Lutheran) [1] has extensively documented how the writings of the rabbinic commentaries actually paint a picture of Messiah which is exactly in accordance with Jesus of Nazareth. [2] He shows how the various Midrashim pointed forward to a singular Messiah figure who would be called by the name of the Lord, who would unite grace and truth, be conceived by the Holy Spirit, do signs and wonders, be called “the truth” and give Israel a new Torah. They even predicted that there would be 2000 years of Torah [following 2000 years since creation], and then 2000 years of Messiah, followed by a 1000 year sabbath on earth. This all makes perfect sense if Jesus is indeed Messiah. And most significantly, the Jewish prayerbook Sidur ha-Shalem contains a prayer for the Jewish New Year which speaks of Messiah as “Jesus, the Prince of the Countenance”.
The New Testament
The New Testament describes the work of Jesus through allusions to the Psalms. But each of the passages alluded to had in fact already been interpreted by the rabbis in their various Targums and Midrashim as applying to Messiah. Messiah was to be despised (Ps. 22:6; 69:19-22); rejected (Ps. 118:22); mocked (Ps. 22:7,8; 69:8,20; 89:51,52); whipped (Ps. 129:3); impaled on a stake (Ps. 22:1,2,14-17); thirsty (Ps. 22:16); given wine nixed with gall (Ps. 69:20-22); have lots cast for his clothes (Ps. 22:18,19); have unbroken bones (Ps. 34:21); rise from the dead (Ps. 16:10); ascend to Heaven (Ps. 68:19); be at the right hand of God (Ps. 80:17; 110:1); be High Priest (Ps. 110:4); judge the nations (Ps. 89:3-5); reign eternally (Ps. 89:35-37); be the Son of God (Ps. 2:7); speak in parables (Ps. 78:2); calm a storm (Ps. 89:10); have Hosanna sung to him (Ps. 118:25,26); be blessed for ever (Ps. 45:1-4,8,18); and come in glory at the Last Day (Ps. 102:6-23). The picture which the rabbinic writings had created of Messiah was exactly the person whom Jesus was and whom the early church preached. Santala’s writings give all the actual rabbinic references.
The suffering servant
Further, Santala shows how the idea of a suffering Messiah (so difficult for modern Judaism to accept) was initially taught by the rabbis in their commentaries upon Zech. 12:9-14; 13:6, 7 and Isaiah 53. “They shall look upon me whom they have pierced” was understood by RaShi, RaDaq and Ibn Ezra as referring to Messiah; and the Talmud [Sukka 52b] agrees with this. The fact the atoning sacrifice spoken of had to be without sin precluded, in earlier Jewish interpretation, any reference to the nation of Israel in this passage; and yet this is how it is now understood in Judaism. A. Lukyn Williams quotes even 16th century rabbis [Rabbi Elia de Vidas and Rabbi Moses Alshekh] as admitting about Isaiah 53: “Our ancient sges have preserved for us the witness of tradition that this refers to the Messiah…. Thus the Messiah suffered on account of our sins, and was wounded.” [3]
Conclusion
These books are recommended as useful preaching aids; the Biblical record in Luke 2, as well as the Dead Sea Scrolls literature all indicates that there was a strong wave of Messianic expectation around the time of Jesus’ birth. Yet Israel would not recognize Him. And the Rabbis after the time of Christ began to change their position on Messiah, saying that he would not be a singular person, but rather an idea, a personification, etc. It’s not surprising, therefore, that there is definitely a ‘bad conscience’ within Jewish people about Jesus; hence their anger when you try to share Jesus with them. If you preach Christianity to a Moslem, Buddhist, Hindu or atheist, you receive a quite different reaction to what you receive when preaching to a Jew. There is evidently a pang of conscience within the Jewish people, prefigured by the bad conscience of Joseph’s brothers, until they finally accepted Joseph as their Lord. That conscience is surely indicated by the way in which Isaiah 53 is omitted from the Synagogue’s yearly haphtarot readings, and how it is markedly absent from the mediaeval commentaries. There is simply the statement in brackets: “Some things are missing here”. And indeed they are… One rabbi even admitted that Is. 53:2, which speaks of Messiah as being born from land that had not been ploughed and in which no seed had been planted, was clearly a reference to the Virgin Birth of Jesus.
In addition to the above arguments, the following bullet point questions can usefully be put to Jews- many of them are discussed within Jewish Orthodox circles anyway:
- Can the Torah liberate man or give him salvation?
- What is the basis of salvation?
- Were all of Moses’ laws intended to be eternally binding?
- Where do we make a difference between the commandments of God and those of men?
- Will Messiah give a new Torah?
Notes
[1] For a short biography: http://www.kolumbus.fi/hjussila/rsla/rsla.html
[2]
His writings include:
The Messiah in
the Old Testament IN THE LIGHT OF RABBINICAL WRITINGS
The Messiah in
the New Testament IN THE LIGHT OF RABBINICAL WRITINGS
Paul the man
and the Teacher IN THE LIGHT OF JEWISH SOURCES
The Midrash of
the Messiah: The Messiah and His Meal in Midrash Ruth Chapters V, VII and VIII
Publisher Kukkila, Finland: BGS, 1992: His books are available in Hebrew from Keren Ahvah Meshiht, PO Box 10382 Jerusalem, Israel or can be found online@ http://www.kolumbus.fi/hjussila/rsla/messiah.html
[3] A. Lukyn Williams, A Manual Of Christian Evidences For Jewish People (London, 1911).