Why have Christians changed the meaning of "Messiah" when Saul, David and Zedekiah were all called Messiahs ?

Question

The traditional title of Messiah, or "anointed one" was an honorary title of God's appointed King/Prophet of the Israelites.

Saul was a messiah, David was a Messiah, Zedekiah, the last king of Israel of the line of Judah was a Messiah.



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http://www.jewsforjudaism.org/web/faq/general-messiah-jewishresponse.html

Answer 1

Yeshua is the Anointed One. So? Also Saul, etc. were anointed King. Christians today are anointed of the Holy Spirit also.

So? Jesus was a man anointed of God as an example for us. But Jesus Christ is also Emanuel, the Son of the Living God. Jesus is the Christ.

Also, all Christian are born of God. But Jesus is the Only Begotten Son of God. He never died of the spirit because of sin, because He is born of Mary, conceived of the Holy Spirit without the sin nature.

Answer 2

There is "messiah" with a little "m" and "Messiah" with a big "M." Two completely different things you're talking about here. No one changed anything. There is A messiah and THE Messiah, even to the Hebrews. You can argue that Jesus was not THE Messiah, but not that Christians have changed the meaning of the word. What you are suggesting is like if someone said Americans changed the meaning of the word "president" because we say our country's leader is the "President" of our country. That is simply not true.

Answer 3

The idea of Messiah is a Jewish one beyond the idea of just anointed kings. The Jewish idea focussed on the military type prophecies about him in the Old Testament, since most people are worldly, and see things in that worldly way of pride - exalting in their nation's exaltation over others. (Christians believe the conquering prophecies will be fulfilled at the 2nd coming with the overcoming of antichrist and end of false religion of all kinds.)

There have been many claimed Jewish messiahs in history. listening to messianic Jew Sid Roth on www.sidroth.org I once heard him say there had been 100s. Unfortunately none of them have been the Jewish Messiah - I would believe as a christian that that is because He's already come, but was cut off from the land, as one of the Daniel prophecies says. When He comes again "they will look on the one they have pierced and mourn".

Answer 4

Because Jesus Christ (Christ = Annointed one, or "Messiah") said so.

Matthew 16:18: ". . . Thou art the Christ . . ." (Simon Peter)

Not only did our Lord commend Peter's statement, He said this was a Divine revelation. Peter was truly blessed, as this truth is essential to the understanding of Jesus Christ and His mission.

Peter was using a terminology with which, as a Jew, he was very familiar. Christ is the Greek equivalent of Messiah, the One Whom the Jewish people eagerly awaited. The prophets of the Old Testament had written in great anticipation of this longed-for Deliverer, and had given many indications concerning His Person and work. Doubtless they themselves did not fully understand all this, but they, the "holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (II Peter 1:21)

Answer 5

If what you say is true, you're asking the wrong people. You're addressing your question to modern-day Christians about the reason that someone many hundreds of years ago did whatever. Any answer that you get would only be an unproveable guess.
If those you mention were Messiahs - - great, so what ?

Answer 6

Only Jesus was anointed and attested to by God himself:

Luk 3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
Luk 3:22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

Big difference!

Answer 7

Because they were looking for a traditional, charismatic, annointed figure whose 'type' originated in the OT. In first century Palestine, one such was the Teacher of Rightiousness whose sayings and doings predated the spiritual Jesus figure of Paul's early letters. Once the Christian church became established, the synoptic gospels identified this concept with Jesus. We have to blame the early Church Fathers for trawling through the scriptures to justify the title for Jesus as spiritual leader. There is considerable doubt whether Jesus actually existed in the flesh. Paul certainly only knew him as a spiritual figure. You are right in saying that the title Messiah meant annointed and Christian use of this term for Jesus underlines their belief that Jesus was annointed by God as leader.

Answer 8

because when the christian cult decided to use a jewish figure to star ta new religion, they wanted the appearance of being an old religion. by twisting the meaning of messiah, they turned jesus into a fulfillment of jewish prophecy and "legitimized" christianity instead f being just another cult. totally distorting the meaning of a word was a small price to pay for world domination based on lies.

Answer 9

They refuse to study the history of their own religion. If they did, I mean really look at ALL the sources and ALL the material there is, they wouldn't believe at all. But they refuse to do so, they are frightened of what they might find and only read their approved little books that only tell them what they want to hear.

Answer 10

They don't. They recognize that there was to come an anointed one and he would fulfill many prophecies. This one was Jesus fulfilling over 300 prophecies and more to come.