|
The Warrior Messiah
"Mashiach"
By Jacob Immanuel Schochet
Pages 87-95
Mashiach ben Yossef (Mashiach the descendant of Joseph)
of the tribe of Ephraim (son of Joseph), is also referred to as Mashiach
ben Ephrayin, Mashiach the descendant of Ephraim. He will come first
before the final redeemer, and later will serve as his viceroy.[The
harmony and cooperation between Mashiach ben David and Mashiach ben
Yossef signifies the total unity of Israel, removing the historical
rivalries between the tribes of Judah and Joseph; see Isaiah 11:13
and Rashi there. And Torah Shelemah on Genesis 29:16, note49]
The essential task of Mashiach ben David: he will prepare the world for the
coming of the final redeemer. Different sources attribute to him different
functions, some even charging him with tasks traditionally associated with
Mashiach ben David (such as the ingathering of the exiles, the rebuilding of
the Bet Hamikdash, and so forth).
The principal and final function ascribed to Mashiach
ben Yossef is of political and military nature. He shall wage war against
the forces of evil that oppress Israel. More specifically, he will do
battle against Edom, the descendants of Esau. Edom is the comprehensive
designation of the enemies of Israel, (some sorces state the finial enemies
of Israel to be the Ishmaelites (Arabs) some state Edom and Ishmael) and
it will be crushed through the progeny of Joseph. Thus it was prophesied
of old, "The House of Jacob will be a fire and the House of Joseph
a flame, and the House of Esau for stubble.." (Obadiah 1:18): "the
progeny of Esau shall be delivered only into the hands of the progeny
of Joseph."
This ultimate confrontation between Joseph and Esau is alluded already
in the very birth of Joseph when his mother Rachel exclaimed, "G-d
has taken away my disgrace" (Genesis 30:23): with prophetic vision
she foresaw that an 'anointed savior" will descend from Joseph and
that he will remove the disgrace of Israel. In this context she called
his name "Yossef, saying 'yessef Hashem- may G-d add to me ben acher
(lit,. another son), i.e., ben acharono shel olam- one who will be at
the end of the world's time,' from which it follows that 'meshu'ach milchamah
- one anointed for battle. Will descend from Joseph."
The immediate results of this war will be disastrous: Mashiach ben Yossef
will be killed. This is described in the prophecy of Zechariah, who says
of this tragedy that "they shall mourn him as one mourns for an only
child." (Zechariah 12:10). His death will be followed by a period
of great calamities. These new tribulations shall be the final test for
Israel, and shortly thereafter Mashiach ben David shall come, avenge his
death, resurrect him, and inaugurated the Messianic era of everlasting
peace and bliss.
This, in brief, is the general perception of the "second Mashiach,"
the descendant of Joseph through the tribe of Ephraim.
Quite significantly, R. Saadiah Gaon (one of the few to elaborate on the
role of Mashiach ben Yossef) notes that this sequence is not definite
but contingent! Mashiach ben Yossef will not have to appear before Mashiach
ben David, nor will the activities attributed to him or his death have
to occur. All depends on the spiritual condition of the Jewish people
at the time the redemption is to take place:
The essential function of Mashiach ben Yossef is to prepare Israel for
the final redemption, to put them into the proper condition in order to
clear the way for Mashiach ben David to come. Of the ultimate redemption
it is said, that if Israel repent (return to G-d) they shall be redeemed
immediately (even before the predetermined date for Mashiach's coming).
If they will not repent and thus become dependent on the final date, "the
Holy One, blessed be He, will set up a ruler over them, whose decrees
shall be as cruel as Hamon's, thus causing Israel to repent, and thereby
bringing them back to the right path.: In other words, if Israel shall
return to G-d on their own and make themselves worthy of the redemption,
there is no need for the trials and tribulations associated with the above
account of events related to Mashiach ben Yossef. Mashiach ben David will
come directly and redeem us.
This Sent In By Roman:
"Check this out, ever since i first heard of this warrior
messiah character, ive been able to make some connections between him
and some parts of popular culture and other religions. this might all
be a strange coincidence but its still interesting to think about. here's
one example to start: there's a native American tribe in Arizona called
the Hopi. a big part of their faith is prophecy which was handed down
for thousands of years among their elect. one of their prophecies prophesizes
about a pale (Caucasian) warrior who will sport a red cloak or hat and
will unite all the people of the world by de-throning the corrupt leaders
of the enlightened (technologically advanced) nations. the prophecy states
that he will be "all powerful and no one will be able to stand against
him." i think it was Thomas Banyanca that said that but im not sure.
coincidentally, according to scriptures in the Jewish faith, messiah ben
Joseph will have white priestly garments that are destined to be stained
with blood (which is red) because he will be treading the wine press of
god's fury. that probably meaning the same as the hopi approach. i think
its important to note the red clothes in both prophecies because it re-appears
in the Christian apocalypse when i think it was john talking about the
"son of man" who also wears blood stained garments (also known
as the garments of vengeance in some parts of the bible) and has a sword
coming out of his mouth with which he smites the nations.
one thing i forgot to mention is his physical appearance. the Hopi say
he'll have long dark hair and will have two helpers. the Muslim end times
prophecy states that the mahdi (messiah) will be a man of a pale complexion,
lank hair which is black or brown, and that he'll be leaning on the shoulders
of two angels. with that, i think its safe to say that these prophecies
are pretty similar to one another even though the messiah of each religion
ends up promoting that religion over the others. with the Hopi being the
exception on account of "pahana" having no religion but his
very own. but the one thing that these prophecies all share is the eventual
triumph of good over evil and the peace that follows. kind of reminds
me of the movies where some charismatic hero kicks alot of ass, usually
for a greater good. that's where i make the connection with the popular
culture. and once again this idea might not have any spiritual or intellectual
value and it might damage any credibility the other connections had, but
i know im not the only one that noticed this and i really hope some people
understand why its so weird. here goes. so i like to play video games.
and i really notice that some of the most violent, action packed, video
games have a lead character which exhibits the same traits as messiah
ben Joseph. and you really dont have to be an expert on video games to
notice. just go to a game web site and see for yourself. games like Devil
May Cry, God of War, Prince of Persia 2, Onimusha warlords, and shinobi
all include a supernaturally powered hero who wears eye-catching scarlet
apparel and kills a whole bunch of evil people/monsters in a violent yet
stylish manner. coincidence or design?"
hope this helps.
sincerely Roman
|