Messianic movements

Under Messianic movement is meant mostly religiously motivated groups that a God-sent leader hope to gain in anticipation of the (early) arrival on Earth redemption from suffering and lack. They appear mainly in Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. The term “ Messiah ” is derived from the Hebrew word “Maschiach” and, like the Greek word Christos, means “the anointed”. The kings of Israel were made king through the anointing. The title “Messiah” is a sovereign title and thus an ostensibly political one. The similar Islamic title " Mahdi ", however, means "rightly guided". The Christian term Messiah refers to Jesus meaning savior and hoped for redeemer .

Term inventory

An explicit mention of the term “Messiah”, in the meaning of an eschatological savior figure, is not found anywhere in the Torah , the first five books of the Tanach . Rather, this term is only applied to people. The term “Messiah” also means “The Redeemer”. The kings in Israel are named, six times the high priest and once the Persian king Cyrus II ( Isaiah 45.1) - always in "syntactically characteristic construct connection with ' YHWH ' or with the relevant suffix".

The different methods of interpretation

In addition to the missing concept of the Messiah as a “ terminus technicus ”, certain peculiarities must be taken into account when considering the Old Testament canonical texts and the relevant literature from the present day. In essence, no distinction is made between “messianic hope” and the so-called “expectation of salvation”, and there is also no sufficient differentiation between the terms “messianic” and “messianic”. By designating the kings of Israel as "anointed Yhwhs", the kings of Israel were not only highlighted in the highest degree, but among other things a sovereign and elective bond with YHWH and the Davidic kingship is enforced. In the main it becomes clear that the presentation of the "Messiah expectation" is a very controversial topic, which also did not seem uninteresting for research, because the most important basic decisions of Old Testament and above all Biblical theology can be found in this topic.

According to popular understanding, the Messiah figure in the Old Testament must fulfill the following attributes: It must appear in the form of a “king figure”, it must bring “salvation”, and with it the “ end times ” must dawn, so that the concept of the Messiah is to be equated with that "Eschatological king of salvation". The above-mentioned anointing of the king in the canonical texts had a constitutive and legitimizing role, but it is by no means proof of the unbroken line to an "eschatological expectation" that has been established over and over again. Not everything that has royal moments is also “messianic” at the same time, and not everything that looks into the future is to be called “ eschatological ”. But it can be exegetically demonstrated on the basis of various texts that with each new act of YHWH, the trust in his universal rule increased and the people thus began to draw a future perspective in YHWH, which, however, did not fulfill the contours of a Messiah figure. In this respect, the Old Testament offers the impetus and prehistory of a widely ramified Messiah expectation, i. H. an evolving messianology that begins to develop in early Judaism as well as in the New Testament. In the most recent collection of essays on the topic ( Studies on the Messiah's Image in OT , 1989) one admits how little provable a continuous line is in relation to the “Messiah expectation”, but still wants the “Messiah image” at least “for certain parts of the Save the Old Testament ”, since it is precisely here that a centerpiece of biblical-theological continuity is seen.

In Judaism

At the turn of an era

In post-Biblical Judaism there is neither a central nor a uniform conception of a Messiah. One could best speak of a priestly Messiah as the mediator of end-time salvation . The first pronounced messianic expectations were not found until the 1st century BC. In the Psalms of Solomon and in the scrolls of Qumran . It is here that the name Maschiach , for the king of the dispensation , appears for the first time . At this point there is also no uniform line to be found, but the expectation of a priestly Messiah is linked in several ways with that of a Messiah of Israel. But the thought of the appearance of two Messiahs (priestly and royal) also remains, because apparently in the Psalms of Qumran the priest and then the prince are blessed.

Rabbinical period

In general, it can be said that the rabbinical era was shaped by the fact that apocalyptic was continued in it. The messianic time is therefore preceded by a time of suffering; elsewhere one speaks of the “birth pangs of the Messiah”. This fact has rekindled faith in a Messiah again and again, especially in times and situations that were catastrophic for Jews. The time of the arrival of the messianic era is considered to be: 4,000 years after the creation of the world or 400 years after the destruction of the temple. In other sources it is assumed that actions of people, such as B. repent, have a direct influence on the appearance of the Messiah, at the latest, however, the Savior appears when the measure of Israel's suffering is full. The Messiah, who is sick waiting for his mission and thus in the end still suffering himself, is rather alien to the classical rabbinical texts, although there are some texts in which a seriously suffering Messiah is mentioned, who takes on all sins to bring the people of Israel to light but these cannot be dated. Rather, the rabbis emphasize the futility of all activism, and they even despise the premature awakening of the Savior. It is only the will of God that can bring the Messiah so that a messianic time can begin with him, in which paradisiacal conditions will prevail.

middle Ages

The Middle Ages produced many messianic movements. So there had to be a correspondingly high number of messiahs and pseudo-messiahs. Understandably, many people at the time were looking for certain distinguishing features that would reveal the true Messiah. Maimonides made a list of criteria for the true Messiah in his Mishne Torah . The messianic time would not bring about any change in the order of nature, but only liberate Israel from all foreign rule. He saw in this an ideal age of God's knowledge realized, in which "the kings of the house of David rule in Jerusalem , where the temple is also being rebuilt". In the esoteric tradition of Judaism, messianic ideas were only a marginal phenomenon for a long time, but they became more common since the 13th century. The restoration of the initial unity, through the fulfillment of the commandments and mutually agreed intentions in mystical prayers, is made the task of everyone.

Modern times

The pseudo- messianic movements lasted into modern times and endangered the Jewish communities, but also caused messianism to be pushed back.

The increased anti-Semitic persecution and pogroms against the Jews in the 17th and 18th centuries paved the way for messianic expectations that were embodied in the person of the alleged messiah Shabbtai Zvi (1626–1676), who later converted to Islam. One of the most famous religious enthusiasts from Eastern Europe was Jakob Joseph Frank (1726–1791), founder of Frankism , which in turn converted to Christianity.

In the nineteenth century, acute Messiah hopes were less prevalent, and Maimonides' rational approach became increasingly radicalized. Jewish monotheism was supposed to contribute to the fulfillment of a “messianic dispensation”, and the prayers for the coming of the Messiah were deleted from the liturgy in the spirit of the rabbis .

The problem of the State of Israel can be illuminated from two extreme positions. Both have in common that the establishment of the State of Israel is viewed as an indication of an imminent messianic time, only certain circles of Orthodoxy point out that this establishment is a task of the Messiah and that any human anticipation would lead to a delay. The central component is still the hope of the coming of a Messiah, kept alive through traditional prayers, without a specific time setting or commitment to political developments, and above all the expectation of the messianic time, which can only be brought about by God himself.

In Christianity

In New Testament Christianity the “messianic movement” was transformed into an “eschatological liberation movement”. All who claimed to be Christ and all prophets classified as false (Mk 13:22 par.) Were rejected by the apostles at Jesus' instruction, but (to the distress of the apostles) not by all church members. But messianic traditions were used to emphasize the uniqueness of Jesus. In terms of content, the criteria of the biblical traditions for a messianic figure according to the representation of the evangelists in Jesus are fulfilled. Ratzinger emphasizes, however, that the New Testament Jesus never describes himself as the Messiah (2007, p. 36). The various offices of the Messiah provided for by tradition can be found in the figure of Jesus.

Priesthood

The priesthood can only be proven in the New Testament in the Letter to the Hebrews. According to the order of Melchizedek, Jesus is the Son of God and High Priest. His sacrifice consists in the voluntary surrender of his life, which is represented in the Old Testament sacrifices. As a servant to YHWH, he takes our pain upon himself and is “led to the slaughter like a lamb without resisting. He prays for the evildoers and will rise again ”(Ps 15:10). With the sacrifice of his blood Jesus paves the way to the heavenly sanctuary for his own, and this makes him a messianic high priest .

Office of the prophet

Already in the imagination of the people it became clear that the claim of Jesus was understood as a prophetic claim, and thus Jesus was classified in the category of messianic prophets. Parts of the people saw in Jesus the resurrected prophet Elijah or John the Baptist (Mk 6.15 par .; 8.28 par.), And the repetition of the desert feeding of Moses underpinned the idea of an eschatological prophet. Isaiah already saw a coming teacher and comforter of the people: "He will not break the kinked reed or extinguish the smoldering wick" (Isa. 42: 3).

Royal office

The messianic David tradition is evident in the New Testament primarily through the fact that Jesus is titled as the “King of Israel” (John 1.49) and elsewhere as the “Son of David” (Matt.12.23). As heir to the Davidic throne he will set up the ruined hut of David again, all peoples will turn to his kingdom, and in him all the families of the earth will be blessed, as "Prince of Peace" he will enter, sitting on a donkey. In the Apocalypse of John , analogous to early Jewish models, Jesus is expected to eliminate pagan rule or the defeat of the satanic powers at the end of days and consequently the establishment of the political Davidic rule over Israel and the world.

In Islam

Messiah - in the Koran

In the Koran Isa bin Maryam (Jesus of Nazareth, son of Mary ) is regarded as al-Masīḥ (the anointed = the Messiah). (Sura 3: 44-49 [2] , 4: 170-174 [3] ). Jesus should neither be the Son of God nor part of a trinity , but a prophet of God.

Further designations or roles that are likely to be assigned to Jesus in the Koran:

strengthened with the holy spirit (sura 2:87),
one who is close to God (sura 3:45),
Righteous (Sura 3:45),
Confirmers of the Torah (Sura 3:49),
raised by God to himself (sura 4: 158),
Messenger of God (Sura 4: 170),
good news of God (4: 171),
Grace of God (4: 171),
Word of God (sura 4: 171),
by God's Spirit (sura 4: 171),
Servants of God (Sura 4: 172),
clear light (sura 4: 173),
a sign and a mercy for men (19:21),
Prophet of God (19:30),
Word of Truth (Sura 57:27),
Preserver of the Gospel (Sura 57:27),
Helpers of God (Sura 61:14).

Messia expectation - for the future

In large parts of Islam it is expected that Jesus will return as Judge on Judgment Day. Many Muslims believe that Jesus will appear after the Mahdi, but that the Mahdi will be a different person (e.g. the Twelfth Imam ) than the expected Messiah.

Duties of the expected messiah:

There is the view that Jesus was coming on the last day again, "He is the Masih al-Dajjal (the false messiah, see Dajjal ) kill [together] with the Mahdi." Jesus is again so in the last days after the appearance of the Mahdi on the world come and help him against the antichrist as well as defeat him.

The Mahdi does not appear directly in the Koran itself and, judging by the hadiths , is not the expected Messiah, since the Mahdi will come from both the line of Muhammad and Judah.

However, different Islamic groups and faiths differ in their views.

In modern times

The movements of messianism and millenarianism come from both the Christian and the Islamic and Buddhist environment, with the majority of all messianic movements being assigned to the Christian environment. As a rule, all messianic expectations are fed from the following three sources: The first source reflects the widespread view among peoples that with the arrival of a divine leader comes possible redemption from suffering and want. The second source is the Jewish expectation of a Messiah who will free Israel from oppression and redeem all true believers. The third source has to be seen in the European context. There are two contradicting models of community that define the Christian relationship to the world in its relationship to the divine commandment, and yet both share the goal of moral perfection. The early Christian or apostolic model is based on consensus decisions under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, whereas the Platonic model relies on authority, hierarchy and coercion. "The long tradition of literary and practical utopianism in Europe and America tends to return to the idea of a divinely inspired or charismatic leader or redeemer in different combinations of the models against the background of their clearly emerging weaknesses and to find their focus there."

Creation motifs

In general, it is not possible to find a uniform consensus regarding the conditions in which a messianic movement came about. In general, it is rather the experience of suffering, need and fear that arouses in people the desire and the associated prospect of liberation and redemption. If this liberation does not occur in the form of a political-spiritual transformation, then this desire will be shifted to the end times. There are so-called crisis situations with “structural barriers in social relationships”, which go hand in hand with the “desire for more satisfying and morally acceptable social conditions”, which are most likely to be considered as the background. These include, among other things, every type of economic, political, ethical, religious or social oppression or threat, the destructive influence of the money economy and industrialization in general. In the 19th century in particular, the immense influence of industrialization with the associated wage labor, job insecurity and the growth of an alienated proletariat on the development of messianic movements and sects becomes visible. Furthermore, the appearance of “a charismatic leader who condenses the awareness of the crisis and shows solidarity with the fate of the community” is required, combined with the “experience of a visionary or auditory vocation and assignment to collect and save action”.

Course and effect

Because of their “salvation-historical mission consciousness”, these personalities exert a magnetic attraction on a growing number of followers, and this led to various messianic movements on several continents and in different cultures and religions. The beginning of a movement is therefore an initial ecstatic enthusiasm, with a certain return to apostolic simplicity; this fact then leads to a rapid growth in the following. A messianic movement reaches its climax with the proclamation of its claim to salvation, and only from this point in time the further course is decided. Although the objectives of some movements often appear unrealistic and dubious fantasies, some objectives are put into practice and one church organization is institutionalized while others fail and disintegrate.

Basic categories

The first category is formed by the "internal church awakening movements". These generally have basic biblical beliefs and particularly expect a parousia of Jesus Christ. The leaders act with prophetic enthusiasm. In this context, apocalyptic groups such as Jehovah's Witnesses or the Jesus-believing messianic Jews should be mentioned.

Another category are the chiliastic movements, which can turn into open messianism due to the apotheosis or the excessive self-confidence of the leader. This can lead to a conflict with the state or the church and end in a catastrophe (example: Anabaptist movement in Münster 1533–34).

The third category can be classified under the concept of non-Christian religions, here the expectation of Parousia adopted from the Christian mission is projected onto the local myth. These include the Taiping rebellion in China, the Tong Hak rebellion in Korea, etc.

Summary

In summary, it can be stated that from a developing messianology in the Old Testament to a Jewish Messiah expectation in early Judaism, from Jesus to an apostolic and Platonic model of society, to the various secularizations and quasi-religious movements, to the various sectarian movements and television evangelists who The subject matter and problematic of messianism always has both problematic and fascinating elements.

Individual evidence

↑ Glossary "Messiah"
↑ "'Messiah' (in German) means redeemer." [1]
↑ Archived copy ( Memento from June 21, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
↑ Maimonides, Mishne Tora , Hilchot Melachim, chap. 11
↑ Archived copy ( Memento from June 15, 2006 in the Internet Archive )

literature

Norman Cohn : The Expectation of the End Times. Insel, Frankfurt am Main 1997, ISBN 3-458-16880-X or The Longing for the Millennium. Herder, Freiburg, 1998, ISBN 3-451-04638-5 .
Nathanael Riemer: Between Tradition and Heresy. ´Beer Sheva` - an encyclopedia of Jewish knowledge of the early modern period. Wiesbaden 2010 (on the messianic movement around Sabbatai Zebi).
Ohana David: Political Theologies in the Holy Land. Israeli Messianism and Its Critics (= Routledge Jewish Studies Series. ) Routledge, London / New York 2009, ISBN 0-415-49168-1 .
Joseph Ratzinger: eschatology - death and eternal life. Pustet, Regensburg 2007.
Rabbi Joel R. Schwartzman: Our Lives: Our Choices . In: Living Torah Torat Chayim . Vol. 8, No. 43 , 2004, p. 1 (English, urj.org ).