Because the Old Testament appeared to describe two distinct figures—a reigning King and a suffering Savior—some rabbis concluded there must be two Messiahs.
Les Feldick teaches that the Old Testament contains two parallel themes: a King and His Kingdom, and a suffering Savior like the one in Isaiah 53. The prophets saw these events together, because God had not revealed the almost 2,000-year gap between Christ's first and second comings. Without that revealed time gap, some rabbis could reasonably think the King and the Suffering Servant were two different persons.
Psalm 2:6 — Shows the promised King who will rule from Zion.
Isaiah 53:5 — Describes the suffering Savior who bears the chastisement for sin.
Psalm 2 points to a coming King. It says, "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion" (Psalm 2:6). This is the picture of the Messiah ruling in power and establishing His Kingdom. In contrast, Isaiah 53 describes a suffering Savior: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). The same chapter pictures Him as a lamb brought to the slaughter, opening not His mouth. Together these passages present two portraits—the King and the Suffering Servant—without explaining in one place that both are the same person or how much time would pass between His two comings.
Les explains that the Old Testament prophets looked ahead and saw both advents of Christ as one continuous event, like a far-off mountain range where separate peaks appear to be connected. The prophets saw the King and the Kingdom, and they also saw the suffering Savior, but they had no hint that a break of nearly 2,000 years would come between Christ's first coming and His return. Because God had not revealed that long gap, Les says the prophecies seemed to describe two different manifestations. He points out that even today rabbis are looking for a Messiah who is a superman, a military and economic ruler—which he says is actually a description of the Antichrist rather than the true Messiah. The reason some rabbis believed in two Messiahs, according to Les's teaching, is that the two Old Testament themes were not recognized as two comings of the same person.
Les Feldick points to two thoughts running through the Old Testament: the coming of a King and His Kingdom, and a parallel theme of a suffering Savior. He specifically references Isaiah 53, where the Savior is like a sheep before her shearers and bears the chastisement for sin, alongside the kingdom promises of a reigning King.
Les says the Old Testament prophets viewed the two advents as one range of mountains. From a distance, separate peaks appear to belong to the same range. The prophets saw the cross and the Kingdom as if they connected, because there was no revealed break of about 2,000 years. Les explains that the first half of those prophecies was fulfilled at Christ's first coming, while the second half is still waiting.
Les notes that Jewish people he has spoken with are looking for a Messiah who will be a superman with military, economic, and charismatic power. He says this description actually matches the Antichrist, not the true Messiah. A Jewish rabbi once told an evangelical that the Messiah is coming, not returning, because rabbis do not recognize that Jesus has already come the first time.
Yes. Les uses the illustration of a mountain range: peaks that are far apart can look like one continuous range when viewed from a distance. In the same way, Old Testament prophets saw both advents as one event. Without seeing the 2,000-year gap, some rabbis reasonably thought the King passages and the suffering Savior passages pointed to two different Messiahs rather than two comings of the same Messiah.
What Are the Signs of the End Times? Matthew 24 Explained
Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
The Mountain Range Illustration
Les compares the prophets' view of the two advents to a mountain range seen from a distance—separate peaks look like one. This explains how rabbis could see the first and second comings as a single event.
No Hint of a 2,000-Year Break
Les says there was no hint in the Old Testament that a 2,000-year gap would separate Christ's first coming from the Kingdom, so the prophecies appeared to be one continuous unfolding.
Rabbis Describe the Antichrist as Their Messiah
Les recounts that Jewish people describe their expected Messiah as a superman with military and economic power—qualities he says actually describe the Antichrist, showing how the King theme has been misinterpreted.
A Rabbi Says the Messiah Is Coming, Not Returning
Les tells of a rabbi who said the Messiah is coming, not returning, because rabbis do not recognize Christ's first coming. This supports the idea that the two comings were not understood.
The Messiah Rabbis Are Looking For
Les says the Messiah some rabbis expect will rule the world in peace and elevate Israel—an expectation that the Antichrist will appear to fulfill.
Two Old Testament Themes: King and Suffering Savior
Les shows that the Old Testament runs two themes side by side: a coming King and His kingdom, and a suffering Savior (Isaiah 53). This dual picture is what could cause rabbis to think of more than one Messiah.
Ezekiel 37 Explained: Israel's Dry Bones Prophecy Fulfilled?
They're still waiting for and they're looking for their king. And again, as you go up and down now the highways of Israel, there are big yellow billboard signs in Hebrew, that in so many words, I don't remember the exact, but to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. And so there are some Jews that are suddenly aware that everything is being set for their Messiah to come.
Psalm 2:6: Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
This verse presents the promised Messiah as a King ruling from Zion.
Isaiah 53:5: But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
This verse reveals the suffering Savior who pays for sin, a portrait that seemed distinct from the King.
Isaiah 53:7: He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Les specifically mentions the sheep-before-shearers imagery, showing the Messiah's silent suffering.
Yes, because the Old Testament seemed to present two different pictures: a King who would reign and a Suffering Servant who would die for sin. Les Feldick shows that these were not two persons but two comings of the same Messiah, separated by a gap of almost 2,000 years that was not revealed to the prophets.
He uses the illustration of a mountain range seen from a distance. Peaks that are far apart can look like one continuous range. The prophets saw both comings together, but because the time between them was hidden, rabbis could think the King and the Suffering Servant were two different Messiahs.
The first is the coming of a King and His Kingdom. The second is a suffering Savior, as described in Isaiah 53. Both are true of Jesus Christ, but the rabbis failed to see how they fit into one person across two comings.
Watch the Teaching: What Are the Signs of the End Times? Matthew 24 Explained