Article by Sam Shamoun
In this short post, I will cite a renowned medieval rabbi named Moses Maimonides (referred to by the acronym Rambam) who interpreted texts such as Isaiah 9:6, 11:1-5 and Psalm 2:7 as Messianic prophecies. This proves quite significant since it exposes the lies and deceit of Jewish anti-Christian polemicists such as Tovia Singer who deny that verses such as Isaiah 9:6 where the Messiah is described as the Mighty God coming to be born as a human child.
Commenting on a false messianic claimant who appeared in Yemen, Maimonides wrote:
Do these characteristics make him a Messiah? You were beguiled by him because you have not considered the pre-eminence of the Messiah, the manner and place of his appearance, and the marks whereby he is to be identified. The Messiah, indeed, ranks after Moses in eminence and distinction, and God has bestowed some gifts upon him which he did not bestow upon Moses, as may be gathered from the verses: “His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.” (Isaiah 11:3). “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. (11:2). “And Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins.” (11:5). Six appellations were divinely conferred upon him as the following passage indicates: “For a child is born unto us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder, and he is called Pele, Yoetz, El, Gibbor, Abiad, Sar-Shalom.” (Isaiah 9:5). And another verse alluding to the Messiah is the following manner: “Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.” (Psalm 2:7). All these statements demonstrate the pre-eminence of the Messiah. (Moses Maimonides’ Epistle to Yemen [American Academy For Jewish Research, 1952], Edited from manuscripts with introductions and notes by Abraham S. Halkin, and an English translation by Boaz Cohen, The Louis M. and Minnie Epstein Series, Volume One, pp. xvi-xvii https://archive.org/details/epistletoyemen0000maim/page/n27/mode/2up; bold emphasis mine)
In accepting the Messianic interpretation of the aforementioned texts, Maimonides ends up confirming the Christian view that Jesus the Messiah is the only-begotten Son of God and also the very Mighty God that became flesh for our salvation!
FURTHER READING
A Leading Jewish Rabbi Exposes the Duplicity of Jewish anti-Christian Missionaries!
How Rabbinic Judaism’s Belief in Two Messiahs proves that Jesus is the Christ
Messianic Prophecy in light Muhammadan Polemics
