This is the first time I have seen an article on the Messiah referred to in the Jerusalem Post (The July 2011 edition). However, this is not quite right! The fairly recent article about the passing of the Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kolleck said before he died there would be no world peace until the Messiah came. He believed the Jews must repent in order to be blessed with His arrival. I was blessed to have three meetings with him. What a great man! I met him alone in Dallas and twice in his office in Jerusalem! He was sincere and a great Jewish leader who guided the Jewish people in near perfection!
The most recent article in the Jerusalem Post was entitled "Guided by the Messiah." It quoted the great Jewish sage Maimonides who formulated the thirteen doctrinal beliefs, including the one that said: "I believe with complete faith in the coming of the Messiah; and even though He may tarry, nevertheless I anxiously await Him every day."
The belief in the Messiah remains one of the deepest sources of national resilience for the Jewish people. Explicit Torah (Law) sources about the Messiah are to be found in only three places: (1) God's election of Abraham, (2) Jacob's final blessings to his sons, and (3) most specifically, in the words of the Gentile prophet Balaam in Numbers 24:17. The name Messiah refers to a king anointed with sacred oil. It is first mentioned in Psalm 2. The Messiah will wield His scepter of rulership during the time of Shiloh when all the nations surround Him as mentioned in Genesis 49:8-11. - Dr. Mal Couch (7/11)
