Page 35 - The Messiah Beyond a Shadow of Doubt

Chapter 1: We Have Found the Messiah

our understanding. This is the case with subjects like the Messiah, the Law of Moses, the
Sabbath Day, and the Kingdom of God—we refer to this phenomenon of progressively revealing
information as progressive revelation.
The term “Messiah,” however, was used only one time in the Hebrew Bible to describe
this special, promised individual. Daniel 9:25 makes this connection, saying,

“So you are to know and discern that
from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem
until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks…”
(Emphasis added)

Nonetheless, it is clear from the progressively revealed Scripture passages that the Lord
promised to send a Redeemer-King, a Savior, who would reign eternally over an everlasting
kingdom, ruling with justice and righteousness. By the first century AD, this special individual
had become commonly known as the Messiah or the Christ.

Speaking of the Christ, we have already mentioned that “messiah” is the Hebrew word
that means anointed one. But as the apostles penned their writings in Greek, they usually used
the Greek word for Messiah, which is Christos (Χριστός) or Christ. In other words, Messiah and
Christ have the same meaning.

The Anointed One

Messiah Christ
Hebrew Greek

Χριστός

Think about it—when a person refers to Jesus Christ, they are actually saying, “Jesus
Messiah” or that Jesus is the Messiah. In a similar way, when a person is called a Christian, they
are essentially being called a follower of the Messiah or a person who believes in Christ and is
Christ-like in their ways.

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