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The Jewish theologians had quite specific ideas about the expected Messiah: he was the anointed Prince of Peace, from David's line, subject to the Law of Moses, equipped with earthly power, who would ascend the throne of world dominion in Jerusalem. Jewish apocalyptics had no doubt prophesied the Messiah of Israel at least twenty times in the New Testament age. Finally Rabbi Akiba greeted the "Son of the Star," the revolutionary leader Bar Kochba, as God's Anointed and the fulfilment of the prophecy in Numbers 24:17. (101:1) see These expectations were not fulfilled, and Israel "is still expecting that the idol of her own handiwork will appear with such signs as she herself hath conceived" (Baha'u'llah). Why did they repudiate the Promised One (as accepted by Christians and Baha'is alike)? Because the Rabbinical exegesis of the Messianic passages was wrong. Jesus was not the expected warrior hero bringing liberation from the Roman yoke, and yet he sat on the throne of power. For all his apparent powerlessness and his crucifixion-- shocking to the disciples-- he was the King. His dominion was a spiritual, no an earthly one. His message has conquered and transformed men's hearts. As expected, the power came out of Judea-- only in a different way from the interpretations of the scribes. Because the majority of the Jews followed their religious leaders, this people fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy, echoed in Matthew (13:13): "They seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."
(101:2)
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