Imagine this alternate prophetic scenario, which I believe accords far better with the Jewish prophets than the New Testament’s version of the future, where the glorious multinational Church and Jesus are reunited. This is is not a version of future events where Jews belatedly accept and worship the messiah they “murdered” two thousand years ago, and finally join the Church, feeling very sorry for not recognizing Jesus all along. The unfolding events look decidedly different than what the authors of the gospels, Paul and the author of Revelation would have their readers believe. This is my reading of the Jewish prophets. I took some liberties with filling in the blanks.
Five, ten, twenty, fifty (or more) years into the future…. The hatred of Jews anywhere they live and animosity toward their national home, Israel, is reaching a fever pitch. Their enemies are demonizing the people being brought home from their long exile, with the new antisemitic contagion spreading rapidly across the globe. Once again, Jews find themselves with very few friends they can turn to. At the same time, all is not lost – Israel is still a nation to be reckoned with, instilling fear into the hearts of her enemies. With dark clouds gathering and threats coming from every direction, Israel’s very future as a people is being threatened. If only they had a leader who could guide them through this perilous time.
The real Jewish messiah appears on the scene. He’s not Jesus, but a virtuous and devout Jewish man who is able to unite all Jews. While he knows full well the tradition of Davidic lineage of his family, he does not find it significant when it comes to himself, at least not at this time. After all, many Jews today are able to do the same. Coming from a deeply devout family which nevertheless identified with Jews of all walks of life and participated in the national life of Israel, he is both a scholar and experienced military leader. Humble and wise, he is respected by all sections of the Jewish society. He doesn’t call himself a messiah. In fact, just like his ancient predecessor, Moses, he doesn’t even know that he too one day will help lead Israel – only G-d does. Neither has he been anointed – this is still to come. Still, the nations of the world hate and oppose him and work against him, as they’ve done to every Jewish leader in Israel‘s history. Some already derogatorily speak of this Jewish leader as a false messiah, scorning and ridiculing the fact that he’s so respected by the Jewish people while Jesus has been rejected.
Indeed, he’s nothing what they expected to see in a messiah as Christianity long portrayed him – not the glorious all-powerful heavenly god-man coming back for his beloved Church. It does not take long for this leader of the Jewish nation to branded as the “antichrist”. Preachers preach fiery sermons in their churches against him and against the Jews who fell “under his spell just as Jesus, Paul and John predicted”. No Christian may believe in him or support him in any way, or they risk losing their salvation. Christian tourism to Israel dries up as do other forms of Christian support, with many Christian denominations joining the boycott of the Jewish nation. Jews are ridiculed for their “folly” and the New Testament is held up as having already predicted everything the Jews will do. Muslims, who along with Christians likewise believe that Jesus is the Messiah and that no one else fits the bill, also reject the leadership of the real Jewish Messiah and join with the Western world in their opposition to him and the nation of Israel.
The new Jewish leader, however, being a Jew with great faith in the G-d of Israel, is steadfast and resolute. His sole earthly concern is the welfare of his people, not the opinion of their detractors. This is the reality, not the otherworldly visions, and there’s much work to be done.
With Jews living around the world increasingly coming under attack, Israel redoubles her efforts to gather the last of the scattered Jews to their ancestral home, the Land of Israel. Many military and terrorist attacks against Israel break out, but the Jewish leader leads Israel in defeating their many enemies in adjacent hostile countries. However, with the spreading knowledge of Torah and Judaism, with renewed proliferation of Jewish understanding of G-d, many Gentiles from all over the worlds are streaming into Israel. They are either converts to Judaism or those who have rejected idolatry of their ancestors in order to worship the G-d of Israel and Him alone. They have come alongside the Jewish people and settled in the land as if they were natives. They are here to help, whatever the cost.
Determined but widely condemned by the world, the work in rebuilding the Third and final Temple commences. True prophets once again appear in Israel, devout, holy men gifted by G-d with a special insight. They are few in number, for now. Many Jews flock to them, seeking G-d and the prophets exhort them to learn the Torah of G-d to learn His will for the Jewish people. These prophets are not just teachers and predictors of the future – they are able to recognize the lineage of all Jews, including of priests, Levites and especially that of the Messiah himself. In this generation, many Jews have embraced G-d, Toran and their covenant, even those who have been wholly secular all their lives. The eyes of the nation are on G-d and Israel is being transformed. The yeshivas and synagogues are overflowing beyond capacity, and new ones springing up every month. The spirit of G-d is drawing His people closer to Himself.
In the rebuilt Temple, Israel gathers for the ceremony where their leader is anointed as Israel’s king. But their joy is short-lived – now is not the time to celebrate. The news is bleak. All nations gather against Israel for the ultimate conflagration, attacking Jerusalem and causing much damage and carnage. Their goal is to make the name of Israel remembered no more and for the people to cease being a nation. Israel is on retreat, but there’s no where to go. The people cry out to G-d. The war against Israel appears to be won and situation hopeless. However, G-d himself intervenes, and sends his fire on earth and destroys the armies of “G-g and Magog and all the cohorts.” The weakest in Israel chases away thousands. The nations of the world are humbled, they are in awe of what G-d has done for Israel, of His salvation. The idols of the nations which do not save (including Jesus) are destroyed, are put away for good and are remembered no more. All false prophets and idol worshipers will be ashamed – they will all realize that they inherited nothing but lies from their forefathers. The earth will be finally at peace. G-d will raise all the righteous dead and will judge the wicked with righteous judgement.
However, there will still much work to be done. All peoples of the earth will be required to come to Jerusalem to worship Hashem in his Temple and to learn of His ways. As the prophets proclaimed long ago, they will seek out Jews since they will know that G-d is with them. No longer will they seek out the children of Israel to induce them to worship the “gods” of the nations, gods that cannot save, but rather to be taught by Jews about the Holy One of Israel. The true Messiah of Israel will inaugurate the Kingdom of G-d on earth. G-d will rule the world and He will be proclaimed King of Kings. Israel’s human prince, the Messiah, will live righteously, rule justly and his sons too will reign as princes/kings over the Jewish people and the whole world forevermore.
Daily Minyan 
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