The Messianic Complex

Analytical Essay # 102932

Religion and Theology > Judaism
Religion and Theology > The Bible

This paper analyzes the multiple factors of the Messianic complex in the "Hebrew Bible" ("Old Testament").

1,420 words () | 5 sources | MLA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper presents a Biblical analysis to determine the ideology of the messiah complex that arises within the Second Temple Period of the Hebrew Bible. The paper relates that the multiple meanings for determining a savior or messiah of the Jewish peoples is defined through a prophetic, kingly, and textual analysis of how God's will is projected within the text. The paper concludes that this provides a non-absolutist determination for realizing the complexity of God's interaction with the various figures that rise up and take action to protect their religious culture from various enemies. The often militaristic presence of leaders like David and Jacob provide a majority of the messianic principles involved in God saving his "chosen people", which provide an analytical framework for realizing the messianic complex with the Second Temple Period.

From the Paper:

"Although David is being described as a priestly incarnation of the physical presence of God, he is invariably a military and governmental leader that has taken religious vows to define his messianic complex. This is the multiple variations of the divine spirit that emulate from him, as he became more aware of God's will for him to save his people. This view contrasts with the Jewish sect of the Pharisees that often saw the messiah as a "Son of God" as both a spirit and a human being, yet the majority of Jewish perspectives on the messiah complex offer a wider range of qualifications to define religious leadership."

Sample of Sources Used:

Bruce, F.F. Israel and The Nations : The History Of Israel From The Exodus To The Fall Of The Second Temple. Nottingham, UK: Intervarsity Press, 2006.
Carson, Peter T. The Complexities of Second Temple Judaism. Chicago: Baker Book House, 2001.
Floyd, Michael. Prophets, Prophecy, Prophetic Texts in Second Temple Judaism. New York: T & T Clark, 2006.
King James Bible. Sainttakla.org. 2006. http://st-takla.org/Bibles/Holy-Bible.html#Old%20Testament
Vanderkam, James C. From Revelation to Canon: Studies in the Hebrew Bible and Second Temple Judaism. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill Academic Publishers, 2002.