It is my understanding that in Jewish belief, the coming of the Mashiach (Hebrew: מָשִׁיחַ), literally "the Anointed One," would fulfill the promises of God (YHWH) to reestablish the nation of Israel under the royal line of David and usher in an era of peace and justice. This figure was expected to be chosen, empowered, and anointed by God Himself to lead His people in righteousness.

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The term Mashiach in Hebrew means "to anoint" — to smear, paint, or pour oil upon — a ceremonial act historically used in the appointment of kings, priests, and sometimes prophets in ancient Israel (cf. 1 Samuel 16:13). In Greek, this is rendered as "chrīstós" (Χριστός), from which we derive the English “Christ.” While in English usage "Messiah" often carries deep spiritual connotations, in the Jewish expectation it primarily referred to a literal, earthly king who would bring about national restoration and divine blessing.

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The Lion and the Lamb

One of the most profound theological assertions in Christian teaching is that the “Lion of Judah” — the conquering, royal figure from Genesis 49:9-10 and Revelation 5:5 — is the same person as the “Lamb of God” who willingly lays down His life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world (John 1:29, Revelation 5:6). In Jewish messianic expectation, the conquering and ruling aspects of the Messiah were emphasized. In the Christian understanding, Jesus fulfills both roles — first as the suffering servant who brings atonement (Isaiah 53), and ultimately as the victorious ruler who will return to establish God’s eternal kingdom.

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The Jewish Expectation of the Messiah

Traditional Jewish teaching describes or ignores the Messiah as:

• A descendant of King David (Jeremiah 23:5; 30:9) — preserving the Davidic covenant that a son of David would sit on Israel’s throne forever.

• Deeply learned in Torah — well-versed in Jewish law and faithful in its observance (Isaiah 11:2-5).

• A great military leader — capable of defeating Israel’s enemies and securing her borders. (Ezekiel 38:16)

• A righteous judge — whose decisions bring justice and peace (Jeremiah 33:15).

• Fully human — not a divine incarnation, but a man anointed by God’s Spirit. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

• Arriving when the generation is worthy (or in great need) — the timing of his coming is linked to the spiritual and moral state of the people. (Sanhedrin 97b)

• Bringing political and spiritual redemption to Israel — regathering the Jewish people to the land, restoring Jerusalem, and rebuilding the Temple (Isaiah 11:11-12, 59:20; Jeremiah 23:8; 30:3; Zephaniah 3:9-13; Hosea 3:4-5).

• Establishing a universal government centered in Israel — all nations would seek instruction from him (Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:10; 42:1; Zechariah 14:9; Micah 4).

• Restoring Temple sacrifices — reestablishing worship according to the Torah’s commandments. (Zechariah 6:13)

Why Many Jewish People Rejected Jesus as the Messiah

From a historical and theological perspective, several factors contributed to the Jewish rejection of Jesus’ claim to be the Mashiach:

1. The Condition of the Heart — In Christian interpretation, passages such as Romans 11:7-8 speak of God "hardening" the hearts of some of Israel to bring salvation also to the Gentiles. This suggests a divine mystery in the timing of Messiah’s acceptance.

2. The Anointing Ceremony — The word "Messiah" means "Anointed One" (Psalm 2:2, Psalm 2:6–7; Isaiah 11:1–2, 61:1; Daniel 9:25–26). In Jewish expectation, the Messiah would be recognized and ceremonially anointed with oil by religious leaders, much like David by Samuel (1 Samuel 10:1, 1 Samuel 16:13). Although Jesus was anointed in a symbolic way (e.g., the woman with the alabaster jar, Mark 14:3-9), He was never publicly anointed by the Sanhedrin or priesthood, which diminished His official acceptance in the eyes of many. The anointing that Jesus received was by the Holy Spirit, not oil (Luke 3:21–22; John 1:41; Acts 10:38).

3. The Nature of His Mission — The prevailing rabbinical expectation was of a conquering Messiah who would overthrow Roman occupation and establish Israel’s sovereignty (Psalm 2:8–9, Psalm 110:1–6; Isaiah 9:6–7; Jeremiah 23:5–6; Zechariah 9:9–10; Daniel 7:13–14, 27; Matthew 21:9; Luke 19:11, Luke 24:21; John 6:14–15; Acts 1:6). Jesus, however, came first as a suffering servant (Isaiah 53), focusing on spiritual redemption and reconciliation with God, rather than immediate political liberation.

4. Interruption of the Sacrificial System — Jesus’ death and resurrection, in Christian belief, fulfilled and rendered unnecessary the Temple sacrifices (Psalm 40:6–8; Isaiah 53:10–12; Jeremiah 31:31–34; Matthew 5:17, Matthew 26:28; John 1:29; Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 7:27, Hebrews 8:6–13, Hebrews 9:11–12, Hebrews 10:1-18). From the Jewish perspective, however, this was not consistent with the expectation that sacrifices would be restored and continued under Messiah’s reign.

5. Two-Phase Fulfillment Not Understood — Christianity teaches that the Messiah’s mission unfolds in two comings (Luke 24:25–27; 1 Peter 1:10–11): first to deal with sin (Daniel 9:26; Isaiah 53:4–6; Luke 19:10; John 1:29; Hebrews 9:26–28; 1 Peter 3:18), then to reign in power (Daniel 7:13–14; Zechariah 14:3–9; Matthew 24:30–31; Acts 1:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–10; Revelation 19:11–16).  First-century Jewish thought did not generally anticipate such a split, so a Messiah who suffered and died seemed contradictory.

6. Plan of Redemption - Jewish thought and rightly so is that God is jealous for Israel. They are his possession and chosen people, but the redemption of God was first to the Jew, then the Gentile. A redemptive Messiah focused on God's will to address sin in order to reconcile both Jew and Gentile with God (Genesis 12:3, 22:18; Isaiah 66:20-21; John 4:22; Romans 1:16). 

7. God has hardened their hearts - There is a partial hardening of the heart toward Jesus as the Messiah so that prophecy can be fulfilled and salvation could be open to the Gentiles. (Isaiah 6:10; John 12:40; Romans 11:7-8)

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Herod the Great – Background and Rise to Power

Herod the Great (c. 73–1 BC) was politically shrewd, ambitious, and—depending on perspective—either a brilliant builder or a tyrannical despot. Although raised as a Jew by religion, his ethnic heritage was mixed: his father, Antipater the Idumaean, was of Edomite descent, and his mother, Cypros, was a Nabataean Arab princess. The Edomites (Idumaeans) had been forcibly converted to Judaism under the Hasmonean king John Hyrcanus I in the late 2nd century BC, which meant Herod’s Jewish identity was political and cultural rather than purely ancestral.

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Antipater allied with Julius Caesar during the Roman Civil Wars, and in return Caesar appointed him Procurator of Judea in 47 BC. After Antipater’s assassination in 43 BC, Herod and his brother Phasael shared power as tetrarchs under Rome. In 40 BC, with Parthian forces temporarily overrunning Judea, Herod fled to Rome, where the Senate—under the influence of Mark Antony and Octavian—proclaimed him "King of the Jews".

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It took Herod three years of military campaigns (40–37 BC) to defeat the last Hasmonean claimant, Antigonus II Mattathias, with Roman support. By 37 BC, he consolidated power, marrying the Hasmonean princess Mariamne to strengthen his legitimacy.

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Herod’s Temple Project

In 19 BC, Herod announced plans to expand the Second Temple (originally rebuilt under Zerubbabel in 516 BC after the Babylonian exile). His aim was to create a structure that rivaled the grandeur of Solomon’s Temple, both to gain Jewish favor and to leave a personal legacy. Construction likely began in 16 BC, and according to John 2:20, the Temple took 46 years to build—placing its completion of the main structure around AD 30–31  (16 BC + 16 years = 0 BC + 1 year (no zero year) = 1 AD + 30 years = 31 AD). Finishing touches and outer courts continued into the 60s AD.

The Date of Herod’s Death

Historians debate the exact year of Herod’s death, with three main proposals: 4 BC, 1 BC, and AD 1. The traditional 4 BC date is based on Josephus’ record of a lunar eclipse before Passover, but that eclipse was only partial and may not match other historical markers.

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The 1 BC theory—which I support—aligns better with both astronomical events and the Gospel narratives:

1. Josephus’ Description – Josephus writes that Herod died shortly after a Jewish fast day and a lunar eclipse, but before Passover.

   • Fast of Tebeth – January 5, 1 BC

   • Total Lunar Eclipse – January 10, 1 BC (visible in Judea)

   • Passover – April 8, 1 BC
     This fits the timeline of Herod’s final illness and political events before his death. Using Josephus’ chronology, a death around late January 1 BC (possibly Jan 26) is reasonable.

2. The Oath to Augustus ("Pater Patriae") – Luke 2:1-3 Context
   Luke’s mention of a "census" during Jesus’ birth likely refers not to a standard tax census, but to an oath of loyalty to Augustus Caesar upon his silver jubilee as Emperor. In 2 BC, the Senate and Roman people awarded Augustus the title "Pater Patriae" ("Father of the Country").

   • Archaeological evidences includes:

     • the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, coinage inscribed “PATER PATRIAE,” and inscriptions across the empire dated to 2 BC,

     • Roman denarii and aurei minted after 2 BC sometimes include inscriptions such as “PATER PATRIAE”, and

     • numerous inscriptions across Italy and the provinces commemorate Augustus as Pater Patriae after 2 BC.

   • This Oath required all subjects, including those in Judea, to register in their ancestral towns—explaining why Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem.

3. Matthew 2 – Jesus was born during Herod’s reign, and Herod died afterward. If Jesus’ birth was around late 2 BC, Herod’s death in early 1 BC fits better than 4 BC, especially given the two-year age limit in the slaughter of the innocents (Matt. 2:16).

4. Luke 3:23 – Jesus was "about thirty" at the start of His ministry. If His ministry began in AD 29–30, a birth in 2 BC would make Him 31–32, which fits Luke’s "about" wording.

Daniel 9:25 and the Prophetic Timeline

Daniel 9:25 is a prophecy that states “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It [the walls and gates around the old city of Jerusalem] will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.

• Part One:

  • 'sevens' = one (1) week, but prophetically mean one (1) year

  • seven 'sevens' = (7 x 7 = 49) years - THIS IS FROM 586 BC [THE BABYLONIANS DESTROY TEMPLE] MINUS 49 YEARS [SEVEN SEVENS] = 537 BC [KING CYRUS DECREES THE REBUILDING OF TEMPLE]

• Part Two:

  • sixty-nine 'sevens' = (62 x 7 = 434) years

  • seven 'sevens' and sixty-two 'sevens' = (69 x 7 =483) years

    • there are 360 days in Jewish Calendar (483 x 360) = 173,880 days

    • there are 365.25 days in a Roman Calendar (173,880 / 365.25) = -476.057 years

    • because there is no year Zero, one (1) year is removed when going from 1 BC to 1 AD.

  • CALENDAR CALCULATION OF ANOINTED ONE COMING : (446 BC - (476.057) = 30 + 1)) = 31 AD

    • THIS IS FROM 446 BC [KING ARTAXERXES I DECREES THE REBUILDING OF THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM AND THE TEMPLE] MINUS 476 YEARS [SIXTY-NINE SEVENS] PLUS 1 YEAR = 31 AD IS THE START OF THE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST.

    • Nehemiah 2:1 "In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before,"

      • Nisan is the 1st month of the Jewish calendar or April.

      • King Artaxerxes started his reign in 465 BC. If 465 is counted as his ascension year or one year then the 20th year of his reign fell on 446 BC.

    • Jesus was 31-32 years old when his ministry started if born in 2 BC.

  • Jewish Calendar link (set to 34 AD)

    • Wednesday, April 21, 34 AD was Passover.

    • Thursday, April 22, 34 AD was a High Sabbath for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. He would have been crucified then buried before sundown on Thursday.

    • Friday, April 23, 34 AD was the normal Sabbath that started at sundown. (DAY 1)

    • Saturday, April 24, 34 AD was the end of the normal Sabbath that ended at sundown. (DAY 2)

    • Sunday, April 25, 34 AD was the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (DAY 3).

Using King Artaxerxes I’s decree to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls in 446 BC (Nehemiah 2), adding 476 years (and adjusting for no "year zero") brings us to Jesus’ ministry starting in 31 AD—consistent with a 2 BC birth. This also corresponds to his three-year ministry culminating with his crucifixion, death and resurrection in 34 AD (see timetable below).

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Summary of Key Points

• Herod’s mixed heritage and political rise were shaped by Roman alliances.

• His Temple project was massive and politically strategic, completed during Jesus’ lifetime.

• The 1 BC death date harmonizes Josephus, astronomy, and Gospel records better than 4 BC.

• The census/oath in 2 BC explains Luke’s birth narrative without forcing a tax-related census under Quirinius (which occurred later in AD 6).

• Prophetic and chronological evidence supports Jesus’ birth around 2 BC and ministry beginning 31 AD.

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