Customer Reviews

The Messiah in the Old and New Testaments (McMaster New Testament Studies)

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When the ancients talked about "messiah," what did they picture? Did that term refer to a stately figure who would rule, to a militant who would rescue, or to a variety of roles held by many? While Christians have traditionally equated the word "messiah" with Jesus, the discussion is far more complex. This volume contributes significantly to that discussion. Ten expert scholars here address questions surrounding the concept of "messiah" and clarify what it means to call Jesus "messiah." The book comprises two main parts, first treating those writers who preceded or surrounded the New Testament (two essays on the Old Testament and two on extra-biblical literature) and then discussing the writers of the New Testament. Concluding the volume is a critical response by Craig Evans to both sections. This volume will be helpful to pastors and laypersons wanting to explore the nature and identity of the Messiah in the Old and New Testament in order to better understand Jesus as Messiah.

This books is the transcribing of a Canadian lecture series on the Messiah in both testaments and in the intertestamental and apocryphal writings (including the Qumran literature).

I was disappointed to hear Tremper Longman and Mark Boda say that there were no OT texts that were originally intended to refer to a Messiah. Craig Evans' reply rightly reminds them about Genesis 49:10, but there were many other potentially messianic texts that were completely ignored. How can there be a discussion about the Messiah in the Old Testament without a detailed discussion of Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, 11:1-10, 34:1-4, 42:1-4, 52:13-53:12, Daniel 9:24-27, and Ezekiel 37?

I. H Marshall on Matthew and Mark and Stanley Porter on the Lukan writings were solid and workmanlike (as they usually are), and their essays salvaged what was potentially a disappointing and tepid book.