Posted on 01/27/2005 9:39:01 AM PST by Alouette
Now, WHY don't you list ALL those new pograms, smarty pants???
The Mayor of Moscow is also Jewish.
Sorry. Even Fundamentalist chr*stians don't buy the "spiritual messiah/spiritual kingdom" allegory.
Really?
With a few exceptions, yes, really. You know all those prophecies about Israel being regathered to the Land, with a messianic King governing them? They're interpreted literally, just like the six days of creation. The Catholic claims are all based on a deliteralization of the Messianic prophecies.
Although, the Catholic Church can't really make up its mind if its "messianic kingdom" is literal or "spiritual." When it comes to the claims of the Jews to an ingathering, a rebuilt Temple, and a literal Davidic King the Church calls for a "spiritual kingdom." But of course from the "fourth century" on it claimed that, while the "messiah" ruled from Heaven, he had authorized them to rule over every kingdom in both spiritual and temporal matters. So I suppose the "kingdom" was literal" or "spiritual" depending on the Church's needs of the moment.
For example, today we have Catholics who chastise the Jews for wanting a "temporal messiah" but who claim that the House of Bourbon is the Davidic royal house and is destined to rule the entire world in a Catholic utopia. The Fatima claims of a "period of peace given to mankind" also sounds somewhat millenarian. It seems the Church's only real objection is to a literal Jewish Messianic king ruling over a literal Jewish messianic kingdom. One reason (among too many to enumerate) why I lost all respect for the Catholic Church a long time ago.
As I understand this was the key difference between the first Christians and the majority of the Jews.
At the time when Jesus started His teaching, many of the religious Jews expected the coming of Messiah/Christ. But it came out that they expected different things. Most expected that He will liberate them from the Roman oppression, will establish the universal kingdom based on justice and will bring freedom, prosperity and happiness to the whole mankind and will destroy the idolatry.
Jesus was teaching that the Kingdom of God is not from this world and that Jews should meekly submit to Romans and pay taxes, even if money will be spent on support of pagan religion.
This caused the split and the minority who recognised Jesus as Christ, went among the gentiles to convert them. First were the Greeks, Samaritans then the Romans themselves. In the end the whole Mediterranean world knelt before Jesus Christ. As a result the Christian civilisation was born while the remaining Jews staged failed uprisings in hope for their Messiah and they got dispersed.
But the prophecy was proclaimed among the early Christians, that the other Messiah will come - the one who will be counter to the Jesus teaching and who will fulfill the wordly expectations of the mankind. He will become the most popular world leader, he will be wise and powerful, he will be honored and obeyed by almost all. At his time the Jews will be gathered back, the Temple will be rebuilt and he will sit there.
The Greek name for the counter-Christ is Antichrist.
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