Did Yochanan misunderstand?
It is very difficult to understand how Yochanan could suddenly have questioned whether or not Y‘shua was
the Messiah after all this testimony. Yet this seems to be the case as quoted previously in Matt 11:2-3, where
Yochanan sends two of his own disciples to question Y‘shua about His credentials for being the promised
"Coming One‖.
Bible teachers have put forth any number of conjectures concerning this seeming inconsistency in
Yochanan's behaviour. Perhaps he was just suffering a temporary loss of faith due to his imprisonment;
perhaps he had expected to continue being the lead man for Y‘shua throughout His entire ministry; perhaps
he really doubted his calling, etc. But it can all be explained very simply when one understands the kind and
number of 'Messiahs' that were expected at that time.
The Two Messiahs
There is a very simple explanation to this seeming dichotomy. During the First Century, there was a great
deal of speculation (but little agreement) concerning just how the Messiah would manifest Himself. A careful
examination of the Scriptures by the rabbis of that time seemed to indicate the possibility that more than one
Messiah would need to be forthcoming in order to fulfill all of the widely divergent roles that He was
prophesied to accomplish.
For example, the primary Messianic figure spoken of in the Scriptures (and in the Apocalyptic Literature) was
'King Messiah‘, who was to come in the power of a King to conquer His enemies, resurrect the dead and
establish the Kingdom of YHWH on earth with a restored Israel as the chief nation. This Messiah was
expected to be a direct descendant of King David, and therefore from the tribe of Judah. However, other
Scriptures point to the Messiah being a Priest; hence, the idea found in some quarters that a second
Messiah would come forth from the tribe of Levi.
In addition, there were the various figures mentioned in the previous article, such as the ―Son of Man‖ and
―The Prophet‖ who was to come in the spirit and power of Moses, only greater. Further allusions existed
concerning someone very great who was to be called the ―Son of the Most High‖.
But there was yet one other figure that was expected to come prior to all the others. He was known as:
Messiah Ben Joseph
All of the rabbis of the First Century clearly understood there was to be a Messiah (Anointed One) to come,
who was to suffer for the sins of Israel. He was commonly called the "Suffering Servant‖. While today, the
rabbis claim this figure represents the people of Israel (through the suffering of the Jewish people over the
last two thousand plus years). In the First Century AD, the 'Suffering Servant' was clearly expected to be a
Messiah (or 'Anointed One‘).
In order to reconcile the Scriptures that depicted the Messiah as one whom must 'suffer‘ with those who
portrayed Him as the conquering King Messiah descended from King David, the Sages developed a
teaching that two Messiahs were to be expected. They taught that the first to appear would be Messiah Ben
Joseph who would come and suffer for the sins of his people and would actually die for them. The suffering
Messiah would fulfill the duties of priest and would be killed. Then, following rather quickly (anywhere from
forty days to seventy days) there would come a second Messiah – a conquering King, Messiah Ben David.
The first act that Messiah Ben David would perform upon His arrival would be the resurrection of Messiah
Ben Joseph. The triumphant Messiah would fulfill the role of king and live forever.
The Sages came up with the name 'Joseph' (Yoseif) for the 'Suffering Messiah‘, based on Ya'akov's (Jacob)
prophecy about the end-time fate of the descendants of each of his twelve sons.
―Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall. The archers have
bitterly grieved him, Shot at him and hated him. But his bow remained in strength, And the arms of his hands
were made strong By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of
Israel), By the God of your father who will help you, And by the Almighty who will bless you With blessings of
heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The
blessings of your father Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the
everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was
separate from his brothers‘‖. (Gen 49:22-26)