ing Gods plan to kings and priests, the rich and powerful, and the hostile masses. The prophecy itself was often about the impending doom that would take place over the kingdom as a result of their sins. Consequently, this distinct belief in Gods word, which was almost always in contrast to the previous actions of the people, often led to hardships (Jer, 36) (Is, 53:3-4), and in some instances death (Mt, 27:1-50). This position, nonetheless, was considered to be noble, and prophets were also revered. But at what point does the reverence of prophets as a whole, turn into the reverence of a particular prophet. The first evidence we have of such popularity is in Deuteronomy 18:15-22, there it states that Moses is the greatest of prophets, for he, and only he, has or will speak face to face with God. This, of course, is contrary to the later Christian belief of the messiah, or prophetic savior, but regardless of which is right, the underlying implication of these statements is that there is a hierarchy. The Christian concept of messianism is said to be comprised of Judaistic ideas, and although this may not be true (Segal, 84), we have to look into its development from Judaistic beliefs, in order for it to be understood. The word itself stems from the Hebrew word masshiah, literally meaning the anointed one, which in Judaism is an inauguration ritual performed on those who are about to hold a " divinely sanctioned position" (Segal, 64), such as priests, prophets, or kings, however, much more often in the case of the latter. It did, nonetheless, come to embody a different meaning, not only for the Christians, but for the Jews as well. In 2 Samuel 7:14 Yahweh promises Israels inhabitants that the kingdom of David will reign forever, while in fact it eventually falls to Roman imperialism. However, in Isaiah 9:1-10 it is prophesied that a messianic davidic king will come and restore Israel to prominence, this prophecy is continued through the...
