This platform compares the prophecies about the ‘Messy-anic’ times and the concept of the person who is referred to as the Moshiach or Mashiakh (Hebrew: משיח‎), Messiah (Greek: μεσσίας), Mahdi (Arabic: ٱلْـمَـهْـدِي‎) aka Emam Zāman (Farsi: امام زمان), Maitreya (Sanskrit: मैत्रेय), Saoshyant (Avestan: 𐬯𐬀𐬊𐬳𐬌𐬌𐬀𐬧𐬝), Ram (Sanskrit: राम), Kalki (Sanskrit: कल्कि), Babiyye (Farsi: بابیه‎; English: Bábism), and Li Hong (Chinese: 李洪), and so on.

Moshiah

This platform compares the prophecies about the ‘Messy-anic’ times and the concept of the person who is referred to as the Moshiach or Mashiakh (Hebrew: משיח‎), Messiah (Greek: μεσσίας), Mahdi (Arabic: ٱلْـمَـهْـدِي‎) aka Emam Zāman (Farsi: امام زمان), Maitreya (Sanskrit: मैत्रेय), Saoshyant (Avestan: 𐬯𐬀𐬊𐬳𐬌𐬌𐬀𐬧𐬝), Ram (Sanskrit: राम), Kalki (Sanskrit: कल्कि), Babiyye (Farsi: بابیه‎; English: Bábism), and Li Hong (Chinese: 李洪), and so on. While most, if not all, agree that the primary subject of the messianic times is justice, here are some insights from Judeo-Chrislamic sources:
Imam Mahdi is From Bani Israel
There are numerous authentic Ahadith, or sayings, attributed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ – many of which have already been fulfilled – mentioning that Imam Mahdi (ٱلْمَهْدِيّ) will have the complexion and the look of an Arab «لونه لون عربي», and the body of an Israelite’s «والجسم جسم إسرائيلي», thus must appear in the body of an individual from Bani Israel «من رجال بني إسرائيل». “…He will pray to Allah calling His Hebrew name «الإمام دعا الله بأسمه العبراني», and then his companions, who will be 313, will be permitted to join him.”
  • His body is an Israelite one. (Reference: Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p. 24.)
  • The Mahdi is one of the People of Israel. (Reference: Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, pp. 23-30.)
  • The blessed Mahdi has an Israelite body. He resembles one of the greatest of the People of Israel. (Reference: Ibn Hajar al-Makki)
  • His body is that one of an Israelite. (Reference: Mar’i ibn Yusuf al-Maqdisi, Fera Idu Fevaidi’l Fiqr Fi’l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar)
  • He will resemble one of the Israelites. (Reference: Al-Uqayli, An-Najmu’s-saqib fi Bayan Anna’l Mahdi min Awladi Ali b. Abu Talib Ale’t-Tamam ve’l Qamal)
  • He is a man from the people of Israel. (Reference: Nuaym ibn Hammad, vr. 52a; Mar’i ibn Yusuf al-Maqdisi, Fera Idu Fevaidi’l Fiqr Fi’l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar)
  • The blessed Mahdi’s stature and posture resemble those of the People of Israel. (Reference: Al-Qawl Al-Mukhtasar Fi alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, pp. 36-29.)
  • See Also: Al-Qawl Al-Mukhtasar Fi alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, pp. 36-29, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p. 24, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, pp. 23-30, Ibn Hajar al-Makki, Mar’i ibn Yusuf al-Maqdisi, Fera Idu Fevaidi’l Fiqr Fi’l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, Al-Uqayli, An-Najmu’s-saqib fi Bayan Anna’l Mahdi min Awladi Ali b. Abu Talib Ale’t-Tamam ve’l Qama, Nuaym ibn Hammad, vr. 52a; Mar’i ibn Yusuf al-Maqdisi, Fera Idu Fevaidi’l Fiqr Fi’l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, Muhammad Al-Barzanji’s book Isha’ah li Ashrat Al-Sa’a, Tabrani, Nuaim bin Hammad’s Kitab Al-Fitan, Al-Asha-ah Page 194-195
  • He will pray to Allah with His Hebrew name. (References: Kitab al-Ghayba: The Book of Occultation by al-Nu’mani, Vol 1 – Page 324; Bihar Al-Anwar: The Promised Mahdi by Al-Majlisi), Vol 52 – Page 368
Imam Mahdi will Rule According to the Laws of the House of David

According to various Ahadith, Imam Mahdi will bring justice based on the tradition of the House of David. It is stated that Imam Mahdi will rule according to the laws of David «أمرهم حكموا بحكم داود وآل داود», And he will not be asked for evidence «ولا يسألون البينة». This prophecy also resembles the Judeo-Christian messianic principle. (see ‘DVYD‘)

Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 397; Al-Mufeed Al-Tusi, Al-Irshad, p. 413; Alam Al-Wara, p. 433; Kamaluddin, vol. 2, p. 671; Mir’atu’l-‘Uqul, vol. 4, p. 300; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 52, pp. 320, 330, 336, 339.
Final Redeemer, Smell and Judgment

The Judeo-Chrislamic sources also agree on another fundamental principle: The final redeemer associates scent with the concepts of judgment and justice. The Jewish authorities, which define smell as the sense of Moshiah, indicate: “… he will judge by smell.”  Various Islamic sources state: “The Mahdi .. will have a broad, clear (of hair) forehead and a sharp nose and will fill the Earth with fairness and justice … .” People often confuse the quality of his nose for its shape, using terms like narrow, pointed, straight, aquiline, snub, or prominent.

Jewish sources: Yeshayahu 11:3; Sanhedrin 93b.7; Eichah 4:20; Torat Menachem Hitvaaduyot 5718b pp. 267-268; Mashiach, Who, What Why, How Where, When, Chaim Kramer, Breslov Research Institute)
The unWanted

It is crucial to note that Judeo-Chrislamic sources prophesied that the entire world would be baffled and have a tough time believing that this person should be their redeemer. Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, one of the greatest Jewish mystics and founder of Chabad, was asked: When will the redeemer finally come? The Alter Rebbe lowered his eyes to the ground and said softly: “But how can he come? The redeemer that everyone wants isn’t coming, and the redeemer that is coming, nobody wants.”

Adapted from the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe by Yanki Tauber via meaningfullife.com

The unAppreciated

Based on various Biblical examples, Rabbi Mendel Kessin, who also holds a Ph.D. in psychology, suggested in his 2016 lecture that “A messianic figure is always despised.” Rabbi Kessin pointed out Joseph, who was imprisoned; Moses, who had to run away from Egypt; and King David, who was despised many times in his lifetime. “Many Messianic figures, they come out of nowhere!” Rabbi further claimed everyone expects the Messiah to be this incredible, scholarly, righteous and great personality. “Yeah, eventually he will be, but he’s the guy that you don’t even look at twice. That’s who the Moshiah is.” 

The unEarthly
Various prophecies claim that the final redeemer is “arriving on the cloud.” This misunderstood term led to belief in a supernatural event. Yet, Maimonides (Rambam), in Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 12:1, writes that the messianic era will not contain any paranormal phenomena. However, another messianic prediction suggests that ‘adults will learn from the youth’ in that era. Indeed, nowadays, any teenager could clarify that “the cloud” refers to resources such as information or services from a website over the internet available to remote users worldwide. The term “cloud” also clarifies another prophecy: Redeemer’s words will be communicated “from one end of the world to the other.” Nonetheless, other prophecies count that the Moshiah “will be poor” and “will ride upon a donkey,” which informs on his financial situation and the speed of his progress, namely, slow.
The unLeashed

According to Isaiah 60:22, God, however, promises “to hasten” (Akhishena; אחישנה) suddenly Moshiah’s progress “at its time” (Beita; בעתה), meaning at a ‘specific time’. We might speculate this ‘specified time’ based on the name of ADaM (אדם), which stands for Adam – David – Moshiah according to the Jewish tradition. As David was at the midpoint, we can double the respective dates: David’s birthday in the Hebrew calendar, 2854 X 2 = 5708 (1948 Gregorian calendar), represents the rebirth of Israel (see also Ets HaShalom). At the same time, II Samuel 5:4-5 tells us that David started his reign over the entire Israel at the age of 37.5; therefore, (2854 + 37.5) X 2 = 5783. However, based on DVYD’s calculation, the cosmic conception starts on 2023-07-26 (Tisha B’Av 5873), and the “Birth Pangs of the Messianic Era” will hopefully end after the last day of Passover, by 2024-05-01, which is Global Labor Day.

The unDeciphered

According to Midrash Tanchuma, Shemot 24:1, a secret code for redemption was given to Abrahm and passed through the sons, Isaac and Jacob, down to Josef. Today’s code is the combination of Josef’s secret code “PaCod Yifkod” (פקד יפקד; “He will surely remember”) of Bereshit 50:24, and the code used by Moses in Shemot 3:16, “PaCod Pakadeti” (פקד פקדתי; “I have surely remembered”). Thus, the final code is the standard gematria of the combination of the two codes, “PaCod + Pakadeti and YifKod” (“פקד + פקדתי + יפקד”), is 972. The number 972 is today’s International ‘Calling Code’ of Israel, which implies God’s Call on the International Community. This phenomenon fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 11:10: ‘On that day, …, arises as a sign upon His people — thereto shall the nations seek, and its abode shall be honored.’ (See Ets HaShalom)

The unOrthodox
Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi stated that the redeemer is one of the Misnagdim (Opponents of the ‘religious’ people). The “anointed one” will probably be an ‘annoying one’ to most religious leaders. Many corrupt clerics will probably fight him for fear of losing their power or the interest group they serve. The Creator’s ultimate desire is our harmony, and olfactory-based gauging enables transparent, personalized achievement of this goal, as per the mystical teachings. Faith leaders must align their teachings with the Creator’s ultimate will. Instead of placing blind trust, individuals can analyze the leader’s guidance.
The unRoyal
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, a religious leader, philosopher, author, and internationally respected moral voice, annotated in a 2016 Lecture on the Torah’s definition of true royalty. He illustrated the common theme of most stories of famous heroes such as Sargon, Gilgamesh, Oedipus, Romulus, and many others: they discover they are actually of royal blood at a certain time. However, Rabbi Sacks referred to the story of Moses and King David and elaborated that true royalty, the Torah suggests, is the opposite of our conventional wisdom: It is the inner moral value and courage and not the appearance or stature. Thus, Moses, the son of an ordinary slave family, left the immoral royal palace of Pharaoh; And no one could imagine that the ruddy-faced guy with handsome eyes could be the great King David. He added that the story of Moses and King David is one of the great narratives of hope in humankind’s literature, as it exposes that every child is special and everyone plays a unique role.
The unAcceptable

Reb Noson, Rabbi Nathan Sternhartz of Breslov, the closest disciple and scribe of Rebbe Naḥman of Bratslav, founder of the Breslov Hasidic dynasty, cited “Mashiah will have more difficulty convincing the Hasidim (Orthodox people) of his identity than the atheists.” (Source: Siach Safrei Kodesh 1-525. Chaim Kramer, Crossing the Narrow Bridge, p. 61)

A Poritz (nobleman) once asked an orthodox Jew: “You Jews believe Moshiah is going to come and take you all out of exile. But what happens if your Moshiah comes and I don’t believe in him?” The Jew answered, “Don’t worry, Mr. Poritz! If you don’t believe in him, I also won’t believe in him!” (Source: Otzar Pisgomei Chabad vol. 1 p. 422o

The unConventional

Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh, one of our generation’s foremost expositors of Kabbalah and Chassidut and an author of over 120 books, suggests: “…Mashiach is not afraid to express his opinion, including when his opinion is not based on an explicit prophecy.” (Source: The Paradox of Mashiach, 2019-06-27 Gal Einai)

The unSafe

The Islamic sources suggest many Muslims will vehemently resist Imam Mahdi, at first, to the extent that some even intend to kill him. Probably because they hold him for the Al-Masih ad-Dajjal (Arabic: المسيح الدجّال‎), the false messiah, similar to the misinterpreted Antichrist figure. However, the hadith points out that once the Muslims verify the validity of Mahdi, they will become a firm supporter of Mahdi’s mission and follow his petitions without doubting him or asking for further proof.

According to Hadith, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is reported to have said: “Allah is not hidden from you; He is not one-eyed,” and pointed with his hand towards his eye (The right brain hemisphere), adding, “while Ad-Dajjal is blind in one eye.” (Dajjal, Arabic for deceiver) However, Dajjal is not believed to be an individual, as mentioned in the Hadith, but to represent a collectivity of people (men). The phenomenon of “Al-Masih Ad- Dajjal” and being blind in the ‘right sight’ refers to men’s ‘frontal lobe.’ The used term «عِنَبَةٌ» of this Hadith relates to lobes, and not “protruding grape,” misinterpreted from the book of the ‘blind’ Persian Imam, Sahih al-Bukhari Volume 9, Book 93, Number 504. However, Quran 20:39 promises a solution to those ‘blinds,’ who no longer want to stay Kafer, “between their eyes” («مَكْتُوبٌ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ كَافِرٌ»). The platform BrainPlasticity will elaborate more on this subject.
The unHidden
While the Judeo-Chrislamic religions expect two messianic figures to arise, some Jewish sources claim that the two portraits refer to two developmental phases of the same person, as redemption is likely to happen in stages. Moshiah ben Yosef represents the hidden phase, followed by the revealed phase represented by Moshiah ben David.
The unExpected

The Islamic sources provide more than twenty general characteristics, including more than fifteen visual identification of the physical appearance of the redeemer, illustrating him as unique enough to be recognizable even by a blind person by the sense of touch. This is excellent news, considering some Muslims won’t necessarily agree at first with his doctrine and persona since the image drawn in their minds by various authorities and media for millennia won’t match the redeemer’s actual image. 

The unKnown
The Jewish doctrine lacks detailed physical indications of the person, similar to that of the Hadiths. Therefore, Jewish scholars believe that Moshiah can best be recognized by his achievements, based on the criteria listed as laws by Rambam, which is the primary Jewish source on Moshiah and the era of redemption. However, Rambam himself depreciates his rulings by stating in the final chapter of his Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 12:2: But all these and similar matters, however, man will not know how they will be until they come to pass; For these matters were hidden to the Prophets. Even the Sages themselves did not have a tradition regarding these matters and only could attempt to understand the verses. Thus, there were disagreements in these matters.”
The unBelievers

The scriptures tell us that only 20 percent of the Jewish people left Egypt (state of confinement); the other 80 percent were unwilling to join the Exodus. However, people from Judeo-Chrislamic faiths have trusted their holy books for millennia. Hence, they know well that the final redeemer the Almighty will choose does not represent the persona that was formed in their minds, as explained above. Thus, the question arises if the believers are truly faithful to God and will reconsider their position, or they disrespect God’s choice, regard their scriptures as false, and continue to hold on to their personal beliefs, analogous to the 80 percent.

Skip to content