Messianic Christology

by Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum

Messianic Christology is a study of Old Testament prophecy concerning the First Coming of the Messiah. Dr. Fruchtenbaum works his way through the Old Testament following the first century Jewish arrangement of the books, the arrangement that Jesus was familiar with. He shows from The Law, The Prophets and The Writings... how the revelation of the Messiah gradually progressed and built-up to reveal a magnificent picture of the Deliverer to come.

The Hebrew Scriptures formed the very basis for evangelism in the New Testament. First, Jesus with His disciples, and then the disciples themselves used the Old Testament to substantiate His claim to be the Messiah. When the messianic expectations of Hebrew prophecy are fully understood, it becomes clear that Jesus and only Jesus can fulfill these requirements.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christianity, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published June 1, 1998

About the author

Arnold Genekowitsch Fruchtenbaum is the founder and director of Ariel Ministries, an organization which prioritizes evangelization of Jews in the effort to bring them to the view that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah.

Reviews

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time that I have read a work of Dr. Fruchtenbaum's although I did read a piece of another work he did on Song of Solomon. This teacher of the scripture is no slouch and his attempt to be precise, sound, and accurate really adds to his credibility. This book does not contain flighty concepts or strange doctrines. It is a solid exegesis.

This is a great scripture by scripture analysis of the prophecies that pertain to Jesus in the Old Testament. Starting in Genesis and moving through the three sections of the Old Testament (The Law, The Prophets, and the The Writings) he systematically showed how there was a progressive revelation of the Messiah that was constantly unfolding.

I think that his treatment of the 22nd chapter of Psalms and the 53 chapter of Isaiah were perhaps some of the most insightful issues. For example: In Psalms 22 the writer describes the suffering of Jesus by saying "my heart melted like wax with in me." Dr. Fruchtenbaum explains that in the original language it seems to suggest that he had a ruptured heart which has been suggested by many scholars as a possible cause of death, facilitating the flow of blood and water. He was very careful not to let his imagination get the best of him.

I found a few things which I did not necessarily agree with and I did not think that he was very convincing in proving them. His take on Genesis 6 concerning the sons of God and the daughters of men did not really sway me to believe that fallen angels and women had sexual relations. I also thought that his take on prophecy having no double fulfillment was weak and in ways it felt as if there were some contradictions in his thought.He tried to smooth some of this over but still was not convincing. He had far to little citations and this was disappointing to someone who may want to check into his sources. This is of course my opinion and I really do hesitate to criticize him because he is a far more educated and has prestigious mind than I.

Overall, I found the book to be on par and I really enjoyed gaining insights from someone who has a mastery over the Hebrew language and traditions. Since I don't speak Hebrew I find this kind of work to be invaluable. It is awe inspiring to see how accurately the prophets predicted the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It would be a great book to give to a Jewish friend who is interested in knowing more about why we believe in the person of Jesus. I enjoyed it and I look forward to reading more of his books in the future.

[Adam T. Calvert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can probably say that your Christology is incomplete without this work. Most systematic theologies give a brief synopsis of the pre-incarnate Christ and make some mention of His appearance as the Angel of the Lord.

But in Messianic Christology, Dr. Fruchtenbaum gives an in-depth study of all the passages in the Old Testament pertaining to the Messiah's first advent. And he shows articulately how Jesus alone fulfilled these manifold expectations and prophecies.

Dr. Fruchtenbaum knows very well the objections many Jews have today to Jesus being the Messiah, and he refutes their arguments clearly with even their own Rabbis' words.

This is a great resource on Christology, especially pertaining to how the Old Testament pictures the expected Messiah. While engaging with the original text and the history of Jewish interpretations concerning the texts, Dr. Fruchtenbaum shows very carefully the greatness of Christ's fulfillment of the Old Testament.

A valuable resource indeed.

[Neh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. One of the best reads of the past five years. Clear and revealing writing, packed with invaluable insights that make me wonder why I am not reading more Messianic Jewish stuff instead of Messianic Gentiles lol.

Btw, I recommend people reading this to take the balaamic donkey comments here (below and above my comment) with multiple large grains of salt. Messianic Judaism is growing strong with time.

[Samantha Brazdzionis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Def a book to have in the library to show Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical of what I'd expect given this author's theological training. Disappointing in it's lack of depth and substantiation.