EXPECTATION OF THE FIRST COMING OF CHRIST. 81 



misunderstood, and referred to something else. But (and this 

 is the chief point of this paper) if we can prove that between the 

 two there existed expectation, also on the same lines, it is evidently 

 probable that this was due to the prediction, and the probability 

 is increased that the prediction has not been misunderstood. 



The rabbinic writings which authoritatively decide how the 

 Jews did understand their Scriptures are the Targumim, the two 

 Talmuds, the most ancient Midrashim and the Yalkut. And 

 these are first-class witnesses, having been in the custody of those 

 who are hostile to the claims of Jesus to be the Messiah. We are 

 therefore sure that neither these, nor the prophetic Scriptures, 

 have been altered so as to assist the proofs which follow. 



We also have other witnesses. Josephus, Tacitus, and 

 Suetonius confirm the fact that the Jews were expecting a 

 Deliverer when Christ came ; the two former expressly declaring 

 that this was based on certain passages in the old Jewish Scriptures. 



In the ninth appendix to his Life and Times of Jesus the 

 Messiah, Edersheim gives a detailed list of 456 passages in the 

 Old Testament apphed to the Messiah or the Messianic times in 

 the most ancient Jewish writings. So this was clearly a favourite 

 topic with the Jews. There are many incidental references to 

 the expectation of Messiah in the New Testament, and these fit 

 in so exactly with what we have learnt above that it is impossible 

 to suppose them to be forgeries. Moreover, nothing can be 

 more dangerous for an author's reputation than to misrepresent 

 what popular opinion was on any favourite topic within a century 

 of his own time. Further, we have the following striking agree- 

 ment between our witnesses of expectation. Deut. xviii, 15, 

 in which the coming of the Prophet was particularly foretold, 

 is not included in the 456 passages mentioned above ; which 

 means that the Jews did not regard it as Messianic ; in agreement 

 with which we note that the deputation to John the Baptist 

 made a distinction between " the Christ " and the " Prophet." 



Thus we have every reason to believe that the incidental 

 allusions to the Messianic hope in the Gospels are quite accurate, 

 and they will therefore be quoted as additional proof on some 

 points. 



It is, of course, unquestioned that the whole Old Testament 

 was written long before Christ came, and was already translated 

 from Hebrew into Greek. 



It was foretold that Messiah would be a wise Teacher. After 

 writing " the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him," Isaiah 



G 



