The Definition of the word Messiah

Messiah

(Heb. mashiah), in all the thirty-nine instances of its "occurring in the Old Testament, is rendered by the LXX." Christos. It means anointed. Thus priests (Ex. 28:41; 40:15; "Num. 3:3), prophets (1 Kings 19:16), and kings (1 Sam. 9:16;" "16:3; 2 Sam. 12:7) were anointed with oil, and so consecrated to" "their respective offices. The great Messiah is anointed "above" "his fellows" (Ps. 45:7); i.e., he embraces in himself all the" "three offices. The Greek form "Messias" is only twice used in" "the New Testament, in John 1:41 and 4:25 (R.V., "Messiah"), and" "in the Old Testament the word Messiah, as the rendering of the" "Hebrew, occurs only twice (Dan 9:25, 26; R.V., "the anointed" "one")." "The first great promise (Gen. 3:15) contains in it the germ of all the prophecies recorded in the Old Testament regarding the coming of the Messiah and the great work he was to accomplish on earth. The prophecies became more definite and fuller as the ages rolled on; the light shone more and more unto the perfect day. Different periods of prophetic revelation have been pointed "out, (1) the patriarchal; (2) the Mosaic; (3) the period of" "David; (4) the period of prophetism, i.e., of those prophets" whose works form a part of the Old Testament canon. The expectations of the Jews were thus kept alive from generation to "generation, till the "fulness of the times," when Messiah came," "made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were" "under the law." In him all these ancient prophecies have their" "fulfilment. Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the great" Deliverer who was to come. (Comp. Matt. 26:54; Mark 9:12; Luke "18:31; 22:37; John 5:39; Acts 2; 16:31; 26:22, 23.)"