Messiah

A Messiah is a term used in Judaic and Christian eschatology that is syncretic with the term Avatar. A messiah is an individual with special capabilities and special powers tasked specifically with clearing spiritual misconception and confusion for the purposes of facilitating and improving Alignment with a view towards establishing Perfection.

Syncretic Terms

Avatar > Bodhicitta, Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva Vow, Divine Messengers, Holy Ones, Messiah, Qutb, Samyaksambuddha, Saoshyant, Tathagata, Tirthankaras

Notes

"In 1665–1666, Nathan of Gaza presented his adaptation of a kabbalistic terminology and worldview into Sabbatian messianism. His worldview was a modification of Lurianic kabbalah, introducing into the Safed system a new element, the role of the messiah in the process of the tikkun, the mending of the original catastrophe that made the world a realm ruled by evil. According to Nathan, it was not enough to follow the Lurianic precepts of utilizing religious ritual and observance to uplift the scattered sparks of divine light and return them to their proper place in the divine world. There is, he argued, a core of evil, which human beings cannot overcome on their own. In the kabbalistic anthropomorphic metaphor, this core is described as the “heel of evil,” the most coarse and tough part of the body of evil. In order to overcome this, a divine messenger, with superhuman powers, is needed. This messenger will collect the spiritual power of the whole people and utilize it to overcome the aspect of evil that cannot be vanquished directly. He believed that the messiah, whom he identified as Shabbatai Zevi, was the incarnation of the sixth divine sefirah, tifferet, and that he came to the world for this purpose. Nathan proclaimed that each Jew should give the messiah spiritual force in the form of faith in him, and the messiah will then focus the powers of the whole people to achieve the final victory over the forces of evil. Thus, Nathan introduced into Judaism the concept of a mediated religious relationship with God, giving the messiah (for the first time in a millennium and a half) the role of being the intermediary between the worshipper and the supreme Godhead, and allotting to him a position of an incarnated divine power.

...

Nathan’s theology of the messiah was the complete opposite of Lurianic teachings, even though he used Lurianic terminology and worldview. Luria and his disciples described a direct relationship between man and God, and viewed the tikkun as the involvement of every individual in the process of redemption—a most heavy burden that ordinary people found hard to undertake. Nathan, on the other hand, positioned the divine messiah in the middle, mediating between the worshipper and the task of the tikkun. Every Jew has to express his complete faith in the messiah; the Sabbatians often designated their creed by the term “emunah” (faith). The messiah transforms this spiritual power into a weapon to vanquish evil and redeem the universe."

Footnotes

References