Rev. Dr. Michael T. Welhous

(*For a detailed discussion on the phrase “Son of God,” please

read the article entitled “Son of God.”)

The word "Christ" is the Greek form of the Hebrew word mashiyach, i.e. "messiah," which means "anointed" and is used throughout the Scripture to denote a "consecrated" person, usually (but not necessarily) a king or a priest.

Although many English translations fail to translate "mashiyach" consistently, it occurs no less than thirty-eight times in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament).

Messiah is used for King Saul:

"Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there. And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before Jehovah in Gilgal; and there they offered sacrifices of peace-offerings before Jehovah; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly. And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. And now, behold, the king walketh before you; and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my youth unto this day. Here I am: witness against me before Jehovah, and before his messiah: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken aught of any man's hand. And he said unto them, Jehovah is witness against you, and his messiah is witness this day, that ye have not found aught in my hand. And they said, He is witness.” (1 Samuel 11:14-12:5, American Standard Version*)

(*All references are taken from the American Standard Version. I have

inserted the word “messiah” where it occurs in the original Hebrew

text.)

“And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. And he said unto his men, Jehovah forbid that I should do this thing unto my lord, Jehovah's messiah, to put forth my hand against him, seeing he is Jehovah's messiah. So David checked his men with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. And Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way...Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that Jehovah had delivered thee to-day into my hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee; but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord; for he is Jehovah's messiah.”

(1 Samuel 24:5-7, 10)

“Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered up thine enemy into thy hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not smite him the second time. And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who can put forth his hand against Jehovah's messiah, and be guiltless? And David said, As Jehovah liveth, Jehovah will smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall go down into battle and perish. Jehovah forbid that I should put forth my hand against Jehovah's messiah: but now take, I pray thee, the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let us go...Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain afar off; a great space being between them; and David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king? And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept watch over thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord. This thing is not good that thou hast done. As Jehovah liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept watch over your lord, Jehovah's messiah. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head...And David answered and said, Behold the spear, O king! let then one of the young men come over and fetch it. And Jehovah will render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; forasmuch as Jehovah delivered thee into my hand to-day, and I would not put forth my hand against Jehovah's messiah.” (1 Samuel 26:8-11, 13-16, 22-23)

“And David said unto the young man that told him, Whence art thou? And he answered, I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite. And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to put forth thy hand to destroy Jehovah's messiah? And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him, so that he died. And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain Jehovah's messiah.” (2 Samuel 1:13-16)

Messiah is used in reference to Eliab, King David’s brother, when Samuel thought that it was he who was chosen by God to be king:

“And Jehovah said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go: I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons...And Samuel did that which Jehovah spake, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice unto Jehovah: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely Jehovah's messiah is before him. But Jehovah said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for Jehovah seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh on the heart.”

(1 Samuel 16:1, 4-7)

Messiah is used for King David:

“And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out, and cursed still as he came...But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed Jehovah's messiah?” (2 Samuel 16:5; 19:21)

“Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the nations, and will sing praises unto thy name. Great deliverance giveth he to his king, and showeth lovingkindness to his messiah, to David and to his seed, for evermore.”

(2 Samuel 22:50-51) [See also Psalms 18:49-50]

Messiah is used for King Solomon:

“And Jehovah hath performed his word that he spake; for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as Jehovah promised, and have built the house for the name of Jehovah, the God of Israel. And there have I set the ark, wherein is the covenant of Jehovah, which he made with the children of Israel. And he stood before the altar of Jehovah in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands...Now therefore arise, O Jehovah God, into thy resting-place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O Jehovah God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness. O Jehovah God, turn not away the face of thine messiah: remember thy lovingkindnesses to David thy servant. Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt-offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of Jehovah filled the house.”

(2 Chronicles 6:10-12, 41-42, 7:1)

Messiah is used in the Law for the high priests in general:

“And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any one shall sin unwittingly, in any of the things which Jehovah hath commanded not to be done, and shall do any one of them: if the messiah priest shall sin so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto Jehovah for a sin-offering...if the messiah priest shall sin so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto Jehovah for a sin-offering...And the messiah priest shall bring of the blood of the bullock to the tent of meeting.” (Leviticus 4:1-3, 5, 16)

Messiah appears to be used for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob:

“He is Jehovah our God; His judgments are in all the earth. Remember his covenant for ever, The word which he commanded to a thousand generations, The covenant which he made with Abraham, And his oath unto Isaac, And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a statute, To Israel for an everlasting covenant, Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, The lot of your inheritance; When ye were but a few men in number, Yea, very few, and sojourners in it; And they went about from nation to nation, And from one kingdom to another people. He suffered no man to do them wrong; Yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, Saying, Touch not mine messiahs, And do my prophets no harm. Sing unto Jehovah, all the earth; Show forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, His marvellous works among all the peoples. For great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised: He also is to be feared above all gods.” (1 Chronicles 16:14-25) [See also Psalms 105:1-15)

Messiah is even used for Cyrus, the king of Persia:

It is Jehovah “That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built; and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. Thus saith Jehovah to his messiah, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of kings; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut: I will go before thee, and make the rough places smooth; I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron; and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that it is I, Jehovah, who call thee by thy name, even the God of Israel.” (Isaiah 44:28-45:3)

The Scriptures speak of one particular Messiah who would come to be both King and High Priest, and would bring restoration, not only to Israel, but to the whole world. This of course is none other than Jesus the Messiah, our Lord.

The prophet and king, David, spoke of this relationship between God and his chosen King:

“Why do the nations rage, And the peoples meditate a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against Jehovah, and against his messiah, saying, Let us break their bonds asunder, And cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens will laugh: The Lord will have them in derision. Then will he speak unto them in his wrath, And vex them in his sore displeasure: Yet I have set my king Upon my holy hill of Zion... Serve Jehovah with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, For his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all they that take refuge in him.” (Psalms 2:1-6, 11-12) [See also Acts 4:23-30)

This relationship, Jehovah and his messiah, is clearly seen in the salutations of the majority of the New Testament letters. The reality of the exclamation, “My Lord and my God” is stressed, not a Trinity:

“To all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:7)

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:3)

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.” (2 Corinthians 1:2-3)

“Grace to you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:3)

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:2-3)

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:2)

“To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ that are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.” (Colossians 1:2-3)

“Paul, and Sil