Messianic Movements

Messianic Movements

A messianic movement is a name given to the movement of people following a militant Jewish king or leader who attempted to take the rule of Israel out of foreign holds and give it back to Jewish hands. A messianic movement cannot continue as a radical cult and succeed demographically. It is important to understand that there are Messianic pretenders among messianic personalities.

Different types of messianic movements came into existence through several ways. The attempts by various charismatic leaders to present themselves as the messiah and bring back the Davidic kingdom and Jewish independence in Israel gave rise to a messianic movement. This type of messianic movements were characterized by age-old yearn for the promised messiah, homelessness of the Jews and the sense of exile in Glut, desire for revived sovereignty and religious persecution. Here, the messianic movements were restricted to power. Another type of messianic roles are found in the bible for instance in the roles suggested for Hezekiah and Zerubbabel. Despite the fact that these messianic roles were not from Davidic ancestry, the Hasmoneans had aroused certain Messianic expectations. The birth of anti-Jewish persecution helped in the development of new Messianic movements (Giles, 2002).

An atmosphere of armed struggle that became extremely militant characterized the rise of Islam and the messianic movements related to it. These movements included the ones led by Abu Isa al-Isfahan and Yudghan in Persia during the eighth century. These arose to combat Muslims and were revolutionary and sectarian. The messianic movement established by David Alroy in Kurdistan had its strength from the turbulence brought about by the conflict between Christendom and Islam. Shabbateanism messianic movement was also brought about by the thirty years war (1618-48). The cabbalists believed that the year 1648 was a messianic year. Shabbetai Tsevi provoked the Smyrna Rabbinate with his messianic claims during the early 1650s and established himself as the most charismatic and messianic pretender existent at that time. Another messianic movement is the Habad movement that identified with Lubavitcher Rebbe Schneersohn. When he died many of his followers did not recognize his death, but stated that he was a messiah who would return in flesh. Another messianic movement is the Unification Church that was established by reverend SUN Myung Moon. This messianic movement assimilated the aspect of realized eschatology and demythologizing as important elements. Reverent Moon claims to be the Lord of the Second Advent and that he fulfills the prophesy of Parousia of Jesus Christ (Module 4: Dynamics of Messianism with a focus on Moonies and Muslims).

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Clifford Geertz describes religion to be a cultural system of symbols that are used in the management of adversity, ignorance, and injustice. He states that life in general is full of these three aspects but people cannot be used to them. He states that people seek an answer by appealing to imagined and unseen realms that are not found in the visible world. He states that people believe that the sad issues about death, suffering, and oppression will be addressed or explained out there, up there, in heaven or better still in the future (Module 4: Dynamics of Messianism with a focus on Moonies and Muslims).

Clifford Geertz theory can be used to explain the issue of cults. People who appear charismatic, confident, powerful, and convincing form cults. They attract believers to their cultic movements with the promise that their adversities, ignorance and injustices will be solved by the powerful beings that these cults lay their believes on. Many cults focus on convincing they followers that the problems they encounter have an end, but can only end when they join the cults and do what the cults require them to do. Messianic movements operate this same way.

 

References

Giles, G. W. (2002). MESSIANIC MOVEMENTS OF THE FIRST CENTURY.

http://douglasjacoby.com/attachments/Mess.Movements.pdf.

Module 4: Dynamics of Messianism with a focus on Moonies and Muslims.

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