Christianity & Kabbalah
The Messiah in Jewish Mysticism and in Christ
Jewish mysticism carries a profound messianic hope. Kabbalah wove the coming of the Messiah into its vision of cosmic repair: the redemption of Israel and the mending of the world are bound together, and some traditions speak of a Messiah son of Joseph and a Messiah son of David. Traditional Judaism awaits a Messiah who will bring the visible redemption of the world. Christianity believes that Messiah has come in Jesus, and will come again to complete it. Here is a respectful comparison that honors the Jewish hope.
What Jewish mysticism hopes
The longing for the Messiah (Mashiach, 'the anointed one') runs through all of Judaism, and Jewish mysticism gives it a cosmic scope. In Kabbalah, the coming of the Messiah is tied to the great work of repair: when the scattered sparks are gathered and the world is mended, redemption dawns. Jewish tradition also speaks of more than one messianic figure, notably a Mashiach ben Yosef (son of Joseph), associated with struggle and suffering, and a Mashiach ben David (son of David), the reigning redeemer. Above all, traditional Judaism looks for a Messiah who brings a visibly redeemed world: the exiles gathered, the Temple restored, and universal peace.
What Christians believe
Christianity confesses that the long-awaited Messiah has come in Jesus of Nazareth, a son of David and a son of Israel, and that his work unfolds in two comings: first to suffer and save, then to reign and make all things new.
Where we agree
Both faiths hold a deep and living messianic hope: that God will not abandon the world to its brokenness but will send his anointed one to redeem Israel and mend creation. The yearning for the Messiah, and for a world set right, is shared ground.
Where we differ
Traditional Judaism awaits a Messiah who has not yet come, because the visible redemption of the world is not yet here. Christianity believes the Messiah has come in Jesus, that his first coming was to suffer and save, and that he will return to complete the redemption. We hold this humbly and without any contempt for the Jewish people, who gave the world the very hope of the Messiah.
Kabbalistic sources: the Zohar (13th century, traditionally ascribed to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai; critical scholarship, following Gershom Scholem, attributes its main body to Rabbi Moses de Leon in 13th-century Castile) and later Lurianic Kabbalah (Rabbi Isaac Luria, 16th-century Safed). Concepts are summarized from recognized Jewish and academic sources; compare the texts at sefaria.org. Bible: King James Version.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Jewish mysticism expect a Messiah?
- Yes. The hope for the Messiah runs through all of Judaism, and Kabbalah gives it cosmic scope, tying the Messiah's coming to the repair and redemption of the world. Jewish tradition also speaks of a Mashiach ben Yosef (son of Joseph) and a Mashiach ben David (son of David).
- What does traditional Judaism expect the Messiah to do?
- To bring the visible redemption of the world: gather the exiles of Israel, restore the Temple in Jerusalem, and usher in an age of universal peace and the knowledge of God. Because these have not visibly come, traditional Judaism does not accept Jesus as the Messiah.
- What do Christians believe about the Messiah?
- That the Messiah has come in Jesus, a son of David (Matthew 1:1), and that his work unfolds in two comings: first to suffer and save, then to return and complete the redemption (Acts 1:11). Christians hold this without contempt for the Jewish people, who gave the world the hope of the Messiah.
Come and see
Kabbalah reaches for the hidden depths of God and the repair of a broken world. Jesus, a son of Israel, spoke of the same God, near and personal. The most honest way to know him is to read the accounts of his life. There is no pressure here.
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