Author: Hershel Brand
Format: Hardcover, 196 pages
Publisher: Targum Press (October 15, 2002)
ISBN-10: 1568712146
ISBN-13: 978-1568712147
“For millennia, the Jewish people have awaited Moshiach (Messiah). We have prayed for him and longed for his appearance. But how many of us know what part he will play in Jewish destiny, how to identify him, and what the messianic era will be like, or why we need Moshiach at all?” -from the back cover of On Eagles’ Wings
I asked to borrow this book from my wife because I thought it would give me some greater insights into the traditional and historic viewpoint of the Messiah by the Jewish people. I got exactly what I was looking for, but it may not be what you’re looking for, depending on who you are. This is a blog for a “Messianic Jewish” or “One Law” congregation, which means that most of the people who read my articles are non-Jews who identify themselves as either Christians or “Messianics” (and “Messianics” could be termed as “Christians who have a special interest in the Hebraic understanding of God’s Word”).
I admit, I started reading Rabbi Brand’s book with an eye on seeing the similarities between the Jewish Moshiach and the Christian Christ. I didn’t find very many, which may surprise those of you who see Yeshua/Jesus all across the pages of the Tanakh (Old Testament). It’s not that the prophesies Christianity identifies as pointing to Jesus as the Messiah aren’t there, but this is a book written by a Jewish Rabbi to a Jewish audience. It’s not targeting those of us who believe in Yeshua as both Lord and Messiah for all the world.
The book’s intent is to take all of the widely scattered references of the Moshiach throughout the Bible and all of Jewish authoritative literature, and gather them in one place for easy access to Jews who want a definitive Messianic guide. Rabbi Brand settled on writing this book as a fictional conversation between “Rabbi Cohen” and a student named “Daniel”, focused on answering Daniel’s questions about the Messiah. For those of us who lack a classic Jewish religious education, we experience a particular “stretch” at the sources “Rabbi Cohen” uses in his responses to Daniel’s queries, yet from a Jewish point of view, these are the only answers that make any sort of sense. Commentaries by Rambam and Ramchal, and quotes from the Gemara, Mishnah, and Zohar, are all perfectly expected within the context of this book. Christianity tends to dismiss these authorities as “just commentaries”, but the insights of the ancient Sages are the clarifying lens by which the Jewish people have been viewing the Torah for untold centuries.
I say all this to try to explain to my Christian and Messianic audience why this book “proves” that Jesus couldn’t possibly be the Messiah; the Christ. No, I’m not denying my faith, but I am explaining the book’s viewpoint and intent. This intent couldn’t have been made more clear than in Chapter 3 (actually Week 3, since each chapter is supposed to represent a weekly conversation between Rabbi Cohen and Daniel) called “Week 3: In which Daniel learns the most important thing to do when you meet a missionary.” In this context “missionary” means any Christian who attempts to convince a Jew that Jesus is the Messiah, and it’s generally not a complementary term. For those of you who feel as if you’re “called” to evangelize to the Jewish people, I recommend the chapter (and the book), not as a HOW TO guide book, but by way of explaining how and why Jews don’t receive such evanagelizing as an expression of love.
One of the major objections to Jesus as Messiah is that he didn’t finish his job before he was killed. In Judaism, the Messiah, once he arrives, continues to operate and perform all of his goals, heralding the messianic age. Since first century Israel wasn’t liberated prior to the death of Jesus (Judaism doesn’t recognize his resurrection or ascension), he couldn’t be the Messiah. The book characterizes the theology of the second coming as a tad “lame”.
I did find that point interesting when reading how “Rabbi Cohen” responded to some of “Daniel’s” questions about inconsistencies and disagreements between the Sages regarding the Moshiach’s ultimate arrival, as brought about by the repentence (teshuvah) of the Jewish people as a whole. One authority says that the Jewish people can hasten the arrival of Moshiach by doing teshuvah, while another apparently contradicts this point directly, stating that the Moshiach has a pre-ordained historical point at which he will come, regardless of the state of teshuvah of the Jewish people. “Rabbi Cohen’s” solution is to say the Moshiach can come at two possible times: he will come sooner if the Jewish people voluntarily make teshuvah, but will come later if God must “force” the Jews to repent. I found the explanation to be somewhat self-serving, but to be fair, I don’t have a classic Jewish religious education. Outside of that context, explanations such as this one sound more than a little dodgy, but within the context, they are perfectly acceptable. This is a book all about working and understanding inside of the Jewish context.
I was rather heartened to find that Judaism believes all the world, including all the Gentiles, will come to faith in the Moshiach and accept the authority of the Torah (I assume both written and oral). This is supported by both the Prophets of old (Isaiah 66:23, Jeremiah 31:33, Zechariah 14:9) and the classic Sages (Rambam, Hilchos Melachim 12:1 and 12:5). Establishing that the Gentiles will accept God and the Torah comes without the “struggle” some believers have trying to integrate certain chapters of the Book of Acts into the equation (specifically, Acts 15 and 21). Jews remain Jews and Gentiles remain Gentiles, and there is one God, one Messiah, and one Torah.
It’s interesting that even our mythical student “Daniel” has a little trouble swallowing the fact that Gentiles will even be around, let alone “know God”, when Moshiach comes:
Daniel: Even the gentiles? I mean, will there even be gentiles after the Moshiach arrives?
Rabbi Cohen: Of course. We mentioned once (week 1) that the Moshiach will destroy the enemies of the Jewish people, but those nations who are friendly to the Jews will still exist during the time of the Moshiach as before. Obviously they will accord great honor and respect to God’s true, chosen nation. And, like the Jewish nation, their primary occupation will be to understand and become closer to God.
The Jewish-centric tone of this and the rest of the book will probably cause some Christian/Messianic readers to be taken aback. Part of the overall theology in the Messianic movement is that, while Judaism is the root, we are all considered equal in God’s love and that God has no interest in creating a “caste system” of Jews vs. Gentiles. I don’t say this is what Rabbi Brand advocates in his book, but given the fact that the book is written for a Jewish audience, it might look that way as viewed through Christian eyes.
Ironically, the book does acknowledge something that, seen from a non-Jewish perspective, seems to scream that Yeshua is the Messiah. There’s some establishment of “two” Messiahs within Jewish thought; Messiah ben Yosef and Messiah ben David. Without going into a lot of detail, Messiah ben Yosef only goes so far in bringing about the messianic age, then dies in the battle against Gog U’Magog (Armageddon). Messiah ben David ultimately arrives to complete the messianic mission and provide final victory for the Jewish people and peace in the world. Two separate Messiahs. One dies before his mission is complete. The second Messiah comes later and finishes the battle. I’m sure this suggests something to more than just a few of you reading this review.
I know I’ve sounded less than objective through much of this article, but each reviewer has a perspective, just as each author does, and just as each book’s audience has a perspective. Seen as a wholly Jewish treatment of the documentation and theology of the Moshiach created for a Jewish audience, this book does a very impressive job of “pulling it all together”. I’ve read some independent works of a similar vein and Rabbi Brand does a fine job of communicating his information and his intent accurately. The book is very easy to read, despite it’s scholarly source material, and at less than 200 pages, most readers can consume and absorb the concepts and details very quickly. If you are Jewish or are a Gentile who wants the complete Jewish understanding of the Moshiach, I highly recommend reading Rabbi Brand’s book.
If you are Messianic and/or Christian and want to read a book written by a non-Messianic Jewish source that confirms your faith in Yeshua as the Messiah, you won’t like this book. It’s not written to make believers in Yeshua feel better about ourselves. If your faith in Yeshua is weak, it may even cause doubt to enter your mind. There are a number of people who enter the Messianic movement who, after a time, become so attracted to the nature of Jewish worship and study, they abandon Yeshua completely and attach themselves totally to Rabbinic Judaism. If that describes you, or could describe you, this book might end up being one link in the chain of events that leads to conversion to Judaism.
Regardless of your perspective and your faith identity, On Eagles Wings: Moshiach, Redemption, and the World to Come is an eye-opener. I recommend approaching the book with an open mind and a student’s curiosity, in order to gain maximum benefit. Please though, try not to approach Brand’s writing with any preconceived notions or a desire for wish fulfillment. The book wasn’t made for that.