Who Is the Messiah?

And do you think you will recognize him?

I guess, it’s due to recent Jewish and Christian holidays that for the last couple of days I contemplated Messianism in all its shapes and forms. So, in this third, and most probably last, installment of the inadvertent series of articles on this topic, I’d like to put some things from previous pieces straight.

First, I’d like to reiterate, that yes, almost whole human population has a messianic expectation of some sort. Be it explicit and imminent, as is the case with Judaism, Christianity, or Islam, explicit but distant, as is the case with Buddhism and Hinduism, or implicit and figurative, as is the case where all kinds of politics and secular power struggles are involved, it’s obvious that roughly ninety percent of humanity expects arrival of a person who ushers in some new bright era.

I’m deliberately vague here as for what kind of era it should be, the reason being that while the basis for this expectation is not misplaced and what people have been promised is true (as I’ve said in one of the previous articles), I have to clarify one small but crucial detail.

Watching many YT videos and reading through lengthy forum threads, I realized that ninety percent of those ninety percent don’t expect a messianic figure per se. What they are really waiting for are the benefits they think will come with it. Namely, they expect a shift in power in their favor, i.e. they expect that with the arrival of their imagined Messiah, whom all these groups picture as the ultimate world leader, they will share in his power as the co-rulers of the world.

Well, and that’s not only disgusting, insincere, and hypocritical, it’s also a delusion of the highest order.

So, basically I just want to make this one particular thing straight — if you or anyone you know expects what I already described above, know that that won’t happen. Quite to the contrary. People with such expectations will be the last in the line despite their conviction and belief in how much they contributed to make the messianic age a reality.

I will repeat it once more, so even the pissed off, shocked, and slow thinking have a chance to get a solid grip on this — if you expect any kind of messianic figure just so you can finally share in the ruling of the world, you won’t be sitting neither on the right nor on the left side of said Messiah. Ironically, not because of some grave fault on your part, but simply because with your expectations you have no chance to actually recognize who’s actually the real Messiah, and the one who will fit your bill, will have absolutely no need for you and certainly won’t share his power with anyone.

In other words, whoever promised you that you should get on the good side of the future Messiah so you can rule with him, lied to you. Simple as that.

And this pertains to all other benefits, too, because they are, as I said, something completely beyond your wildest imaginations, far from how they are interpreted by the folks who take your money for the job of interpreting the promises you’ve been given for you.

Well, I don’t expect you to believe me. In fact, I would encourage you to be skeptical (but not only of me), but I’m totally certain that at least in the moment of your death you will understand what I’m talking about.

Make sure you have no regrets then.