#1 — The Purifier Who Comes to His Temple
“I believe with a perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah… ” is one of the Thirteen Principles of orthodox Jewish faith as formulated by the famous Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (also known as Maimonides, or Rambam in rabbinic shorthand).
In his influential Mishneh Torah the Rambam writes:
Anyone who does not believe in him or does not await his coming, denies not only the statements of the other prophets, but those of the Torah and Moses, our teacher. The Torah testified to his coming (Hilchot Melachim 11:1).
But who is the Messiah and what is his role?
According to the Rambam, the Messiah will be a king who will arise from the line of David. He will be a great Torah sage. He will compel Israel to walk in the way of the Torah, fight the wars of G-d, rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, gather in all the exiles of Israel and then motivate the entire world to serve G-d together. Worldwide peace will follow. (See Hilchot Melachim, Chapters 11 and 12.)
The Rambam gives us a picture of an exceptional religious, military and political leader. The Messiah will be an exceptional human being—but not more than that. The Rambam even says that the Messiah doesn’t have to work miracles and wonders.
But is this the entire picture? Or has the Tenakh (Hebrew Scriptures) more to say on this subject? And is it true that the Messiah is only an exceptional human being?
Interestingly, the Rambam quotes in his discussion of the Messiah Malachi 3:3: “He will sit as a refiner and a purifier.”
The Rambam says this means the Messiah will establish the lineage of the entire nation of Israel and especially those of the Levites. He will be able to do so “by means of the Holy Spirit that will rest upon him” (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Melachim, Chapter 12, 3).
But let’s have a closer look at the passage of Scripture from which the Rambam quotes. The complete verse says:
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to HASHEM (Malachi 3:3).
Let’s examine this verse in context.
Corruption of the sons of Levi is an important topic in the book of Malachi. In light of that, we see this prophecy is about more than defining the lineage of the Israelites. The verse speaks rather about thorough spiritual purification! As a first priority, Messiah will give the sons of Levi a pure heart. As a result of this purification the service of the sons of Levi will be marked by righteousness.
But there is still more. We read also at the beginning of Malachi 3 about this purifier. We learn first of all that this purifier will be preceded by a messenger sent by G-d. Then the purifier is introduced to us as “the Lord whom you seek” and “the messenger (or angel [1]) of the covenant in whom you delight.”
[Radak (Rabbi David Kimchi) in his commentary on Malachi also suggests that this “Lord whom you seek” and this “messenger” or “angel of the covenant” is the King-Messiah.]
Behold I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger [1] of the covenant in whom you delight, behold he is coming, says HASHEM of hosts
So the purifier, whom the Rambam identifies with the Messiah, “will suddenly come to his temple” (Malachi 3:1).
What does that mean? Who is the Messiah that the Temple belongs to him?
If we look a bit closer at the text, the mystery becomes even greater. When G-d speaks of the messenger who will precede the purifier He doesn’t say this forerunner will prepare the way before the purifier, “the Lord whom you seek”; but he says “he will prepare the way before ME.”
The messenger who will precede the purifier will prepare the way before G-d Himself!
But then who is coming? The “Lord” who is also called “the angel of the covenant.”
As we saw above, both the Rambam and Radak identify this “Lord” and “messenger” or “angel of the covenant” with the Messiah. Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki), on the other hand, seems to have another interpretation.
Rashi identifies the Lord as “the G-d of Justice.” (Rashi refers back to Malachi 2:17, where the people asked, “Where is the G-d of justice?”)
Rashi’s comment makes sense. After all, to whom does the Temple belong other than to G-d?
But is Rashi’s identification of “the Lord whom you seek” with “the G-d of justice” at odds with Rambam’s and Radak’s identification of this purifier with the Messiah? Or could it be both interpretations are right?
Yes, Radak and Rambam are correct, but Rashi is correct as well—if Messiah is much more than a normal human being. He is the G-d of justice! The coming of Messiah means a divine visitation. That’s why G-d could say about the “Elijah-like” messenger [2] who will precede the Purifier, “He will prepare the way before Me!” And that’s why the temple belongs to the Purifier.
So who is the Messiah?
Let’s explore further the things the Rambam touches upon in order to get a clearer picture of Messiah’s person and role.
[1] The Hebrew word translated here as messenger is מלאך which is also often translated as angel. It often refers to a delegate of G-d. So in this text there are two “angels” or “messengers”. The first one who is called “my messenger” heralds the coming of the second which is called “the Lord whom you seek” and “the angel of the covenant” and who is “the purifier of the sons of Levi” (Malachi 3:3)
[2] See also Malachi 4:5.