Dr. Michael Rydelnik, Instructor

For centuries Jewish sages looked for Messianic redemption because of the Hebrew Bible's prediction of the Messianic Redeemer. Today, in the scholarly world, this biblical hope has been seriously questioned. Instead many have adopted the medieval Jewish position which sees the fulfillment of these prophecies in historical figures rather than in the Messiah. This course will make the case for interpreting the Hebrew Bible as a messianic text by considering textual criticism, inner-biblical interpretation and canonical considerations. Furthermore, it will present the influence of Rabbinic tradition in the formation of the Masoretic text and the role of Rashi and other Medieval Jewish interpreters on both scholarly interpretation, both among Jews and Christians. After establishing that the Hebrew Bible should be read messianically, the course will consider the various ways the New Covenant views messianic prophecy. Then the most controversial of prophecies will be examined exegetically to demonstrate that the correct understanding of these passages is to view them as predictions of the Mesiah fulfilled by Yeshua of Nazareth.

Approx. 6 hours of teaching on 3 DVDs or Online Streaming. (2006)