Questions: 101 Judaism

[Amica]

Hello,
I have some questions and if someone could answer, I would greately appreciate it:
1) Do Jews study the New Testament?
2) According to John the Baptist, when Jews asked him who he was, they asked: "Are you the Christ?" He said no. "Are you Elijah?" He said no. "Are you The Prophet?" then he said no. I know that Jews are still awaiting the Messiah, but I do not know much about The Prophet and Elijah. Can someone tell me about this?
3) Do Jews believe in the appearance of the antichrist?
Thank you for your replies.

[bananabrain]

hi amica,

1) Do Jews study the New Testament?

not as part of our religion. we consider the books of the NT as interesting historical documents, but not as jewish texts.

2) According to John the Baptist, when Jews asked him who he was, they asked: "Are you the Christ?" He said no. "Are you Elijah?" He said no. "Are you The Prophet?" then he said no. I know that Jews are still awaiting the Messiah, but I do not know much about The Prophet and Elijah. Can someone tell me about this?

elijah (known to muslims as "khidr", i believe) is believed by jews to be the "herald" of the Messiah. thus, his appearance will be an indication that the Messiah's revelation is iminent. i don't know this passage at all (what's the reference? which gospel is it in?) but i don't believe he would have referred to "the" prophet but "a" prophet.

3) Do Jews believe in the appearance of the antichrist?

not as such. certainly we wouldn't use the term "christ" due to its resonances, but there is, i believe an anti-messianic figure in some of the later mystical literature who is some kind of evil king, but he is, like the Messiah, an entirely human, albeit exceptional figure.

b'shalom

bananabrain

[queenofsheba]

Originally Posted by Amica

3) Do Jews believe in the appearance of the antichrist?
Thank you for your replies.

They know the fallen angel, but not the Antichrist.

[bananabrain]

ahem. there is a reference in one of the psalms to one of the "tzarim" who fell, but this could just as easily be adam he's talking about, or nebuchadnezzar, frankly. we have no tradition of a "fallen angel" that i am aware of (apart from possibly the "nephilim", which actually has a connotation of falling) and certainly not one who becomes an adversary to G!D. both ha-satan and the angel of death are doing the work of Heaven - the first as the public prosecutor of the heavenly court and the second as its bailiffs/janitors, if you like.

i should add, incidentally, that i asked a mate of mine who's a catholic priest (and also, incidentally an expert on christian/islamic relations) about the reference to "the prophet" (gospel of john chapter 2 i believe) and he says the distinction made between elijah and "the prophet" may actually be because the writer himself didn't know that the prophet who announces the coming of the Messiah and elijah are actually one and the same person. either way, obviously it does look a certain way to the uninformed (and i include myself in that) but i think you've been misled by the modern connotations of an english translation of a faulty bit of religious journalism, as it were.

b'shalom

bananabrain

[Jaiket]

Originally Posted by Amica

Hello,
I have some questions and if someone could answer, I would greately appreciate it...

Ironically, Amica, there is a Judaism 101 article at: http://www.jewfaq.org/ that is quite useful to us goyim ( couldn't resist it) with an interest in Judaism.

Hope that is some use to you.

[Amica]

Thank you.

I will be sure to look on this website.
Judaism is surley not something I know much about, but that I would love to learn more about. I know that my religion is very similar to Judaism, but as a parent of monotheism I think Judaism deserves to a certain respect to paid to it.
My great grandmother was Jewish (on my mother's side). Her name was Ada. She was killed in WWII along my great grandfather who was a Muslim. My grandfather (my mother's father) during the old communist Yugoslavia had to identify himself as a Yugoslav, 'undecided', but he refused to adhere to any particular faith. Only recently, before he died, he revealed that his mother, God rest her soul, was Jewish. So I would like to learn more about Judaism.
Peace.

[Bi Dhikri Allah]

I was wondering of what status Ezra had in Judaism. Also, do you believe in any sons/partners along with God?

[bananabrain]

Also, do you believe in any sons/partners along with G!D?

absolutely *not*. hence "monotheism". a prophet, by contrast, is not a partner, but a conduit for G!D's Will.

b'shalom

bananabrain

[I, Brian]

Originally Posted by Bi Dhikri Allah

I was wondering of what status Ezra had in Judaism. Also, do you believe in any sons/partners along with God?

He answered you here, hopefully:
Ezra?