According to Judaism, the return of the people will be followed by deliverance from foreign rule. The exiles will return, harmony and peace will spread.

According to some prophets, there will be material abundance, the land will become fertile, the sick and disabled will recover and human life will be prolonged.

The aim is to bring people back to the lost paradise described in Isaiah 11:6-9, where the wolf, lamb, lion and other animals live peacefully with humans.

According to rabbinic understanding, the Messiah is not seen as the saviour of individual souls. In order for the Messiah’s kingdom of peace to come, people must strive for active retribution and return to religiosity.

Jesus, on the other hand, spoke of a change of heart and criticised the magical understanding of external rites. “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the heart through the mouth; this defiles a person” (Matthew 15:11, 18).

See also:

• The longing for a messiah 28. December 2023