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Published in Egyptian Gazette on 26\1\2007
In Daniel 9: 25- 27 “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince… shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary… And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week” This means that, in the Holy Bible the Messiah (the anointed one) is a Prince. In king James edition the word “Messias” is not mentioned at all in the Old Testament, although the word “Messiah” is found only in Daniel 9: 24- 27 described as prince, as mentioned above. While the word “anointed” refers to Jesus Christ, nominated king of the Jews by God’s order. Likewise Moses anointed his brother Aaron in Exodus 28: 41 “And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.” This is how it was done “Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.”
In the New Testament, in king James the word “Messiah” is never used. While “Messias” is used twice - once in John 1: 41 “We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.” the other in John 4: 25 “I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ:” This means that “Messias” is different from the word “Christ”, for if the two words have the same meaning they would have said “Messias who is Christ”. The Latin vulgate manuscript of Barnabas also calls Jesus (PBUH) Chrissto (Christ in English). It refers to the messenger who will be sent to all the tribes by the word “Messia” only once in fact, it says “Mesia” which seems to be a spelling mistake. The Hebrew word “Messia” could mean “the prophet”. We know this from John 1: 25 “And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?” and from John 7: 40,41 “Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?”. There is difference between the meaning of “Christ” and “the Prophet”, or “that prophet”, as these words points to someone special (the prophet sent to the entire world). Many times the writer (or writers) of the Arabic notes found in the manuscript of Barnabas translated the word “Messia” as “Rasoul”, which means messenger. This would seem to suggest that the Arabic of the writer(s) was very poor. Perhaps he or they were Israelis who didn’t live in Israeli territories, but Most probably in Turkey since the word “Sultan” keeps cropping up and the Arabic letter, ‘Ta’ is written at the end of words in the Turkish fashion.
In Haji 2: 7 we read “And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.” This means that the man whom the Jews called Messiah is a messenger of God to all people. It can’t be Jesus who said plainly “But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Mathew 15:24). He also said: “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Mathew10: 5, 6).