The Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls: The ... - josephprestonkirk

76 MESSIANIC EXPECTATION AT QUMRAN
In view of Maier’s objections, I should emphasize that “messianic” as I
use the word is by no means coterminous with “eschatological.” A messiah
has a role in the drama of the end-time, but this role is not found in
all eschatological texts. We have many notable scenarios for the salvation
of Israel that have no place for a “messiah” as defined here.
THE DAVIDIC MESSIAH
The hope for a Davidic messiah is based on God’s promise to David in
2 Sam 7:12–16:
When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will
raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and
I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will
establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him and he
shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a
rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings. But I will
not take my steadfast love from him…Your house and your kingdom shall
be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.
Despite this promise, the Davidic line had in fact come to an end at the
time of the Babylonian exile (586–539 B.C.E.). Some prophetic oracles
from the exilic period or shortly thereafter entertain the hope of restoration.
18 According to Jer 23:5–6: “The days are surely coming, says the
Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall
reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness
in the land. In his days, Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety.”
When the Jewish exiles were allowed to return to Jerusalem under the
Persians, there was naturally an upsurge of expectation in this regard. 19
The governor Zerubbabel was a descendant of the Davidic line (1 Chr
3:16–19), and some people hoped that he would restore the kingdom. The
prophet Haggai uses the image of a signet ring to indicate that Zerubbabel
was authorized representative of the Lord: “I will take you, O Zerubbabel
my servant, son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and make you like a signet
ring; for I have chosen you, says the Lord of hosts” (Hag 2:21–24). His
contemporary Zechariah expressed a similar hope when he referred to
18. See Kenneth E. Pomykala, The Davidic Dynasty in Early Judaism: Its History and
Significance for Messianism (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1995), 69–126; William M.
Schniedewind, Society and the Promise to David: The Reception History of 2 Samuel 7:1–17
(New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 119–39.
19. See further Collins, The Scepter and the Star, 29–31, and the literature there cited.