Did Jews in Jesus’ time believe that prophecy had ended?

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DiamondCraftH2O

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Hi everyone,
I’m trying to do a full-sweep research analysis of religions and their beliefs and their validity. I’ve come to a haunt with finding out about Jesus benign the messiah. I’ve been catholic for 2 decades and I’ve come across an article on wish.com (why do Jews not believe in Jesus) that said the messiah needs to be a prophet and that prophets can only exist when Israel is home to a majority of world jewry. Thus, they believe that nobody could be a prophet after 313 bce until a majority of Jews live in Israel (claimed to have yet to happen). So this made me question to certainty of Catholicism. Can anyone shed some light on the subject if this invalidates Jesus’ being the messiah or if Jews at Jesus’ time believed that prophecy had ended. (Not sure if they had to know or if just the Jewish leaders had to know this requirement for it to be valid). Or did the Jewish leaders not have the right to make this a messianic prophecy or was it made by actual prophets already??? I’m trying to look at this from all angles to see any possibility and I just want to know the truth so I may serve God well. Thank you all, also please show me any sources you find and any links, thank you.
 
Have you joined any Catholic Bible studies or faith formation groups where you could grow your faith, instead of chipping away steadily by reading random polemic websites which do not represent any authentic religious faith?
 
While thinking about how I was to fully come to know something as truth, I came to the conclusion that biased info would get me nowhere. While Bible-studies are useful for those who are cemented in their religion, I myself am trying to answer all possible objections to different religions to find absolute proof of which religion is correct, which may sound like an impossible task, but is actually quite possible by researching the beliefs of each religion and identifying any contradictions in it or with the outside world. Thus far I have narrowed my search of monotheistic religions to Catholicism and Judaism, as Islam has contradictions and Protestantism co traduces itself with the Bible. Catholicism does not but now I am trying to find out what Jews believed in Jesus’ time to make sure no teachings about Jewish beliefs in the messiah and messianic prophecies were changed or misinterpreted so that I can prove which is correct. So I haven’t found any use to n Bible-study groups during my search
 
You’d be surprised. Catholic Bible studies are the best source for finding out what was believed by the Jews in the days of Jesus.
 
DiamondCraftH2O said:
I came to the conclusion that biased info would get me nowhere.
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Which is why reading anti-Christian articles on wish (Really? Wish?) is the best course of action.

There is no such thing as unbiased information. Everyone has an agenda, everyone wants you to think something about what they say, and everyone omits and includes facts they think are important. Bias is part of life.
 
You misunderstand my statement. I was looking at aish.com not for unbiased info, but rather for what claims Jews have to not believe in Jesus so that I may research into and disprove them through historical records and logic. There are MANY unbiased views when it comes to religious info if you are careful while looking. Most are biased due to the nature of religion. However, historical texts and especially logic tend to have a heavily trustworthy capability to answer questions with truth and authority. Some documents can be biased, yes, but we are not looking for opinions from long ago, we are looking for proof of what had/n’t happened and what was/n’t believed. So no, I wasn’t using aish.com for unbiased info other than to know what claims Jews had, which is the likely only unbiased thing to possibly come out of the site
 
You say you have been Catholic for 20 years. You say that you seek truth. Yet you seek truth outside the Catholic Church. Do you deny that the Catholic Church contains the fullness of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness? No other source is necessary, all it takes is for you to come home.
 
I’ve been practicing Catholicism and have declared that I’m a part of it and practiced it in every way I know how and every way the priests have said. I’m simply trying to find out if the history is true which decides the validity of a religion rather than just someone saying so. That would involve that person being right which I cannot know myself inherently is what I’m saying so I’m trying to find out for certain if that claim is true. I’m not saying the Catholic Church isn’t the full authority, but I’m not saying that simply declaring that is enough evidence to prove that. I can’t personally deal with that uncertainty, so I wish to see if all possible rejections can be answered whether by man or by God (through prayer). I have prayer much on this and just want to find truth. If I must be frank and more open with my personal life I can be about this, allow me to explain, but it won’t be a pretty picture:

I have been trying to research religions for 2 full years trying to make sure which is correct. I was raised Catholic, have gone to mass every Sunday. Tried to learn all of the teachings of the catechism. Dealt with scrupulosity. And I recently have come across info that the hews before Jesus’ time didn’t even believe in life after death like we do. I’m trying to find out the validity that f these claims and those of other religions so I can know truth. I am currently in such despair that I must figure out what the truth is. I have dealt with suicidal thoughts so many times that I must know what the truth is. I can not afford any other alternative. I know that went from 1 to 100 very quickly but I hope you can understand. I’m currently going to bed now so I won’t get back to any responses for many hours from now
 
I think you should seek professional counseling and psychiatric help, rather than trying to go at this all alone.
 
DiamondCraftH2O said:
and that prophets can only exist when Israel is home to a majority of world jewry.
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It sounds unlikely to me. Does that come from a Jewish source? How would it square with Jeremiah and Ezekiel, both recognized as prophets at the time of the Babylonian captivity?
 
DiamondCraftH2O said:
Can anyone shed some light on the subject if this invalidates Jesus’ being the messiah or if Jews at Jesus’ time believed that prophecy had ended
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From a Christian perspective, not all of the Jews at the time had it quite right. We see Jesus ministering to them in ways to point their heart to Truth. If there were sufficient evidence that Jews at that time believed prophesy had ended, that wouldn’t necessarily make it true, nomatter how sincere or widespread the belief.

I’m very interested in what you find about when and why Jewish prophesy ended. It’s super interesting. The two different narratives will not easily invalidate eachother.

You might be better served by really considering what you know about the God of all History and what He would leave his people with, cut off from prophesy until such a time they can all return to a geographic location, or with a Holy Mother Church, born out of the ultimate loving sacrifice, that transcends time and location, with grace filled sacraments pouring forth.
 
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DiamondCraftH2O said:
I am currently in such despair that I must figure out what the truth is. I have dealt with suicidal thoughts so many times that I must know what the truth is. I can not afford any other alternative. I know that went from 1 to 100 very quickly but I hope you can understand. I’m currently going to bed now so I won’t get back to any responses for many hours from now
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Prayer in Times of Discouragement written by Mother Angelica

“O God, my mind whirls around in confusion and my soul seems destitute of all consolation. It is as if all the world and all my life were telescoped into one moment and I carry the burden of it all. I cannot see any future except tomorrow being another today.

All my yesterdays crowd around me, some accusing and some regret filled. It is like a prison with a thousand voices shouting for attention.

Divine Jailor, You have the key to release my soul from the prison of discouragement. Unlock the doors and let me roam freely into the regions of Your love. Deliver me from the tyranny of my own will.

Surely You take no pleasure in my soul disquieted within me, for then I am wrapped in myself: Do I hear You whisper, “Unlock the door for the key is within. I wait ready to enter and comfort you.”

Jesus, I trust in you! Amen.
 
Unfortunately that failed. All the emotional stability that I want didn’t and doesn’t come from psychiatry. I’m even on medication for it. However, the fear of death and damnation is such a powerful source that it doesn’t help to just “talk about it”. Truly, the only splice is to know what is true, so that I may come at peace.
 
DiamondCraftH2O said:
Truly, the only splice is to know what is true,
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Can you please confirm that the knowledge you are seeking is, specifically, the answer to your question about the history of Judaism? Namely, in the first century AD, did Jews believe at that time that there could be no prophets because there were more Jews in the diaspora than in Judea?
 
Going by the Dead Sea Scrolls, there was at least one group (the Essenes) who were actively expecting the Messiah.
 
Yes that is correct. Currently that is the only Jewish objection to Jesus being the messiah that I have yet to answer.
 
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