 The word Messiah generally is associated with Son of David. But the rabbis in the Talmud have a teaching about Messiah, Son of Joseph, alongside Messiah, Son of David. Where did the rabbis get this idea from? Where does the Bible say anything about a second Messiah, another Messiah besides the Son of David prophesied by Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah? The answer is the book of Elbediah. The book of Elbediah actually has only one chapter in it. And in that book we read how the house of Jacob will be a fire, and the house of Joseph will be a flame, the house of Esau, the house of Esau will be straw, and the house of Esau, the house of Esau will be devoured, will be consumed. The book finishes off with the words in Hebrew, allum me sheim behar tsein lishbait eshar esav, translation, saviors in the plural, saviors will arise and go up to judge the mountain of Esau of Esau, and the kingdom will come to God. The judgment of the house of Esau, the judgment of Esau, is a concept that both Ezekiel and Isaiah associated with the messianic age. Ezekiel chapter 35 and Isaiah chapter 34 describe how the house of Esau will be destroyed, the house of Edaim will be destroyed, Edaim is another name for Esau, Esau, and the kingdom will come to God after that. So we see clearly in the book of Ebediah that there are a plurality of saviors, not just one savior but two saviors. The house of Joseph is explicitly mentioned as part and parcel of God's plan for the destruction of Esau, so here's where the Bible is the most explicit about a savior from the house of Joseph. We see clearly how the tribe of Joseph is going to be associated and involved in the ushering in of the messianic age. There is an additional reference to the Messiah, Son of Joseph, and the Talmud makes this connection. In Zechariah chapter 12 verse 10 we read about a war that's taking place, a battle that's taking place in the messianic age in the end times and the house of David is mentioned. The house of David is mentioned as mourning together with the rest of Israel mourning for one who was pierced, one who was killed through stabbing and it describes a great mourning and a great cry and lament that will take place at that point in time and what follows is the messianic age and the rabbis associated this with the death of Messiah, Son of Joseph. The rabbis understood that this tells us this passage in Zechariah and Zechariah tells us Messiah, Son of Joseph will die in this battle against the forces of evil, the forces of Esau and he'll be mourned by David and by the house of David and by the people of Israel. Where did the rabbis get this idea from? How did they know who is being pierced in this prophecy in Zechariah and Zechariah? The fact is, is that the Bible doesn't tell us much about Messiah, Son of David. The most important word that the Bible tells us about Messiah, Son of David is, is the name David. The Messiah himself is called by the name David several times throughout the scriptures. In Hosea Hesheah, the third chapter, our yearning for the Messiah is described as yearning for our King David. Now, if you noticed, David at first wasn't a king, he was the son-in-law of the king, he was the son-in-law of Saul but he wasn't a king. When did David become a king? After his father-in-law, after Saul died. What was the first thing that David did as a king? Once his father-in-law died, what was the first thing he did? The first thing that David did was to mourn. Second Samuel, the second book of Samuel opens with David mourning for one who was pierced, one who was stabbed, who happened to be his father-in-law, happened to be Saul. The rabbis understood, the rabbis understood that the Messiah will parallel his ancestor David. Just like David, before he actually takes the kingdom and acts as king in an active way, the first thing he does is appreciates and mourns the sacrifices and the investment of the leaders that came before him, that laid the groundwork for his kingdom. And just like David, his ancestor before him mourned for Saul, the king that was there before him, that fought with the enemies of Israel, that fought with the enemies of God, died in battle, so too will the Messiah mourn for the king that precedes him for Messiah, Son of Joseph, who will fight and die in battle as described by the prophet Zechariah.