What Will Happen When the Messiah Comes?
For thousands of years, people of faith have awaited the coming of the Messiah—a divinely anointed leader who will bring peace, justice, and restoration to the world. But what exactly do we expect to happen when that day arrives? Our hope that has been shared across centuries is for the redemption of humanity and the fulfillment of God’s promises. Below are some scriptures and some insight from the Rabbis.
Psalms 126: When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb!Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
Jesus will not return in secret or quietly—it will be seen by all, like lightning in the sky.
“For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” — Matthew 24:27
He Will Come on the Clouds
“Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him…”
— Revelation 1:7
“They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.”
— Matthew 24:30
This is a fulfillment of Daniel 7:13, where “one like a son of man” comes with the clouds.
A Shofar-Like Trumpet Will Sound
“For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God…”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16
This echoes the shofar blast mentioned in Jewish tradition to signal redemption.
The Dead in Messiah Will Rise
“…and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up… to meet the Lord in the air.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17
This is part of the resurrection of the righteous (Techiyat HaMetim in Jewish tradition).
He Will Judge the Nations
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory… He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”
— Matthew 25:31–33
This describes a judgment of righteousness, based on faith and deeds.
Peace and Restoration of All Things
“…whom heaven must receive until the time comes for God to restore everything, as He promised long ago through His holy prophets.”
— Acts 3:21
This refers to the Messianic Age—a time of peace, justice, and full knowledge of God.
Jesus Will Reign as King
“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He will reign for ever and ever.”
— Revelation 11:15
This completes the vision of a Davidic King ruling in righteousness from Jerusalem (Isaiah 9:6-7, Ezekiel 37:24–28).
Rabbinic sources:
When the Messiah (Mashiach) arrives, the rabbis teach that it will be a moment of great joy, awe, and gratitude. While there is no single, universally mandated blessing specifically and explicitly codified in the Talmud or major halachic sources for greeting the Messiah upon his arrival, there are a few traditional blessings and ideas that are associated with such a profound event, according to rabbinic thought.
According to traditional Jewish belief, the Messiah (Mashiach) will be a righteous man, Torah-observant leader from the line of King David. His coming will usher in a Messianic Age, marked by:
- Rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem
- The ingathering of the Jewish exiles from the four corners of the earth
- Universal peace and the end of war (Isaiah 2:4)
- A world filled with the knowledge of God (Isaiah 11:9)
- The resurrection of the righteous (Daniel 12:2)
- Clear and undisputed recognition of the Messiah by all
Rabbis have also taught that blessings such as the Shehechiyanu (“who has kept us alive to see this day”)
1. Shehechiyanu Blessing
One of the most commonly mentioned blessings is:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה
“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this time.”
This blessing is traditionally said on joyous occasions and first-time events—so many sages say it would certainly be fitting to say this when the Messiah arrives.
2. Blessing on Seeing a Great Sage or King
The Talmud (Berachot 58a) gives blessings for seeing a Jewish king or a wise man:
- For a Jewish king, the blessing is:בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁנָּתַן מִכְּבוֹדוֹ לִירֵאָיו
“Who has given of His glory to those who fear Him.” - For a Torah sage, the blessing is:שֶׁחָנַן מֵחָכְמָתוֹ לִירֵאָיו
“Who has given of His wisdom to those who fear Him.”
Since the Messiah is expected to be both a king and a Torah sage of the highest order, both blessings could be appropriate.
3. Redemption-Focused Prayers
The Amidah (Shemoneh Esrei) includes daily prayers for the coming of the Messiah and redemption, such as:
אֶת צֶמַח דָּוִד עַבְדְּךָ מְהֵרָה תַצְמִיחַ
“May the offspring of Your servant David quickly flourish…”
When the Messiah comes, people may spontaneously pray or recite those blessings with deep kavanah (intent).
4. Expressions from Psalms and Prophets
Rabbinic literature and siddurim (prayer books) are filled with verses that might be exclaimed in such a moment, such as:
זֶה הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה ה׳, נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בוֹ
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
(Psalm 118:24)
הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא!
“Save now!”
(Psalm 118:25)