Wasn't the Messiah supposed to bring world peace and rebuild the Temple?
Yes, and Messianic Jews believe he will, when he returns. The Tanakh also shows a Messiah who suffers first (Isaiah 53, Zechariah 12:10). The rabbis even spoke of two Messiahs to explain it.
Maimonides lists rebuilding the Temple and gathering the exiles as signs of the Messiah, and that's a serious objection.
But the Scriptures show two pictures: a king who reigns in peace (Isaiah 9, 11), and a servant who is rejected and pierced (Isaiah 53, Zechariah 12:10). The Talmud (Sukkah 52a) speaks of Messiah son of Joseph, who is killed, and Messiah son of David, who reigns. Sanhedrin 98a says he comes "with the clouds" or "lowly, on a donkey".
Messianic Jews believe both pictures are one person, coming twice: first to suffer and atone, then to reign. Zechariah 12:10 itself has Israel looking on the one they pierced, and then mourning.
In the Scriptures
10וְשָׁפַכְתִּי֩ עַל־בֵּ֨ית דָּוִ֜יד וְעַ֣ל ׀ יוֹשֵׁ֣ב יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם ר֤וּחַ חֵן֙ וְתַ֣חֲנוּנִ֔ים וְהִבִּ֥יטוּ אֵלַ֖י אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר־דָּקָ֑רוּ וְסָפְד֣וּ עָלָ֗יו כְּמִסְפֵּד֙ עַל־הַיָּחִ֔יד וְהָמֵ֥ר עָלָ֖יו כְּהָמֵ֥ר עַֽל־הַבְּכֽוֹר׃
10And I will pour upon the house of David, And upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, The spirit of grace and of supplication; And they shall look unto Me because they have thrust him through; And they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, And shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born.
Zechariah 12:10 (Hebrew & JPS 1917)
9לֹֽא־יָרֵ֥עוּ וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁחִ֖יתוּ בְּכָל־הַ֣ר קָדְשִׁ֑י כִּֽי־מָלְאָ֣ה הָאָ֗רֶץ דֵּעָה֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה כַּמַּ֖יִם לַיָּ֥ם מְכַסִּֽים׃
9They shall not hurt nor destroy In all My holy mountain; For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 11:9 (Hebrew & JPS 1917)
They will look on me whom they pierced One like a son of man Ask about it
Sources
- Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings 11:1-4
- Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 52a; Sanhedrin 98a
- Zechariah 12:10
