document that contains every feature mentioned. Nevertheless, most or all forms of Jewish Messianic hope fit somewhere within the outline given below, and certain elements are central to all expectations. My aim is not to give a checklist but an impressionist portrait, which can then be discussed in relation to the Gospels’ portrait of Jesus.5 The Birth Pangs One or two items usually precede the coming of the Messiah. The most important of these is the period of general tribulation and suffering