The Hebrew word “Messiah” (and its Greek equivalent “Christ”) translates to “anointed one” is used for various figures, not just Jesus Christ. It refers to those who were anointed or chosen by God, including kings, priests, and prophets. Here are some examples:

Anointed Kings:

• David (1 Samuel 16:13)
• Solomon (1 Kings 1:39)
• Saul, the first king of Israel (1 Samuel 10:1)

Anointed Priests:

• Priests in Israel were anointed with holy oil, such as Aaron (Leviticus 8:12).

Anointed Prophets:

• Elisha was anointed as a prophet (1 Kings 19:16).

Cyrus the Great:

• Interestingly, Cyrus, the king of Persia, is called “Messiah” (anointed one) in Isaiah 45:1, Wycliffe Bible (WYC), because he allowed the Israelites to return from Babylonian exile.

The Expected Messiah (Jesus Christ in Christian belief):

• Jesus is referred to as “the Messiah” in the New Testament (e.g., John 1:41, Matthew 16:16), where the title takes on a unique significance as the prophesied savior.

So, while the term Messiah is used for multiple figures in the Bible, it became most closely associated with Jesus in Christian theology.

How many Messiahs are there in the Bible?

There are several references to messiah figures in the Bible mainly due to the fact that priests (Exodus 28:41; 40:15; Numbers 3:3), prophets (1 Kings 19:16), and kings (1 Samuel 9:16; 16:3; 2 Samuel 12:7) were anointed with oil, and so consecrated to their respective offices.