How did the Jews miss the Messiah? What began as a lack of carefulness to listen to Yahweh further escalated to despising Him and His commandments (Leviticus 26:15), which resulted in breaking their covenant with Him by the idolatry of worshipping other gods (Deuteronomy 29:25-26). Jehovah responded with the Babylonian captivity (29:28), but restored them to their land, when they returned to obedience of His law. After their renewed devotion to the law, somehow they became more impressed with their righteousness in the obedience, and forgot “their righteousness is of Me, saith the LORD” (Isaiah 54:17 KJV). This initially was an imperceptible lacking in devotion to the person of Yahweh, which was falling out of love with God. Yet with a tender heart of love for Ishi (Hosea 2:16), they could have noticed the more cryptic prophecies concerning the Messiah. “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14 KJV). “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 KJV). “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2 KJV). In our NT retrospect, we can see the same heart attachment to Mashiach is just as necessary for us not to miss Messiah’s Second Coming. “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:28 KJV). Maranatha!