Proof from the Hebrew Scriptures that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah
Dan Bruce’s He Is The One is a provocative and deeply researched work that sets out to prove, with scholarly rigor and textual precision, that Jesus of Nazareth is the long-anticipated Jewish Messiah foretold in the Hebrew Scriptures. Drawing heavily from the Book of Daniel and other Hebrew prophetic texts, Bruce’s central claim is that the timing, mission, and identity of the Messiah were foretold in the Jewish Bible—and that Jesus uniquely fulfills these messianic markers within a precisely specified historical window.
Unlike many Christian apologetics aimed at Jewish audiences, Bruce’s work avoids sentimental appeals or generalized typologies. Instead, it hinges on chronological exactness. At the heart of the book is a detailed analysis of Daniel 9:24–27, the so-called “Messiah Prophecy.” Bruce challenges both Jewish and Christian traditional interpretations of the “seventy weeks,” arguing that they have been misread for centuries due to ingrained theological biases and chronological inaccuracies.
Where many interpreters assume that “weeks” refers to sabbatical years (thus totaling 490 years), Bruce suggests that Daniel was instead using Pentecosts (Feast of Weeks) as his unit of measurement. With this reinterpretation, the seventy weeks become seventy Pentecosts—spanning roughly seventy years—not 490 years. This shift is significant because it allows Bruce to identify a specific historical timeframe from 42 BCE to 28 CE during which the Messiah was prophesied to appear and fulfill six major messianic objectives.
What makes Bruce’s argument so compelling is his grounding in verifiable history. He points to a decree by Julius Caesar around 44 BCE that restored political authority in Judea to Hyrcanus II, a priest-prince of the Hasmonean line, and views this decree as the starting point for Daniel’s seventy weeks. Tracing each of the subsequent “weeks” (Pentecost festivals) through documented Jewish history and festival calendars, Bruce arrives precisely at 28 CE as the culminating year—aligning with the public ministry of Jesus, which began after his baptism by John the Baptist, itself interpreted as the formal beginning of the New Covenant predicted by Jeremiah.
Bruce does not stop at mathematical precision. He goes on to analyze six messianic signs drawn from Daniel 9:24: to finish transgression, make an end of sins, make reconciliation for iniquity, bring in everlasting righteousness, seal up vision and prophecy, and anoint the Most Holy. These, he argues, were not merely symbolic or spiritual in nature—they were measurable, time-bound actions that were fulfilled by Jesus during the seventy-Pentecost window.
A major strength of the book is Bruce’s insistence that all messianic claims must be held to the standard of the Hebrew text itself, not subsequent religious tradition. He carefully compares the Masoretic text’s rendering of key prophetic phrases with traditional Christian and Jewish interpretations, demonstrating how both camps have, at times, overlooked the plain meaning of the text in favor of theological presuppositions.
For Jewish readers, Bruce anticipates skepticism and addresses it head-on. He acknowledges the long history of Jewish suffering in the name of Christianity and the understandably strong resistance among many Jews to the idea that Jesus could be the Messiah. However, he makes the case that it is precisely the biblical and historical evidence—not church tradition—that should be the basis for reconsidering the identity of the Messiah.
For Christian readers, especially those unfamiliar with Jewish interpretations of Daniel and Jeremiah, the book offers a fascinating glimpse into how early Jewish history, messianic expectation, and biblical prophecy intersect. It also calls into question some long-held Christian eschatological frameworks, particularly those dependent on Daniel 9’s seventy weeks being stretched to the end of days.
Bruce’s tone is scholarly yet accessible. He includes charts, calendars, and detailed timelines that help the reader follow the complexity of his argument. Though not a light read, the book rewards careful attention. It could be considered essential reading for serious students of prophecy, those engaged in Jewish-Christian dialogue, and any reader intrigued by the interplay of Scripture and history.
That said, the book’s heavy reliance on precise chronology and its challenge to both Christian dispensationalism and Jewish rabbinic tradition may raise objections from readers wedded to those frameworks. Bruce’s position is unapologetically bold: he claims that the Messiah has already come, that his appearance occurred within a divinely revealed and historically fulfilled timeframe, and that only Jesus of Nazareth fits that description.
In conclusion, He Is The One is a meticulous, courageous, and intellectually satisfying exploration of biblical prophecy. Whether one agrees with Bruce’s conclusions or not, his work exemplifies the kind of respectful, evidence-based argumentation that can foster meaningful dialogue about one of the most important questions in human history: Who is the Messiah?
Best for: Prophecy scholars, Bible teachers, Jewish and Christian readers open to serious scriptural study, and anyone seeking a rigorous biblical basis for messianic identity claims.
Complete book available for free download here.