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There is an idea in Judaism that there is/was a messiah for every generation.

I have heard some people muse that it was Christ in the Garden, and so I float the idea that during the timeline in which a Messiah was needed, is it possible that Christ has come before, either as:

  • Just an observer.
  • A messiah not realized.
  • A messiah who failed his initial goal.

And by "Possible" I mean, does the Catholic Catechism explicitly or implicitly (but apodictically) rules these ideas out as blasphemous or heretical?

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    I really don't understand the negative downvotes without a comment asking for some kind of edit or improvement to the question. I'm not catholic... but this idea sounds heretical. Christ did exist before the incarnation as the Ancient of Days seen in the old testament... but this messiah for every generation, sounds like blasphemy :)
    – Wyrsa
    Commented Oct 10 at 7:45
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    Given how many ideas were formally rejected over the centuries, it seems like a reasonable question to ask whether "idea X" was at some point formally rejected.
    – kutschkem
    Commented Oct 10 at 13:57
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    I think your Q is fine since it is objective and clear enough to be answered from the Catholic perspective. But as @Anne said, a quote for the claim makes this Q better, and more defensible against downvotes.
    – GratefulDisciple
    Commented Oct 11 at 4:33

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Early Church Fathers like Justin Martyr asserted that Jesus was the Angel of the LORD who appears in various places in the OT. For example: the Angel that wrestled with Joseph and the Angel in the Burning Bush.

Dialogue with Trypho (ch 56)

I shall attempt to persuade you, since you have understood the Scriptures, [of the truth] of what I say, that there is, and that there is said to be, another God and Lord subject to the Maker of all things; who is also called an Angel, because He announces to men whatsoever the Maker of all things— above whom there is no other God — wishes to announce to them.

This is a little different from the idea of a messiah per generation, however - which could just reflect how God kept raising up new individuals to serve to lead Israel in the OT.

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