Messiah is one of the most popular and most contested terms in Christian reflection, with many often reading the concept back into early Old Testament texts. Joseph Fitzmyer carefully and comprehensively contradicts this misreading, tracing the emergence of messianism to a much later date — the second century B.C.

The One Who Is to Come begins with a linguistic discussion of the term messiah, then demonstrates the gradual emergence of the idea of a future, dynasty-continuing David, before finally examining the "anointed one" language in the latest biblical text, Daniel 9. It also examines the use of the term in the Septuagint and extrabiblical Jewish writings, as well as the New Testament, Targums, and the Mishnah. Fitzmyer's masterful study presents a novel, biblical thesis that will appeal to scholars, students, and all who wish to investigate the complex history of messianism.