Shimshon the Messiah

The midrash says that Yaakov saw that Shimshon had the possibility to be the Moshiach but it didn’t end up happening.  What was the power of Shimshon to be the Moshiach more than any other of the shoftim?  Why is Dan compared to a snake?  See Mictav MeEliyahu volume 2 on Shoftim.  The basic gist is along the lines of what we wrote here.  Shevet Dan and specifically Shimshon had the ability to elevate even that was from the other side, from the evil forces and that is the power of Moshiach.  That is why he is compared to a snake, for he has the power to elevate even the evil powers represented by the snake (see Even Ezra.) 

However, it didn’t work out (see Mictav’s explanation of why) and the Arizal teaches, instead of being Moshiach, Shimshon ends up with his feet cut off just like the snake (the גימטריא of נחש and משיח is the same.)