The Prophets (Continued)
As we continue in the writings of the prophet Isaiah, we have already covered a large part of his prophecies in the last post. This post will cover the rest of his prophecies. As I mentioned before there is too much evidence for a larger gospel than currently what is preached and taught today. There is so much data in the books of scripture that ignoring Kingdom truths and concentrating only on the death, burial, resurrection of the Messiah, gives an incomplete picture of the gospel. What I hope these posts portray the things that the Jewish roots of our faith considered “good news” before the crucifixion. When we compare this to the New Testament record of the Lord and His apostles, and disciple’s instances of proclaiming the gospel, can we come to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord? I think at this point looking back over the summaries of the survey of these prophecies my answer would be yes. Later at the end of this series I will write up a combined summary that could be a possible gospel before the cross and then one post cross for comparison. But enough on that, on to the third of the prophet’s “Servant” prophecies.
Isaiah 50:4-9
This passage is about the training of God’s servant. Verses four thru nine contain the third of the servant prophecies; which depict the work of the Lord’s special servant, but also express his determination to persevere with the Lord’s help. The text reads,
4 The sovereign Lord has given me the capacity to be his spokesman, so that I know how to help the weary. He wakes me up every morning; he makes me alert so I can listen attentively as disciples do. 5 The sovereign Lord has spoken to me clearly; I have not rebelled, I have not turned back. 6 I offered my back to those who attacked, my jaws to those who tore out my beard; I did not hide my face from insults and spitting. 7 But the sovereign Lord helps me, so I am not humiliated. For that reason I am steadfastly resolved; I know I will not be put to shame. 8 The one who vindicates me is close by. Who dares to argue with me? Let us confront each other! Who is my accuser? Let him challenge me! 9 Look, the sovereign Lord helps me. Who dares to condemn me? Look, all of them will wear out like clothes; a moth will eat away at them.
Isaiah 50:4-9
It is clear that Jesus in His humanity didn’t possess omniscient, how do we explain His superior knowledge of the scriptures? The New Testament does not give an answer. Many Christians do not understand that details of the life of the Messiah are contained in the Old Testament. This passage in Isaiah gives a picture of the process that the Messiah went through.
In Verse 4 the Messiah is depicting the servant as a disciple. During his boyhood Jesus was taught according to Jewish custom by His human parents; but more importantly I believe based on this verse that his real Father woke His Son in the early hours of the morning to teach Him who He was, what His mission was, and how to behave in various situations. At an early age the Lord Jesus knew He was the Messiah of Israel.
Looking at verses 5-6, we see that the Messiah was despised; but notice in verse 5 that He had learned all that was required of Him before His suffering and death. If we think on this, its clear that before His ministry was public, He could have only committed innocent rebellion with His parents (See Luke 2:41-50) and therefore remained sinless. He also didn’t “turn back” from His mission. In verse 6 when His time came, He willingly submitted to His persecutors. The New Testament describes this abuse in great detail so there is no need to elaborate on that here; that is not the point (See John 18:22, 23; Luke 22:63-65; Mark 14:65; Matthew 27:26-31; Mark 15:16-20 for this.). There is a greater point to be seen. It was His learning that helped Him and was an example of learning through obedience during His trials both religious and civil.
Verses 7-9 tell us that Jesus as Messiah was able to endure the punishments which led to the crucifixion and death. Although we don’t see the death of the Messiah; we do see that Jesus knew that His Father was with Him the whole time.
In summary,
- Messiah would receive special training from God the Father.
- Messiah’s first coming would be to suffer.
- Messiah would be obedient in submitting Himself to the punishment and abuse of man.
Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12
The second most controversial text in the book of Isaiah is 52:13 – 53:12. This is the fourth of the Servant prophecies. In chapter 49 earlier we saw the rejection of the Servant. These verses describe primarily the suffering of the Messiah, but we see also His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. This also is a very large passage, so a link is provided:
Judaism’s Interpretive Problems
We need to start with how the Jewish teachers viewed this passage over history. This passage has caused real problems for Judaism as it was once considered a Messianic passage. However today it is considered a text about the sufferings of Israel in a world dominated by Gentiles. This is the now the “traditional view” of Judaism’s rabbis. This is in opposition to and in conflict with all ancient Jewish writings. The Mishnah, the Gemara, the Talmud, the Midrashim, and many others; they all regarded this passage as one about the Messiah.
Rashi was the first Jewish rabbi to suggest that this passage spoke of the nation of Israel instead of the Messiah, circa 1050 AD. In doing so he caused a large controversy and debate with contemporary rabbis at that time. His most famous opponent was Maimonides (also known as Rambam) who stated that Rashi was completely wrong in his interpretation of the passage. Today, when Isaiah is read in synagogues they skip this part of the text. Instead they skip from chapter 52 to 54.
There are also the rabbinic sources prior to the controversy of Rashi’s interpretation,
Babylonian Talmud states, “The Messiah –what is his name?…The Rabbis say, The Leper Scholar, as it is said, ‘surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him a leper, smitten of God and afflicted…’” (Sanhedrin 98b)
Midrash Ruth Rabbah 2:14 also has, “Another explanation (of Ruth ii.14): — He is speaking of king Messiah; `Come hither,’ draw near to the throne; ‘and eat of the bread,’ that is, the bread of the kingdom; ‘and dip thy morsel in the vinegar,’ this refers to his chastisements, as it is said, ‘But he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities’”
Targum Jonathan (4th Century), the Aramaic translation of Isaiah 53, ascribed to Rabbi Jonathan ben Uzziel, a disciple of Hillel, begins with the simple and worthy words, “Behold my servant Messiah shall prosper; he shall be high and increase and be exceedingly strong…” (Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 53, ad Iocum)
Rabbi Moses Maimonides (1135-1204) stated, “What is the manner of Messiah’s advent….there shall rise up one of whom none have known before, and signs and wonders which they shall see performed by him will be the proofs of his true origin; for the Almighty, where he declares to us his mind upon this matter, says, ‘Behold a man whose name is the Branch, and he shall branch forth out of his place’ (Zech. 6:12). And Isaiah speaks similarly of the time when he shall appear, without father or mother or family being known, He came up as a sucker before him, and as a root out of dry earth, etc.…in the words of Isaiah, when describing the manner in which kings will harken to him, At him kings will shut their mouth; for that which had not been told them have they seen, and that which they had not heard they have perceived.” (From the Letter to the South (Yemen), quoted in The Fifty-third Chapter of Isaiah According to the Jewish Interpreters, Ktav Publishing House, 1969, Volume 2, pages 374-5)
Rabbi Mosheh Kohen Ibn Crispin, described those who interpret Isaiah 53 as referring to Israel as those: “having forsaken the knowledge of our Teachers, and inclined after the ‘stubbornness of their own hearts,’ and of their own opinion, I am pleased to interpret it, in accordance with the teaching of our Rabbis, of the King Messiah….This prophecy was delivered by Isaiah at the divine command for the purpose of making known to us something about the nature of the future Messiah, who is to come and deliver Israel, and his life from the day when he arrives at discretion until his advent as a redeemer, in order that if anyone should arise claiming to be himself the Messiah, we may reflect, and look to see whether we can observe in him any resemblance to the traits described here; if there is any such resemblance, then we may believe that he is the Messiah our righteousness; but if not, we cannot do so.” (From his commentary on Isaiah, quoted in The Fifty-third Chapter of Isaiah According to the Jewish Interpreters, Ktav Publishing House, 1969, Volume 2, pages 99-114.)
Also from Rambam Maimonides, “Whoever does not believe in him (Messiah), or does not await his coming, denies not only the other prophets but also the Torah and Moses, our teacher, for the Torah attests to his coming.” Source: Hilchos Melachim from the Mishneh Torah of the Rambam, 11:1.
Zohar: Rabbi Simeon Ben Jochai (2nd Century), “There is in the garden of Eden a palace called: ‘The palace of the sons of sickness, this palace the Messiah enters, and summons every sickness, every pain, and every chastisement of Israel: they all come and rest upon Him. And were it not that He had thus lightened them off Israel, and taken them upon Himself, there had been no man able to bear Israel’s chastisement for the transgression of the law; this is that which is written, ‘Surely our sicknesses he has carried’ Isa.53,4).- As they tell Him (the Messiah) of the misery of Israel in their captivity, and of those wicked ones among them who are not attentive to know their Lord, He lifts up His voice and weeps for their wickedness; and so it is written, ‘He was wounded for our transgressions’ (Isa.53,5). part II, page 212a and III, page 218a, Amsterdam Ed.)
Because of the change in Jewish readings to interpret this text as Israel and not the Messiah there are several observations we need to make about this passage concerning the current rabbinic interpretation or reading before we talk about its prophetic messianic implications.
First, the servant of Isaiah 53 is an innocent and guiltless sufferer. Israel is never described as sinless. Isaiah 1:4a says of the nation: “Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters!” Isaiah then goes on in the same chapter to characterize Judah as Sodom, Jerusalem as a harlot, and the people as those whose hands are stained with blood (see verses 1:10, 15, and 21). What a far cry from the innocent and guiltless sufferer of Isaiah 53 who had “…done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. (Isaiah 53:9 see also 1 Peter 2:22)”
Second, many ancient rabbis spoke of two Messiahs, one who was the “Son of David” and another who was the “Son of Joseph.” Though one can find the sufferings of Messiah attributed to the sufferings of the Davidic Messiah in many rabbinic writings, often a second Messiah is posited, the “Son of Joseph” or “Son of Ephraim,” who is the one who suffers while the Davidic Messiah conquers. The rabbis struggled with Biblical portraits of a suffering Messiah, as found in Isaiah 53 and other places, and portraits of a conquering Messiah, also found in the Hebrew Bible. They posited two Messiahs, but could it not also be reasonable to believe there is just one Messiah but two aspects of his mission, a suffering aspect and a conquering aspect?
Third, The eminent scholar Raphael Patai, who “taught Hebrew at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem” and served as Professor of Anthropology at Dropsie University, (Patai, Raphael, The Messiah Texts, Avon Books, 1979, p. vii) said this of the two-messiah theory,
“When the death of the Messiah became an established tenet in Talmudic times, this was felt to be irreconcilable with the belief in the Messiah as Redeemer who would usher in the blissful millennium of the Messianic Age. The dilemma was solved by splitting the person of the Messiah in two: one of them, called Messiah ben Joseph, was to raise the armies of Israel against their enemies, and, after many victories and miracles, would fall victim Gog and Magog. The other, Messiah ben David, will come after him (in some legends will bring him back to life, which psychologically hints at the identity of the two), and will lead Israel to the ultimate victory, the triumph, and the Messianic era of bliss.” (Ibid., p. 166)
Finally, for centuries Orthodox Judaism held the concept of two Messiahs. Since the Talmudic period (70 – 500 AD) history tells us that the “Son of David” alone was taught to the Jewish people. There is only one Messiah, but there are two comings and two aspects of his ministry. The Messiah came the first time to provide atonement for sin. One day he will return to judge the earth and to bring in His Kingdom.
This servant prophecy is the most famous and contains five sections of three verses each. This prophecy predicts the Servant’s death for the sins of His people. Another way to break the text down is into three sections: (1) The Father praises the work of the Servant (52:13–15); (2) Israel confesses that it has despised Him (53:1–9); (3) the prophecy expands on the significance of the Servant’s death (53:10–12). In the New Testament, the Servant is identified with Jesus Christ and it is quoted either directly or indirectly (See Luke 22:37; 24:27, 46; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 Peter 1:11).
Verses 52:13 – 15
In verse 13 the Servant of Isaiah 42:1 is mentioned again with the words, “Behold, My Servant.” This marks a new section in the development of Isaiah’s recording of prophetic truth. The Hebrew word here for “behold” is a marker used to liven narrative, change a scene, emphasize an idea, call attention to a detail.[1] It calls the reader to fix his or her attention carefully on the Servant and what follows. In the NKJV it states that He “shall deal prudently.” The footnote has “prosper”; the Hebrew literally says, “act wisely,” which by metonymy means “succeed.” Verse 14 explains what happens prior to His death, resurrection, and ascension. The Servant would be literally in the Hebrew, “Many were appalled at you, so [was the] disfigurement of [Him] from a man, appearance and form of Him from the sons of mankind.” The word “appalled” means to be appalled, horrified, terrified, dismayed, i.e., to have an emotion or attitude of horror and great fear, implying also dismay and discouragement.[2]
Even though many were appalled at the Servant’s inhuman disfigurement; despite this in verse 15 the Messiah is destined for His mission to be completed and result in cleansing “sprinkle” the nations and “kings” being astonished because of the results of the Servant’s disfigurement. There is debate on whether the word “sprinkle” (NKJV) should be translated “startled.” I think Isaiah may have used a double entendre at this point so his readers would see both truths. In reading through Isaiah it is clear that he favored the use of multiple allusions. If “sprinkle” is in focus, Isaiah meant that even though the Servant was such an unlikely candidate Messianic representative, He would still perform the priestly function of cleansing the Israel and the nations their sins (See Leviticus 4:6; 8:11; 14:7; 1 Peter 1:1–2; Hebrews 10:22). If “startle” was in focus, Isaiah meant that since the Servant was such an unlikely Messianic representative, He would shock the world when He appeared. Both meanings are possible and do not contradict any other text about the Servant. Most translations have “sprinkle,” and I believe is the primary meaning. Another line of evidence for this in the book is other priestly allusions in the upcoming verses (53:6, 7, 10, 11). Also, in this verse there is the “Kings,” whom I believe to be Gentile, and the reason for their astonishment is,
For what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider. Isaiah 52:15c
The Servant’s atoning death and its significance will be comprehended by “kings” (probably synecdoche of the part for the whole, representing the nations and peoples of the earth) as the basis of their reverential awe. Paul also used this verse in Romans 15:21 in relation to his preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles.
Having these verses as an overview of the sacrificial work of the Messiah, chapter 53 gives us the details.
Isaiah 53:1-3
In verse 1, Isaiah speaks of unbelief; Israel didn’t believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Isaiah does this by referring to “the Servant of Yahweh” and the “Arm of Yahweh.” This has to be a reference to the Messiah because back in verse 40:10, the prophet said that the “Arm” will rule for God. In verse, 51:5 he states that the Gentiles will trust in the “Arm.” In 51:9, the “Arm” will redeem; finally, in 52:10 we see that the “Arm” will provide salvation. The thought here is that Israel (at a future time) will express surprise at what was just stated in 52:13-15.
Verse 2 elaborates the reasons, the Messiah was born into the world into humble circumstances; this relates back to Isaiah 11. Israel confesses that while the Messiah was with them there was nothing special about His outward appearance that would have created an attraction to Him. His childhood and growth into manhood was “normal” from the standpoint of Israel looking at his upbringing.
In verse 3 remarks that the entire life of the Messiah was filled with rejection and suffering. People turned away from Him and didn’t accord Him the respect due royalty. The thought here is that people in general did their best to avoid Him.
Isaiah 53:4-6
In verse 4 we can see the substitutionary nature of the Messiah’s suffering. Israel didn’t perceive this; on the contrary they considered His suffering a punishment from God. The nation as a whole (with rare exceptions) one day will understand and confess that He suffered vicariously on their behalf.
Verse 5 has the nation confessing that the substitutionary suffering of the Messiah resulted in reconciliation and spiritual healing. This was due to the Messiah being the chastisement for their sins.
Verse 6 is a prophetic statement that Israel will make acknowledging their sin and sin bearer. It also states that they recognize that the Messiah suffered for their sins and that God was the one who laid their sins on Him.
The pronouns throughout this section are important, we, our, etc. It’s important to note two things here, first Isaiah was a Jew; this prophecy is not a Gentile one but a Jewish one. Secondly, nothing in this passage could apply to the nation as a whole in any sense other than their repentance and their realization of their sin and who the Messiah was/is; this passage is clearly referring to an individual – the Messiah. This individual is recognized by the “we” in this passage and the “we” are repentant sinners.
Isaiah 53:7-9
The rendering of verse 7 states that the Messiah remained silent during His affliction with the idea of His “bending/submitting” which was continual per the Hebrew participle. The Servant humbly submitted to suffering and unjust treatment.
Again this can’t be true of Israel as a nation. For many years when attacked, Israel has been anything but silent about its treatment in the international community.
Verse 8 states that the Messiah was tried and executed for the “transgressions” of the people. The word transgression has in its meaning the breaking of the law by a sinner. The idea here is that after trial and judgment, the Messiah was taken away for execution. However, at the time the people didn’t realize that He was being executed for their sins.
Verse 9 speaks of the beginning of the Messiah’s vindication, He was executed as a criminal but was buried instead (per divine justice) in a rich man’s tomb – a place of honor.
Isaiah 53:10-12
Now in verse 10, God is seen as ultimately responsible for the Messiah’s death. The first part of the verse literally reads, “Yet Yahweh delighted in crushing Him, He made Him sick, if He [literally, ‘his life’ or ‘soul’ or ‘living being’] makes a reparation offering.” We need to stop here and remember the principal of the remission or atonement of sin. This is why a system of animal sacrifice was instituted and recorded in the scriptures of the patriarchs all the way back to Able. However, we know from progressive revelation that these sacrifices only covered sin, they didn’t remove sin. During the period of the Mosaic Law, it only covered a year. The One who would provide the final sacrifice was God Himself, through the Messiah God would remove sin completely. There is much more that could be discussed here, but for now it’s important to realize this is one of the reasons the Messiah had to die.
The next part of the verse seemingly is strange, “He shall see [His] seed, He shall prolong His days…” However, this can be understood as a reference to the Messiah’s resurrection. The “seed” is a metaphor for His spiritual progeny. It is interesting to note that we have just been told the Messiah will die, and then in the next phrase hear that He will be resurrected.
In verse 11 we read that the coming Messiah who is killed will be able to see the results of His suffering. The Hebrew word for “labor” in the NKJV has a couple of meanings. First it means “trouble” or misery with the idea of work that is unpleasant, hard; a distressing experience. Figuratively, it is a picture of hard toiling work. The second meaning is that of “toil”, work that is difficult and hard with the idea of possibly gaining wealth (See scattered references in Ecclesiastes 1:3 – 10:15). Both of these ideas are important. We also see something interesting in that this Messiah will do this from a perspective of “self-knowledge.” This part of the verse could be read, “…he will reflect on his work, he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done.” This is the translation of the NET. The Messiah will after suffering will know and understand what He has done and be satisfied with what has transpired. In addition, the next part of the verse literally reads, “…he will acquit, a righteous one, my servant, many.” This is a puzzling statement; I believe the key is the verb here. The specific meaning of the Hebrew verb (tsadaq) is debated and I believe the reason is competing theological systems. If we just let the text speak we can arrive at what Isaiah’s meaning. In other Hebrew texts this particular form is used at least six times in the sense of “make righteous” in a legal sense, i.e., “pronounce innocent, acquit” (see Exodus 23:7; Deuteronomy 25:1; 1 Kings 8:32 is equivalent to 2 Chronicles 6:23; Proverbs 17:15; Isaiah 5:23). It can also mean “render justice” (as a royal function, see 2 Samuel 15:4; Psalm 82:3), “concede” (Job 27:5), “vindicate” (Isaiah 50:8), and “lead to righteousness” (by teaching and example, Daniel 12:3). The immediate context suggests a legal sense here. Due to the Messiah’s willingness to carry or bear the people’s sins, the Servant is able to “acquit” them.
Continuing in verse 12 the Messiah is pictured as coming into His kingdom. Because He (literally) poured out His life to the point of death God will greatly bless the Servant in the end above all others because He died on their behalf and was also willing to be numbered among sinners – He identified Himself with His people, even the lowest of them. In addition, the Messiah will intercede for them in the future. I believe that this is a reference to the High Priestly ministry of the Lord Jesus’ that is being conducted today. Another interesting item, the word used for “strong” can mean “a force potent to accomplish its purposes” or physical strength, or a multitude, or great. This last term is frequently seen in the translations. But the meaning here should be with the strong in more than one sense, but primarily with those “who accomplish the purpose God had for them.” [3]
So we have seen the following from this passage:
- That the ancient rabbis understood this passage as speaking of the Messiah, and only later did the “interpretation” change to the current view that this passage speaks of Israel as a Nation. See the references above.
- That the Messiah would,
- be born in natural circumstances with no distinguishing characteristics.
- in His first coming be characterized by suffering.
- be rejected.
- undergo a legal trial and be condemned to death.
- be executed.
- buried in a rich man’s tomb.
- be resurrected.
- in His sufferings and death be substitutionary.
- bring justification to all who believe in Him.
Isaiah 61:1-3
This prophecy was partially read by our Lord Jesus in Luke 4:16-21. He only read verse 1 and 2a and then stopped. He was the fulfillment of those verses and will be the fulfillment of the remainder of the verses.
Looking at verse 1; we can see that it confirms Isaiah 11:2 and 42:1, the Messiah will be anointed with the Holy Spirit for His mission. This anointing took place in Matthew 3:16 (at His baptism) and it was at this point that He began His public ministry and openly proclaimed his Messiahship.
In His first coming it was prophesied that the Messiah would first preach the good news to men, proclaim liberty to the captives, to open the prison of those who were bound, and to proclaim the acceptable year of Jehovah’s favor. Each of these in turn is examined for their significance.
- Preaching the good news, we understand as the gospel (which is much different than the one we see preached today).
- Proclaiming liberty to the captives is a way of saying in context that the nation Israel and Jews in particular were slaves to the Mosaic code. This was primarily due to their inability to keep it. As the Messiah pointed out in John 8:31 – 36, the Jews were indeed slaves to sin. They were not only bound but they were under a curse of the law due to their inability to keep all 613 commandments and ordinances.
- The statement “To open the prison of those who were bound” is further explained in the book of Hebrews,
Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Hebrews 2:14–15
Due to Israel’s failure to keep the law, they were bound by a Satanic fear of death. Part of the Messiah’s mission was to remove the keys of death and hades from Satan so that anyone who believes in the Messiah, Jew or Gentile, need have no more fear of death. We all know that fear before we are believers and once it is removed what a relief it is to not be bound by it.
- A Messianic Jew once recorded a different translation for the last part of this passage, “To proclaim the acceptable period of favor of grace.” With the death of the Messiah, the Law was brought to an end as a rule of life for believers. This doesn’t mean that these commandments and ordinances cease to exist, they are codified in the imperatives within the NT, and there are over 1000 of them versus the 613 in the OT.
In verses 2b through verse 3 we see the Messiah in His second coming. This is a study in itself due in part that it’s a study of multiple books of both the OT and NT, such as Daniel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, other Old Testament Prophets and passages; Matthew, Revelation and other prophetic passages from Messiah Jesus and His Apostles. As such these will have to wait until another series on the second coming which is another part of the Good News or gospel as it is understood today. I recommend The Footsteps of the Messiah, by Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum available through Ariel Ministries (www.ariel.org).
This last Messianic prophecy from Isaiah shows us two major points in God’s plan of redemption,
- The Messiah would be anointed by the Holy Spirit at the beginning of His ministry.
- The Messiah would have a prophetic preaching ministry.
This ends the section on Isaiah; in the next several installments we will cover the rest of the major and minor prophets in the OT. Our next area of study will be in Jeremiah.
