Was Jesus Jewish Messiah – What does the Hebrew Bible really say?

[gadam123]

a. The Messiah According To Judaism
One of the basic premises upon which Christianity rests is that Jesus was the Messiah predicted in the Jewish Bible. Judaism has always rejected this belief. Since the goal of “Hebrew Christian” missionaries is to convince Jews that Jesus did in fact fulfill the requirements of the promised Messiah, it is necessary to examine the Jewish understanding of the Messiah to understand why such claims are simply not true.

b. The Hebrew Roots Of The Word “Messiah”
The Hebrew word for “Messiah” is “Moshiach – .” The literal and proper translation of this word is “anointed,” which refers to a ritual of anointing and consecrating someone or something with oil (I Samuel 10:1-2). It is used throughout the Jewish Bible in reference to a wide variety of individuals and/or objects; for example, a Jewish king (I Kings 1:39), Jewish priests (Leviticus 4:3), prophets (Isaiah 61:1), the Jewish Temple and its utensils (Exodus 40:9-11), unleavened bread (Numbers 6:15), and a non-Jewish king (Cyrus king of Persia, Isaiah 45:1). *

* Some form of the Hebrew word moshiach is used over 150 times in the Jewish bible. Christians consistently translate this word as anointed, except in the ninth chapter of Daniel. In this chapter missionaries deviate from this and other correct translations in an attempt to prove that the messiah came before the destruction of the Second Temple. Rather than speaking about “the messiah,” when read in context and with a correct translation this chapter clearly speaks about two different “anointed” subjects hundreds of years apart. a) The first is the anointed King Cyrus (Isaiah 45:1) who granted permission to the Jews to return and build the Second Temple 52 years “7 weeks of years” after the destruction of the First Temple. b) The second is the anointed priesthood (Leviticus 4:3) that was terminated 434 years “62 weeks of years” later.

c. The Criteria To Be Fulfilled By The Jewish Messiah
In accurate translations of Jewish Scriptures, the word “Moshiach” is never translated as “Messiah,” but as “anointed.” Nevertheless, Judaism has always maintained a fundamental belief in a Messianic figure. Since the concept of a Messiah is one that was given by God to the Jews, Jewish tradition is best qualified to describe and recognize the expected Messiah. This tradition has its foundation in numerous biblical references, many of which are cited below. Judaism understands the Messiah to be a human being (with no connotation of deity or divinity) who will bring about certain changes in the world and who must fulfill certain specific criteria before being acknowledged as the Messiah.

These specific criteria are as follows:

1) He must be Jewish. (Deuteronomy. 17:15, Numbers 24:17)

2) He must be a member of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10) and a direct male descendant of King David (I Chronicles 17:11, Psalms 89:29-38, Jeremiah 33:17, II Samuel 7:12-16) and King Solomon.

(I Chronicles 22:10, II Chronicles 7:18)

3) He must gather the Jewish people from exile and return them to Israel. (Isaiah 27:12-13, Isaiah 11:12)

4) He must rebuild the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. (Micah 4:1)

5) He must bring world peace. (Isaiah 2:4, Isaiah 11:6, Micah 4:3)

6) He must influence the entire world to acknowledge and serve one G-d. (Isaiah 11:9, Isaiah 40:5, Zephaniah 3:9)

All of these criteria for the Messiah are best stated in chapter 37:24-28 of the book of Ezekiel:

“and My servant David will be a king over them, and they will all have one shepherd, and they will walk in My ordinances, and keep My statutes, and observe them, and they shall live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant…and I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant and I will set my sanctuary in their midst forever and My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their G-d and they will be My people. And the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.” (Ezekiel 37:24-28)

Emphasis: If an individual fails to fulfill even one of these conditions, then he cannot be the Messiah!

d. Why Jesus Could Not Have Been The Jewish Messiah
A careful analysis of these criteria shows us that, although Jesus was Jewish, he did not fulfill any of the other criteria. An examination of the contradictory accounts of Jesus’ genealogy demonstrates a number of difficulties with the fulfillment of the second criterion. Specifically, the New Testament claims that Jesus did not have a physical father. The Jewish Scriptures, however, clearly states that a person’s genealogy and tribal membership is transmitted exclusively through one’s physical father (Numbers 1:18, Jeremiah 33:17). Therefore, Jesus cannot possibly be a descendant of the tribe of Judah nor of King David and King Solomon.

There are even further problems with any attempts to use the Jewish Scriptures to prove Jesus’ genealogy through Joseph, the husband of Mary (Jesus’ mother).

For the New Testament claims that Joseph was a descendant of King Jeconiah, who in the Hebrew Bible was cursed to never have a descendant “sitting on the throne of David and ruling any more in Judah” (Jeremiah 22:30). Joseph’s genealogy, even if it were transmittable to Jesus, would only serve to further disqualify Jesus as the Messiah.

Finally, there is the problem of the contradictory accounts of Jesus’ genealogy in Matthew, Chapter 1 and Luke, Chapter 3. The common Christian explanation of this contradiction claims that Luke’s genealogy is that of Jesus’ mother, Mary. However, this is unfounded, even according to the Greek original. In addition, it has already been established that genealogy is transferred solely through the father, making this attempted explanation completely irrelevant. Even if one could trace one’s genealogy through one’s mother, there would be the additional problem in that Luke 3:31 lists Mary as a descendant of David through Nathan, Solomon’s brother, and not through Solomon himself as is prophesied in I Chronicles 22:10 of the Jewish Bible.

The third, fourth, fifth and sixth criteria have obviously not been fulfilled, either during Jesus’ time or since. Any Christian claims that these final criteria will be fulfilled in a “Second Coming” are irrelevant because the concept of the Messiah coming twice has no scriptural basis.

To summarize, we cannot know that someone is the Messiah until he fulfills all of the above criteria.

The Christian understanding of the Messiah and Jesus differs greatly from the Jewish biblical view. These differences developed as a result of the Church’s influence during the time of the Emperor Constantine and the Council of Nicaea that issued the Nicene Creed in 325 CE.

Emphasis: The Messiah was never meant to be an object of worship. His primary mission and accomplishment is to bring world peace and to fill the world with the knowledge and awareness of one God.

[gadam123]

Rejection of Jesus as the Messiah

According to Maimonides, Jesus was the most influential, and consequently, the most damaging of all false messiahs. However, since the traditional Jewish belief is that the messiah has not yet come and the Messianic Age is not yet present, the total rejection of Jesus as either messiah or deity has never been a central issue for Judaism.

Judaism has never accepted any of the claimed fulfillments of prophecy that Christianity attributes to Jesus. Judaism forbids the worship of a person as a form of idolatry, since the central belief of Judaism is the absolute unity and singularity of God.  Jewish eschatology holds that the coming of the Messiah will be associated with a specific series of events that have not yet occurred, including the return of Jews to their homeland and the rebuilding of The Temple, a Messianic Age of peace and understanding during which “the knowledge of God” fills the earth.” And since Jews believe that none of these events occurred during the lifetime of Jesus (nor have they occurred afterwards), he was not the Messiah.

Traditional views of Jesus have been mostly negative (see: Toledot Yeshu, an account that portrays Jesus as an impostor), although in the Middle Ages Judah Halevi and Maimonides viewed Jesus as an important preparatory figure for a future universal ethical monotheism of the Messianic Age. Some modern Jewish thinkers, starting in the 18th century with the Orthodox Jacob Emden and the reformer Moses Mendelssohn, have sympathetically argued that the historical Jesus may have been closer to Judaism than either the Gospels or traditional Jewish accounts would indicate.

[Proclaimer]

Yes, to this day the Jews largely remain blind to the messiah

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:

“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.

---

Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone;

As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a a stumbling stone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

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I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

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And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.

And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

---

 

[gadam123]

Hi Proclaimer, thanks for posting on this new thread. I know you would be interested on this topic.

You: I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:

“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.

Me: Do you think blindness(hardness) happened to Jewish people all these two thousand years as alleged by the Paul and Christianity. Do you think all those Jews were lost without knowing Jesus in all these years and will be burnt in eternal hell fire?

Paul wrongly quotes Hebrew Bible:

“and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.” [Romans 11:26]

Contrast Paul’s above quote with the verse in Hebrew Bible he is referencing, Isaiah 59:20. Open up any English version of the Bible and you will see that the reading for Isaiah 59:20 is similar to this (this is taken from the New International Version of the Bible):

“The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the Lord.

There is clearly a mismatch between what Paul quotes in the New Testament, stating that  Jesus will remove godlessness, or sin, from “Jacob” (meaning the Israelites), and what the Hebrew Bible actually contains – the Redeemer (God) will come to those who have already repented from sin.

This is the tip of an iceberg on how the NT writers misquoted Hebrew Bible to prove Jesus as Jewish Messiah and (as second person of Godhead).

[GeneBalthrop]

ADAM…..Isaiah 59:21,  though makes it sound like the Lord was indeed talking about someone other then himself,  when the LORD say’s this,  “As for me, this is my covenant with them, said the LORD; my Spirit that is upon “YOU” , and “MY” WORDS which I have put in “THY” mouth, shall not depart out of “THY” MOUTH, nor the mouth of “THY” seed, nor the mouth of thy seeds seed, says the LORD, from henceforth and forever.

Adam the use of the word “THY”, always express the idea, that it was someone else being addressed. right?  Not about the person speaking themselves right?

So to me it could be addressing Jesus or someone other the God himself,  I can see Paul’s point in what he was saying brother.

peace and love to you and yours…….gene

 

[gadam123]

Hello brother Gene thanks for replying post on this new thread.

You: Adam the use of the word “THY”, always express the idea, that it was someone else being addressed. right?  Not about the person speaking themselves right?

So to me it could be addressing Jesus or someone other the God himself,  I can see Paul’s point in what he was saying brother.

Me: In fact I was replying Proclaimer’s post arguing that Paul had misquoted Isaiah 59:20. For your information I am quoting the two verses Isaiah 59: 20-21 here;

20 And he will come to Zion as Redeemer,
to those in Jacob who turn from transgression, says the Lord.
21 And as for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord: my spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouths of your children, or out of the mouths of your children’s children, says the Lord, from now on and forever.

This Isaiah 59 was spoken for Jewish exiles by the (Third) Isaiah. Verse 21 talks about “them” as Jewish people. And “You, your mouth, your children….” talks about the prophet and his children. I don’t think the prophet is referring this to Jesus.

[Danny Dabbs]

@gadam123

Yahweh without His Son Jesus Christ doesn’t work.
You need BOTH.

Please read Psalm 2 and Acts 4.

[gadam123]

Hi Danny,

You: Yahweh without His Son Jesus Christ doesn’t work.
You need BOTH.

Please read Psalm 2 and Acts 4.

Me: Here few arguments on Psalm 2 ;

Psalm 2: God’s Son and Kiss the Son

What is the Jewish thought concerning God’s son in light of Psalm 2? It describes someone as the King of Zion, a world leader, and says that God calls him His son, whom He gave birth to (v. 7). Further, verse 12 states, “Kiss the son, lest he angers and you will lose the way.” Isn’t it thus clear that God has a Divine Son?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:
Thank you for your important question. The term son of God appears a number of times in the Torah where it clearly does not refer to a biological relationship. See for example Deuteronomy 14:1: “You [Israel] are sons to the Lord your God,” as well as Exodus 4:22, where God tell Moses to tell Pharaoh “My son, My firstborn Israel” (Exodus 4:22). The meaning is that God has a special relationship with His nation, but clearly the bond is emotional and not physical.

The Torah likewise uses this expression for other great individuals. See for example Psalms 89:27-28 in reference to King David, and II Samuel 7:14 in reference to Solomon: “I will be to him as a Father and he will be to Me as a son.”

In this verse, the commentators understand God’s “son” as referring to King David himself (or possibly the future Messiah (Ibn Ezra)), who serves God with the filial devotion of a son honoring his father (Ibn Ezra, Radak), who represents and protects a nation known collectively as God’s son (Rashi, Metzudat David), or who leads the world as an (inheriting) son who controls his father’s property (Malbim).

The notion of God giving birth to him is that when David was appointed king, he acquired a divine spirit and close relationship with God, as a child of a parent (see I Samuel 16:13; Rashi, Radak), or that David was as precious to God as a newborn son (Metzudat David). (The Hebrew word in question – “yalad” – does not always mean to literally give birth, but is occasionally used figuratively (as in English), meaning to create or bring about. See for example Deut. 32:18, Job 15:35, Zephaniah 2:2, Isaiah 33:11, 55:10.)

In terms of “kiss the son” of verse 12, especially based on the commentators that the subject is King David himself, the phrase really does not impute any divine powers to David or to the Messiah. It just means that the nations should cherish and embrace the king – or risk God’s wrath.

In truth, however, almost all the commentators understand that phrase differently. The phrase in the Hebrew is “nashku var” (var is a variant of bar). The Hebrew word bar either means “grain” (such as the grain Joseph stored up in Egypt (Genesis 41:35,49)) – or “purity” (see e.g. Psalms 19:9, 24:4, Song of Songs 6:9-10). The commentators accordingly translate that phrase to mean “gird yourselves with purity of heart” (Rashi), “desire purity” (Rashi alternate, Metzudat David), or “kiss (i.e. cherish, cleave to) me because I am pure of heart” (Radak, Malbim).

(Note that the first word of the phrase – nashku – can mean either kiss or arm yourselves – both interpretations appearing in the choices above. There is even one interpretation which relates bar to grain – that the nations should cleave to the king as chaff is adjacent to (“kisses”) the grain (see Malbim).)

Note that in Hebrew, bar does not mean son, and thus almost none of the commentators (save Ibn Ezra) translate the phrase as “kiss the son.” The reason for the confusion is that in Aramaic “bar” does mean son. However, it is never used in that sense in the Torah. (And in fact Psalm 2 itself uses the Hebrew term “ben” in verse 7, which we discussed above.) Bar appears a few times in the Books of Ezra and Daniel (e.g. Ezra 5:1-2, 6:14, Daniel 3:25, 5:22, 7:13) – but all in the parts of those books written in Aramaic.

The one exception is Proverbs 31:2, where the word bar does appear meaning son: “What, my son, and what, the son of my womb…” However, Rabbi Tovia Singer suggests that King Solomon was quoting the advice his mother would give him, very likely using the language she employed. Thus, that verse uses a more colloquial term for son, possibly based on the Aramaic, but not used anywhere else in (the Hebrew portions of) the Torah.

But the writer of Acts quoted Psalm 2 for Jesus which is purely Christian interpretation;

Acts 4:

25 it is you who said by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant:

‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples imagine vain things?
26 The kings of the earth took their stand,
and the rulers have gathered together
against the Lord and against his Messiah.’

and in Acts 13:

32 And we bring you the good news (euangelion) that what God promised to our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.” (NRSV)

[gadam123]

Was Jesus the Messiah?

The question “was Jesus the messiah?” requires a prior question: “What is the definition of messiah?” The Prophets (Nevi’im), who wrote hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, envisioned a messianic age as as a period of universal peace, in which war and hunger are eradicated, and humanity accepts God’s sovereignty. By the first century, the view developed that the messianic age would witness a general resurrection of the dead, the in-gathering of all the Jews, including the 10 lost tribes, to the land of Israel, a final judgment and universal peace.

Some Jews expected the messiah to be a descendant of King David (based on an interpretation of God’s promise to David in 2 Samuel 7 of an eternal kingdom). The Dead Sea Scrolls speak of two messiahs: one a military leader and the other a priest. Still other Jews expected the prophet Elijah, or the angel Michael, or Enoch, or any number of other figures to usher in the messianic age.

Stories in the Gospels about Jesus healing the sick, raising the dead, and proclaiming the imminence of the kingdom of heaven suggest that his followers regarded him as appointed by God to bring about the messianic age.

More than 1,000 years after Jesus’ crucifixion, the medieval sage Maimonides (also known as Rambam) laid out in his Mishneh Torah specific things Jews believe the messiah must accomplish in order to confirm his identity — among them restoring the kingdom of David to its former glory, achieving victory in battle against Israel’s enemies, rebuilding the temple (which the Romans destroyed in 70 CE) and ingathering the exiles to the land of Israel. “And if he’s not successful with this, or if he is killed, it’s known that he is not the one that was promised by the Torah,” Maimonides wrote.

[Berean]

Hi To all

Isahia 59
[13] In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
[14] And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
[15] Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.
[16] And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.
[17] For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke

 

The prophet Isaiah 59: 13-17) adequately describes the condition of the world in Christ’s time.
He said that people would extort and lie to Jehovah and that they
would forsake our God.
The condition of the world before Christ’s first coming is a picture of what
will be precisely before his second coming. The same iniquity will exist. Satan manifests
the same deceptive power in the minds of men. He puts his instruments into action
prepared and uses them with intense activity. He has his army of instruments
humans to participate in the last great conflict against the Prince of Life, to
overturn the law of God which is the foundation of his throne. Satan will perform miracles for
to strengthen men in the belief that he is what he claims to be: the prince of this
world, and that victory is his. He will use his strength against those who are loyal
farewell ; but although it can cause pain, anguish and agony, it does not
can defile the soul. He can afflict God’s people as he did with Christ; but he
cannot destroy one of the least of Christ. The people of God should expect, in
these last days, to enter at the height of the fight, for the prophetic word says: “And the
dragon was angry with the woman, and went to make war on the remnants of her seed,
to those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus ”
(Letter 43, 1895)

 

 

 

[gadam123]

For 2,000 years Jews have rejected the Christian idea of Jesus as messiah. Why?

One of the most common questions we receive at Aish.com is: “Why don’t Jews believe in Jesus?” Let’s understand why – not to disparage other religions, but rather to clarify the Jewish position.

Jews do not accept Jesus as the messiah because:

• Jesus did not fulfill the messianic prophecies.
• Jesus did not embody the personal qualifications of the Messiah.
• Biblical verses “referring” to Jesus are mistranslations.
• Jewish belief is based on national revelation.

But first, some background: What exactly is the Messiah?

The word “Messiah” is an English rendering of the Hebrew word Mashiach, which means “anointed.” It usually refers to a person initiated into God’s service by being anointed with oil. (Exodus 29:7, 1-Kings 1:39, 2-Kings 9:3)

(1) Jesus Did Not Fulfill the Messianic Prophecies:
What is the Messiah supposed to accomplish? One of the central themes of biblical prophecy is the promise of a future age of perfection characterized by universal peace and recognition of God. (Isaiah 2:1-4, 32:15-18, 60:15-18; Zephaniah 3:9; Hosea 2:20-22; Amos 9:13-15; Micah 4:1-4; Zechariah 8:23, 14:9; Jeremiah 31:33-34)

Specifically, the Bible says he will:

Build the Third Temple (Ezekiel 37:26-28).
Gather all Jews back to the Land of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6).
Usher in an era of world peace, and end all hatred, oppression, suffering and disease. As it says: “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall man learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4)
Spread universal knowledge of the God of Israel, which will unite humanity as one. As it says: “God will be King over all the world – on that day, God will be One and His Name will be One” (Zechariah 14:9).
If an individual fails to fulfill even one of these conditions, then he cannot be the Messiah.

Because no one has ever fulfilled the Bible’s description of this future King, Jews still await the coming of the Messiah. All past Messianic claimants, including Jesus of Nazareth, Bar Cochba and Shabbtai Tzvi have been rejected.

Christians counter that Jesus will fulfill these in the Second Coming. Jewish sources show that the Messiah will fulfill the prophecies outright; in the Bible no concept of a second coming exists.

(2) Jesus Did Not Embody the Personal Qualifications of Messiah
A. Messiah as Prophet:
The Messiah will become the greatest prophet in history, second only to Moses. (Targum – Isaiah 11:2; Maimonides – Teshuva 9:2)

Prophecy can only exist in Israel when the land is inhabited by a majority of world Jewry, a situation which has not existed since 300 BCE. During the time of Ezra, when the majority of Jews remained in Babylon, prophecy ended upon the death of the last prophets – Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.

Jesus appeared on the scene approximately 350 years after prophecy had ended, and thus could not be a prophet.

B. Descendant of David:
Many prophetic passages speak of a descendant of King David who will rule Israel during the age of perfection. (Isaiah 11:1-9; Jeremiah 23:5-6, 30:7-10, 33:14-16; Ezekiel 34:11-31, 37:21-28; Hosea 3:4-5)

The Messiah must be descended on his father’s side from King David (see Genesis 49:10, Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5, 33:17; Ezekiel 34:23-24). According to the Christian claim that Jesus was the product of a virgin birth, he had no father – and thus could not have possibly fulfilled the messianic requirement of being descended on his father’s side from King David. (1)

According to Jewish sources, the Messiah will be born of human parents and possess normal physical attributes like other people. He will not be a demi-god, (2) nor will he possess supernatural qualities.

C. Torah Observance:
The Messiah will lead the Jewish people to full Torah observance. The Torah states that all mitzvot remain binding forever, and anyone coming to change the Torah is immediately identified as a false prophet. (Deut. 13:1-4)

Throughout the Christian “New Testament,” Jesus contradicts the Torah and states that its commandments are no longer applicable. For example, John 9:14 records that Jesus made a paste in violation of Shabbat, which caused the Pharisees to say (verse 16), “He does not observe Shabbat!”

(3) Mistranslated Verses “Referring” to Jesus:
Biblical verses can only be understood by studying the original Hebrew text – which reveals many discrepancies in the Christian translation.

A. Virgin Birth:
The Christian idea of a virgin birth is derived from the verse in Isaiah 7:14 describing an “alma” as giving birth. The word “alma” has always meant a young woman, but Christian theologians came centuries later and translated it as “virgin.” This accords Jesus’ birth with the first century pagan idea of mortals being impregnated by gods.

B. Suffering Servant:
Christianity claims that Isaiah chapter 53 refers to Jesus, as the “suffering servant.”

In actuality, Isaiah 53 directly follows the theme of chapter 52, describing the exile and redemption of the Jewish people. The prophecies are written in the singular form because the Jews (“Israel”) are regarded as one unit. Throughout Jewish scripture, Israel is repeatedly called, in the singular, the “Servant of God” (see Isaiah 43:8). In fact, Isaiah states no less than 11 times in the chapters prior to 53 that the Servant of God is Israel.

When read correctly, Isaiah 53 clearly [and ironically] refers to the Jewish people being “bruised, crushed and as sheep brought to slaughter” at the hands of the nations of the world. These descriptions are used throughout Jewish scripture to graphically describe the suffering of the Jewish people (see Psalm 44).

Isaiah 53 concludes that when the Jewish people are redeemed, the nations will recognize and accept responsibility for the inordinate suffering and death of the Jews.

(4) Jewish Belief is Based Solely on National Revelation:
Throughout history, thousands of religions have been started by individuals, attempting to convince people that he or she is God’s true prophet. But personal revelation is an extremely weak basis for a religion because one can never know if it is indeed true. Since others did not hear God speak to this person, they have to take his word for it. Even if the individual claiming personal revelation performs miracles, they do not prove  he is a genuine prophet. All the miracles show – assuming they are genuine – is that he has certain powers. It has nothing to do with his claim of prophecy.

Judaism, unique among all of the world’s major religions, does not rely on “claims of miracles” as the basis for its religion. In fact, the Bible says that God sometimes grants the power of “miracles” to charlatans, in order to test Jewish loyalty to the Torah (Deut. 13:4).

Of the thousands of religions in human history, only Judaism bases its belief on national revelation – i.e. God speaking to the entire nation. If God is going to start a religion, it makes sense He’ll tell everyone, not just one person.

Maimonides states (Foundations of Torah, ch. 8):

The Jews did not believe in Moses, our teacher, because of the miracles he performed. Whenever anyone’s belief is based on seeing miracles, he has lingering doubts, because it is possible the miracles were performed through magic or sorcery. All of the miracles performed by Moses in the desert were because they were necessary, and not as proof of his prophecy.What then was the basis of [Jewish] belief? The Revelation at Mount Sinai, which we saw with our own eyes and heard with our own ears, not dependent on the testimony of others… as it says, “Face to face, God spoke with you…” The Torah also states: “God did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us – who are all here alive today.” (Deut. 5:3)
Judaism is not miracles. It is the personal eyewitness experience of every man, woman and child, standing at Mount Sinai 3,300 years ago.

Waiting for the Messiah;
The world is in desperate need of Messianic redemption. To the extent that we are aware of the problems of society, is the extent we will yearn for redemption. As the Talmud says, one of the first questions asked of a Jew on Judgment Day is: “Did you yearn for the arrival of the Messiah?”

How can we hasten the coming of the Messiah? The best way is to love all humanity generously, to keep the mitzvot of the Torah (as best we can), and to encourage others to do so as well.

Despite the gloom, the world does seem headed toward redemption. One apparent sign is that the Jewish people have returned to the Land of Israel and made it bloom again. Additionally, a major movement is afoot of young Jews returning to Torah tradition.

The Messiah can come any day, and it all depends on our actions. God is ready when we are. For as King David says: “Redemption will come today – if you hearken to His voice.”

FOOTNOTES
(1) In response, it is claimed that Joseph adopted Jesus, and passed on his genealogy via adoption. There are two problems with this claim:

a) There is no biblical basis for the idea of a father passing on his tribal line by adoption. A priest who adopts a son from another tribe cannot make him a priest by adoption.

b) Joseph could never pass on by adoption that which he doesn’t have. Because Joseph descended from Jeconiah (Matthew 1:11) he fell under the curse of that king that none of his descendants could ever sit as king upon the throne of David (Jeremiah 22:30; 36:30). (Although Jeconiah repented as discussed in Talmud Sanhedrin 37a and elsewhere, it’s not at all clear from the early sources that his repentance was accepted to the degree that the royal line continued through him. See e.g. Bereishit Rabbah 98:7 that the line continued through Zedekiah.)

To answer this difficult problem, apologists claim that Jesus traces himself back to King David through his mother Mary, who allegedly descends from David, as shown in the third chapter of Luke. There are four basic problems with this claim:

a) There is no evidence that Mary descends from David. The third chapter of Luke traces Joseph’s genealogy, not Mary’s.

b) Even if Mary can trace herself back to David, that doesn’t help Jesus, since tribal affiliation goes only through the father, not mother. cf. Numbers 1:18; Ezra 2:59.

c) Even if family line could go through the mother, Mary was not from a legitimate messianic family. According to the Bible, the Messiah must be a descendent of David through his son Solomon (2-Samuel 7:14; 1-Chronicles 17:11-14, 22:9-10, 28:4-6). The third chapter of Luke is irrelevant to this discussion because it describes lineage of David’s son Nathan, not Solomon. (Luke 3:31)

d) Luke 3:27 lists Shealtiel and Zerubbabel in his genealogy. These two also appear in Matthew 1:12 as descendants of the cursed Jeconiah. If Mary descends from them, it would also disqualify her from being a messianic progenitor.
(2) Maimonides devotes much of his “Guide for the Perplexed” to the fundamental idea that God is incorporeal, meaning that He assumes no physical form. God is eternal, above time. He is infinite, beyond space. He cannot be born, and cannot die. Saying that God assumes human form makes God small, diminishing both His unity and His divinity. As the Torah says: “God is not mortal” (Numbers 23:19).

[gadam123]

Hi Berean,

You: The prophet Isaiah 59: 13-17) adequately describes the condition of the world in Christ’s time.

Me: Here is the Christian commentary on Isaiah 59;

Where Is God?
Verse Commentary on Isaiah 59:1-9, 12-13, 15b-21
Dennis Bratcher

Historical Context
This text is from the third major section of the book of Isaiah, chapters 56-66. Many scholars have concluded that these chapters reflect the situation of the community of Israel following the return from Babylonian exile in 538 BC (see The Unity and Authorship of Isaiah).

A major shift in world power occurred around 539 BC. Cyrus the Persian overthrew the Babylonians and established the Persian empire (Isaiah 44:24; 45:1). Cyrus was a much more lenient ruler than were the Babylonian kings. In 538 BC Cyrus issued a decree that allowed the Israelites to return to their homeland (Ezra 1:1-4).

In spite of the promises of the prophets and the urging of the priests, there was no mass exodus back to Israel. Many exiles had grown comfortable in Babylon and were unwilling to leave. Even the handful that did return faced a ravaged land, a city and temple in ruins, and hostile neighbors (Ezra 4). The glorious promises of a new future had not immediately translated into blessing and prosperity.

So following the return from Babylon, the people faced a new crisis. With no city walls, marauding bands of outlaws threatened them. With no central government, there was little leadership and little means of enforcing laws. With no temple, religious life ebbed low. Apathy, indifference and cynicism grew until the people began to lose sight of who they were as God’s people. They began to be careless how they lived out being God’s people. They began to doubt the future that God had promised.

The writer has constructed this entire chapter carefully. By noting changes in pronouns marking new speakers, we see that the chapter has four main sections:

1. the people challenge God (1)
2. the prophet answers with an accusation (2-8)
3. the people respond with a confession of guilt (9-15a)
4. God reacts with mercy (15b-21).
The Text
1. The People Challenge God (1)
1 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.

Some take verses 1-3 together and see this as a positive affirmation of God’s power (Isaiah 50:2). In view of the horrible conditions that unfold in the chapter, it is better to understand this as the people’s sarcastic challenge to God’s ability, or willingness, to intervene in the world (note a similar objection in 58:3). The language throughout the passage is similar to lament psalms, which challenge God for not intervening in the world for the downtrodden and oppressed (Ps 10:1-18; note Habakkuk 1:2-4; See Lament Psalms in Patterns for Life: Structure, Genre, and Theology in Psalms).

1. arm of the Lord This signifies God’s willingness to use His power to accomplish His purposes in the world (40:10; 33:2). The people pick up the positive affirmation of Isaiah 50:2 and use it as a challenge: “So why doesn’t he?”

save We should be careful not to read into this word our post-New Testament ideas of salvation. Of the 200 or so times this verb appears in the Old Testament, only once (Ezekiel 37:23) does it specifically refer to deliverance from sin. Terms such as “forgive” or “pardon” normally refer to the removal of the guilt of sin.

The basic meaning of the Hebrew word is “to make a wide space” and so “to deliver” or “to liberate.” The idea of “salvation” in the Old Testament is rooted in the exodus. God by His power brought the Hebrews to a physical place where they could properly respond to God as His people (Ex 5:1; 8:25-27; note Jeremiah 23:6). This is the origin of most of the “salvation” language in the Old Testament.

The term save, then, refers to deliverance from an external threat. Usually the threat is an enemy (Judges 2:16) or something portrayed as an enemy such as sickness (Psalm 6:1-4). Here, the threat is the terrible situation in the country. The people feel that the enemies of God are causing their problems. And they imply that it is God’s responsibility to save them from those enemies. As the passage continues, the problems clearly are not caused by enemies “out there.” The people’s sinfulness is their own enemy.

2. The Prophet Answers with an Accusation (2-8)
2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. 3 For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things. 4 No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil. 7 Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil thoughts; ruin and destruction mark their ways. 8 The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace.

These are not specific instances of wrongdoing, but comprise a general indictment against the people presented in familiar prophetic imagery. Several phrases are traditional terms drawn from various sources (Job 15:35; Proverbs 1:16; 16:7), including earlier parts of the book of Isaiah (e.g., 1:15). Several features of this passage closely parallel Isaiah 50 where the people also have trouble responding properly to God.

This passage differs from other prophetic attacks on sin in one important respect. Here there is no threat of future judgment. The implication is that the people themselves are creating their intolerable present situation. In the imagery of Isaiah 50:11, those who kindle a fire must walk in its light. With a sarcastic tone, we learn from verse nine that their light is really darkness! They have separated themselves from God who now appears hidden.

Your iniquities . . .your sins  Your is plural (Hebrew has both singular and plural forms for “you”; English does not) and addresses the entire people as a group.

3. Much of the imagery describing the people’s sins in the following verses relates to social relationships. There is no mention of worship of idols or failure to acknowledge God. The sin here concerns how the people of God treat other people. The previous chapter attacked the superficiality of the people’s religion. The writer argued strongly that a person’s relationship to others reflects his relationship with God (58:6-12: note Luke 10:25-37). This theme has permeated the book of Isaiah (see Lectionary Commentary on Isaiah 1:10-20). The Israelites could not truly be the people of God if they neglected proper relationship with each other and the people around them. It was just as valid after the exile as before. God’s expectations had not changed!

hands stained with blood “Blood” often describes actual violent physical death or crimes of violence (Genesis 4:10-11). In the book of Isaiah this expression refers generally to guilt arising from oppression or injustice (Isaiah 1:10-20). Innocent blood (v.7) more often refers to physical violence. The phrase also occurs frequently in the prophets to refer to crimes of injustice against the poor or oppressed (Jeremiah 7:6; 22:3).

4. This verse vividly describes dishonesty in the law courts. In ancient Israel no less than today, the system of law was the only protection the poor had from greedy tyrants. The breakdown of the judicial system reflects a situation of near anarchy among the returned exiles.

8. way, path, roads, walks These are all common poetic symbols, comparing life to walking a path. This figure is especially common in Proverbs (2:12-15; 10:9) and Psalms (1, 14:3).

3. The People Respond with Confession of Guilt (9, 12-13)
9 So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.

12 For our offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities: 13 rebellion and treachery against the LORD, turning our backs on our God, fomenting oppression and revolt, uttering lies our hearts have conceived.

9. So is a strong “therefore” in Hebrew. It indicates that the following statements of fact are true based upon the conditions just described. Here the people acknowledge that justice is far from us, not because God is inactive, but because they have not advocated justice among themselves!

justice . . . righteousness Both words have a wide range of meaning in Hebrew. When used together, they become more specific. These are not abstract terms that simply describe what a person is. They describe a lifestyle, something that a person does because of what he is. In describing God, they denote God’s saving activity revealed in history (Hosea 2:16-20). When used of people, they refer to ethical conduct as the proper response to God (Jeremiah 22:2-5; Ezekiel 45:9-12). Both meanings are interwoven here (as in 56:1). The people’s confession links proper ethical conduct with God’s activity in the world (see Social Ethics in the Prophets). Other biblical writers portray God acting in spite of the sin of the people (Jeremiah 31:34; note Isaiah 40:1-2!). But that is not the message here. In this passage, God has not acted because the people are sinful.

Light is a common biblical symbol to describe happiness, well-being, and the presence of God in deliverance and blessing. In the book of Isaiah it often symbolizes hope (9:2; 30:26) and God’s future activity for His people (45:7; 60:1-3). Darkness speaks of despair and the absence of God’s saving activity.

4. God Reacts with Mercy (15b-21)
15b The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice. 16 He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. 17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. 18 According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due.

19 From the west, men will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along. 20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the LORD. 21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever,” says the LORD.

This section again draws on familiar themes to respond to the people’s confession of guilt. The writer presents God in the recurring imagery of the mighty warrior who brings deliverance to His people (see The Turn Toward Hope, comments on Isa 40:3). Such an appearance of God was called a theophany or an epiphany (see A Prayer of Hope, comments on Isa 64:1). It always had two dimensions. For the righteous, God’s “coming” (v.20) brought peace and security, or in this case justice. For the ungodly (enemies, foes, v.18) God’s newly revealed activity in the world brought judgment (note Amos 5:18-20).

15b. no justice Normally, God acted in the world to bring deliverance from external foes. But several prophets also portray God acting to establish justice among His people (Habakkuk 1:2-4; 3:3ff; Micah 6:9-15).

16. his own arm The term own is not in the Hebrew. It is possible that “his arm” refers to an agent by which God would work out his purpose in the world (perhaps also 40:10). Some commentators see a reference here to the Persian ruler Artaxerxes who intervened to re-establish law and order in the country (Ezra 7). Earlier parts of Isaiah have clearly shown that God used non-Israelites for his purpose. Isaiah himself had labelled the king of Assyria a razor in the hand of God (7:20). The Persian ruler Cyrus was later announced as God’s “anointed” (45:1).

There is a strong underlying conviction that permeates the book of Isaiah. God is ultimately Lord of human history. He will use events (even “negative” ones) and people (even pagan ones) to work out His purposes in the world (note Genesis 50:20). Whatever the means, God was at work to bring justice to the community.

worked salvation The Hebrew verb can mean simply “to bring victory” in battle, and should be translated that way here (as RSV, NEB). Helmet of salvation (v.17) also could be “helmet of victory.”

his own righteousness sustained him Again, own is not in the Hebrew. The pronouns in this section are not clear. They could all refer to God himself (as NIV, RSV). Or they could refer to both God and his “arm” who is bringing victory.

17. Paul uses the same imagery in a different way in Ephesians (6:14-17).

18. According to what they have done reaffirms the prophetic principle that in God’s scheme of things evil actions create their own negative consequences. This system of retribution is a consistent biblical theme (Job 4:8; Gal 6:7) especially in the prophets (Isaiah 3:9-11; Habakkuk 2:15-16; Hosea 8:7).

19. The prophets after the exile feared that other peoples would look at the condition of Israel and conclude that Israel’s God was not much of a god at all. God’s actions to establish justice in the land would again affirm the true nature of Israel’s God. For comments on glory as a symbol of God’s presence, see The Turn Toward Hope, comments on Isaiah 40:5.

20. Redeemer as a biblical title for God occurs almost exclusively in the second and third sections of Isaiah (41:14; 43:14, etc.). The idea of redemption arose from the custom of buying back something that had been sold, either a piece of property (Leviticus 25:25-28) or a person (Leviticus 25:48-54). Usually a close relative or kinsman did the redeeming. The term then described generally the familial responsibilities of relatives (Ruth 3:1-4:12 where “do the part of the next of kin” translates the same verb in the RSV). The verb then poetically described God’s saving actions in the world to establish relationship with His people. It could describe the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 15:13), the return from exile (Jeremiah 31:11), or generally deliverance from death (Hosea 13:14).

Paul uses parts of verses 20 and 21 to refer to Jesus (Romans 11:26). He quotes from the Greek version which has “deliverer” instead of redeemer. He combines these with part of Isaiah 27:9.

21. my covenant Some see this as referring to the promise of God’s coming in the previous verse (v.20). Verse 21 is a prose conclusion to the previous poetic section. Since this verse is distinct from the preceding verse, covenant more likely refers to the continuing presence of God (v.21). In many places covenant is a key idea. While the usage here recalls the importance of covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34), the meaning is more simply “agreement” with overtones of “promise.”

The NIV and NASB capitalize Spirit here. Since Hebrew does not have capital letters, this gives the verse more meaning than the Hebrew conveys (RSV and NEB: “spirit”). The Hebrew word (ruach) means “breath” or “wind.” When used of God it symbolizes His active presence in the world. The term translated who is impersonal and can be translated “which.”

your children . . . their descendants The ongoing survival of the people as God’s people was a primary concern of the post-exilic community.

[GeneBalthrop]

Adam…..The saying “this in Jacob”. Is not referring to just the Jews. it’s referring to all 13 tribes of Jacob.  The Jew are but only 1/13 of Jacob, a very small segment of actual Israel,  They present  themselves as though they themselves are, “all” of Israel,   but in truth they are not, they are just a small part of Israel. In many scriptures they are not, even included as connected to the nation of Israel,   scriptures clearly show, the kingdom of Israel at war with the Kingdom of Judah, and even in “that” kingdom, they represented only a third of the tribes of Israel, The kingdom of Judah consisted of, just three tries,   Jews, Levi, and  Benjamin,  The apostle Paul was a not a Jew , he was of the tribe of Benjamin.
Point is , while the Jews claim the title of Israel this day, but truth is they only represent a fraction of all Israel today.

peace and love to you and yours………gene

[gadam123]

Hello brother Gene,

You: Point is , while the Jews claim the title of Israel this day, but truth is they only represent a fraction of all Israel today.

Me: Yes you are right in saying that Jews only represent one-third of Israel but at the time of Isaiah 59 or most of the scriptures were written there was no kingdom of Israel. It was demolished in 722 BCE and the 10 tribes of Jacob are lost till date. Jews were the only people present at the time of Jesus and even at present time. So the terminology is Jewish in general but Israel is the proper word.

Thank and peace to you…..Adam

[GeneBalthrop]

Adam…..The Jew only represent “one” “thirteenth ” of the thirteen tribes of Israel.  They are not now or every was the total representatives of all of Israel. That what the Jews  want people to think, but the truth is they are but a fraction of the Israelite Nations, the United States, England Canada, Australia,  is far more of a representation of the Nation of Israel then the Jews ever were.

Tribes of Israel……. 1…..Ephraim

2…..Manasah

3…..Benjamin

4….Gad

5…..Asher

6……Naphtali

7…….Dan

8…….Judah

9…….Zebulun

1o…….Ruben.

11…….Simeon.

12……Issachar.

13…..Levi

These are thirteen tribes, now does anyone think the Jews represent all thirteen Tribes of Israel,  the United States has more Jews in it then in Modern day Israel has. Even most of those over there who say they are Jew are most likely not actual Jews.
There probably exists today over a Billion Israelites in this world today , scattered all over the world, that are ot actual Jews.

peace and love to you and yours………gene

 

[Danny Dabbs]

@gadam123

Anyone who denies that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God is a liar.
(1 John 2:22,23)

[Berean]

Amen Danny

 

Oh that tires him all these theological speeches, to in the end deny the divine / human Son of God

[Berean]

Oh that tires me all these theological speeches, to in the end deny the divine / human Son of God.

[gadam123]

Hello brother Gene,

You: Adam…..The Jew only represent “one” “thirteenth ” of the thirteen tribes of Israel.  They are not now or every was the total representatives of all of Israel. That what the Jews  want people to think, but the truth is they are but a fraction of the Israelite Nations, the United States, England Canada, Australia,  is far more of a representation of the Nation of Israel then the Jews ever were.

Me: Yes in fact Manasseh and Ephraim were only half tribes representing Joseph so you have only 12 tribes altogether as per Hebrew Bible. The Jews at present are only representing Israel but they are expecting that God will unite all the lost tribes in the end days as spoken by prophets.

In chapter 11 the Book of Isaiah says:

11. And it shall come to pass that on that day, the Lord shall continue to apply His hand a second time to acquire the rest of His people, that will remain from Assyria and from Egypt and from Pathros and from Cush and from Elam and from Sumeria and from Hamath and from the islands of the sea.
12. And He shall raise a banner to the nations, and He shall gather the lost of Israel, and the scattered ones of Judah He shall gather from the four corners of the earth.

Even in India many Jews and few other tribes of Israel are living and similarly a major chunk of Israel are available in US, Russia and other countries. Everyone is praying for Israel these days as there are tensions  developing in Middle East I meant the Air strikes on Gaza by Israel and vice versa.

Hoping for peace in Israel…….Adam

 

[gadam123]

Hi Danny,

You: Anyone who denies that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God is a liar.
(1 John 2:22,23)

Me: These verses are well known from NT. You need not remind us here as we are debating on the validity of Jesus as Messiah. Please do participate in the debate and share your arguments here instead of threating us.

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