If you have been exposed to Judaism, Noahides, Messianics, Hebrew Roots, or some variant of those religious groups, then you will most likely be familiar with the weekly Bible readings known as the Torah portion, also referred to as the parashah, which simply means a passage or section of the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy).
This week’s Torah portion can be found in Deuteronomy 3:23 – 7:11. Here are some highlights for you to explore this Sabbath:
Blood animal sacrifices are not mandatory for atonement. Review the plethora of passages revealing a repentant heart will do just fine. Understand the various forms of payment (ie animals, flour, jewelry, incense, etc.) when a temple in Jerusalem exists, is based on affordability, offense, or circumstance to teach the accidental violator a lesson so as to not repeat their violation. Our court system today is based on this concept. Moreover, human sacrifice has always been forbidden (see Leviticus 18:21, 20:3; Deuteronomy 12:29-32; 18:10; 2 Kings 3:27, 16:3, 17:17; 2 Chronicles 28:3, 33:6; Jeremiah 7:31; Psalm 106:35-38; Ezekiel 16:20-21 as some examples) AND no human can die for another’s sins (see Deuteronomy 24:16; Ezekiel 18:1-32; 33:12-20; Jeremiah 31:29-30; Psalm 49:7). In other words, Jesus didn’t die for your sins. All you need is repentance.
When the author of Hebrews uses Psalm 40 to make the reader think a human sacrifice (Jesus) was required for atonement, he changed out what the Psalm actually says. In other words, the author lied. Intentionally deceived and still deceives unsuspecting readers. As Ronald Reagan said, “Trust but verify.” Look this stuff up for yourself.
The Jewish Bible vaguely introduces the concept of a messiah figure expected to manifest in the future. Messiah simply means “anointed one” and the Hebrew term “mashiach” has been used throughout the Jewish Bible to describe many prophets, priests, and rulers, including a Gentile King. To learn more about the term “mashiach”, read my article “Not THE Messiah, But Many Messiahs“.
Many Jews and Christians alike believe a messiah or anointed ruler will manifest one fine day, but it should be noted not all Jews or Christians believe in such concepts. I have found the various branches of Judaism and their off-shoots have varying interpretations as to when this messiah will appear if they believe in a messiah figure at all. Christians obviously believe Jesus is the one and only messiah and that he will return at some point in the near future to rule and reign. In other words, Christians, specifically evangelical Christians, believe in a “second-coming” of the messiah.
Throughout thousands of years, many have claimed to be the much anticipated “messiah” and many more will surely do the same, but none of them fit the profile of the final messiah. So how can a person know who is or isn’t the final messiah? To learn clues of what to look for in a messiah, we must study the book that made us even aware of such a concept, the Hebrew Bible.
The Final Messiah must be a human born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).
The Final Messiah must be Jewish, specifically of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10; Deuteronomy 17:15).
The Final Messiah must be a descendant of Jesse, King David’s father (Isaiah 11).
The Final Messiah must more specifically be a descendant of David and his son, Solomon- note: David had many sons (2 Samuel 7:8-16; 1 Kings 8:15-22; 1 Chronicles 22:9-10; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Psalm 132:12; Psalm 89:31-38).
The Final Messiah will be made known to the world and reign afteror near the time of the miraculous literal rescue of the Jews in Israel, the literal resurrection and regathering of House of Israel/Northern Kingdom, and the House of Judah/the Southern Kingdom, which collectively represent all twelve tribes of Israel. All twelve tribes will once again and permanently dwell as one kingdom in the land of Canaan/Israel (Isaiah 11:12; Ezekiel 36-37; Jeremiah 30-31; Zechariah 8-12; Isaiah 54-66; Joel 3; Amos 9:11-15).
The Final Messiah will teach, uphold, and administer Torah to all nations from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:3; Micah 4:2; Zechariah 14:16-21; Ezekiel 37:24).
The Final Messiah will bring peace to the entire globe as he unites the world and rules the world under a one-world government centered in Jerusalem, Israel (Ezekiel 34:25; Isaiah 2:2-3; Micah 4:3; Zechariah 14:16-21).
The Final Messiah will rule when the entire globe worships the One True God (Isaiah 2:18; 66:23; Zechariah 14:16-21).
The Final Messiah will help build the third temple and facilitate worship. More specifically, he will make various offerings on behalf of the people including the sin offering and help the priests lead the people in worship of God (Ezekiel 37:26-27; 45:16-46:18; Amos 9:11).
The Final Messiah will have sons (Ezekiel 46:16-18).
The Final Messiah could be David himself upon being resurrected, which would be a literal interpretation of the prophetic text (Ezekiel 34:23; 37:24-25; Jeremiah 30:8-9; Micah 5:2). Traditionally, orthodox streams of Judaism teach the Final Messiah will be a descendant of David and Solomon.
Now knowing the criteria or profile of the final messiah, let’s compare what the Christian Bible tells us about Jesus to see if he fits this profile.
According to Matthew 2:2, Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
According to Matthew 1:3 and Luke 3:33, Joseph, Jesus’ father was from the tribe of Judah. And yet, Joseph was not Jesus’ biological father. Also, compare Jesus’ genealogy in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. Both are said to be Joseph’s lineage, but they don’t match. Regardless, Joseph was not Jesus’ father, according to Matthew 1:18-19. According to Luke 1, Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, was of the tribe of Levi, so that would infer Mary also was of the tribe of Levi, not Judah. Jesus does not meet this criterion.
According to Matthew 1:5-6 and Luke 3:32, Joseph is a descendant of Jesse. Regardless, Joseph was not Jesus’ father, according to Matthew 1:18-19. The New Testament does not tell us Mary’s specific lineage other than her cousin was a Levite (Luke 1). Jesus does not meet this criterion.
According to Matthew 1:6-7, Joseph came from Solomon. According to Luke 3:31, Joseph is a descendant of not Solomon, but a different son of David, Nathan. Regardless, Joseph was not Jesus’ father, according to Matthew 1:18-19. Jesus does not meet this criterion.
Obviously, there has not been literal salvation by rescuing Jews, nor a literal resurrection, or reuniting the House of Israel and the House of Judah to the land of Canaan/Israel, so Jesus does not meet this criterion.
Obviously, Torah (the laws of God) are not being taught, upheld, and administered worldwide, so Jesus does not meet this criterion.
Obviously, there is no worldwide peace. In fact, as I am typing this, there is a war going on between Ukraine and Russia. Moreover, Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34). Jesus does not meet this criterion.
Obviously, the entire globe is not worshipping the One True God. Instead, many different religions and gods still exist. Jesus does not meet this criterion.
Obviously, there is no third temple and sacrifices have not resumed much less a prince/ruler offering sacrifices. Also, if Jesus was the “final” sacrifice for the world’s sins as Hebrews 10:1-18 teaches, why will there be future sin-offerings? Jesus does not meet this criterion (and clearly Hebrews 10:1-18 is fake news).
Jesus did not have any sons or atleast none that we know of according to the New Testament. Jesus does not meet this criterion.
Having been armed with this knowledge, I trust you will be better equipped to determine who is and is not the final anointed one.
To assist you with your studies, I attached a downloadable/printable version of this article.
Many Christians believe Jesus of Nazareth is THE Messiah. But did you know there are many “messiahs” throughout the Hebrew Bible? The reason Christians mistakenly believe there is only one messiah is because of the King James Version translation of Daniel 9. It appears the mistranslation was intentional to lead the reader to believe in Christian dogma. Keep in mind, Christians have been told there are some 300 Messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Bible all about Jesus and Daniel 9 is one of the alledged 300 prophecies predicting Jesus as THE Messiah. Moreover, Christians are trained to read into the text what they want it to mean instead of letting the text interpret itself or reading the text in context. Interestingly, the New Testament not once quotes Daniel 9 as proof text predicting Jesus as Messiah or when he would arrive on the scene. The deceiving urge to do has become more popular within modern times. Additionally, it is common within recent years for some Evangelicals, Hebrew Roots, and Messianics to use the phrase “Yeshua HaMashiach” or some variant to mean Jesus The Messiah, all of which only adds to their confusion. I confess I once was guilty of such false practices before realizing my error.
To clear up the misunderstanding of believing there could only be one Messiah, let’s take a look at the text within Daniel 9 which the King James Version translates the term “mashiach” to be Messiah. More specifically, in Daniel 9:25, it translates the Hebrew text into English as “the Messiah the Prince”.
Bible Hub Interlinear of Daniel 9:25
Similarly, in Daniel 9:26, the King James Version translates the Hebrew text as “Messiah”.
Bible Hub Interlinear of Daniel 9:26
And yet, in the other 37 times the term “mashiach” is used throughout the Hebrew Bible, the King James Version translates the term as “anointed”, which is the accurate translation.
Bible Hub Translation of Strong’s #4899 term mashiach as anointed
In other words, the term “anointed” or “mashiach” in Hebrew was used a total of 39 times throughout the Tanakh or what Christians refer to as the Old Testament. I will list below each time so you can review them for yourself in your own Bible while using a tool like Bible Hub to see for yourself how the term “mashiach” is translated as “anointed”. Each time it is used it is referring to a priest, prophet, or king that was literally anointed or ordained, if you will, as such. It was not limited to a Jewish king for even the Gentile King Cyrus was anointed or “mashiach” in Isaiah 45.
As you can see within the pages of your own Bible, there was and is not one messiah, but many anointed persons throughout Jewish history. For further study specifically on Daniel 9, read this article and watch these videos:
The craze to dress up like ghosts, goblins, or some other ghoulish costume continues to haunt Americans, including God-fearing Christians and Jews alike. The lucrative 9-million-dollar American industry tempts even the religious to celebrate the creepy time of the year. What’s more frightening is many, if not most Americans, are unaware of the origins of this spooky holiday, much less what the Hebrew and Christian Bibles say about ghosts or more specifically talking to ghosts.
According to numerous credible internet sources, Halloween essentially originated and still is considered a pagan holiday known as the most ideal day to speak to the dead and as a bonus, the dead may even predict the future for you. Even more fascinating is the Torah, the first five books of both the Hebrew and Christian Bibles, specifically warn against speaking to the dead either on one’s own or through a medium/witch to learn of the future (Exodus 22:17, Leviticus 19:31, 20:6, 27; Deuteronomy 18:10-13). The prophet Isaiah also warns not to do so in Isaiah 8:19-20. Just the fact that God states not to converse with the dead to learn of the future indicates it IS possible to do; otherwise, a command stating not to do so would not be needed. It also infers pagans have been communicating with the dead for thousands of years. Jewish interpretation of these sentiments is that it is permissible to talk to the dead, but not to ask them to reveal the future.
In this painting, King Saul falls prostrate upon seeing the ghost of the Prophet Samuel.
In fact, did you know there is a fascinating story found in 1 Samuel 28:7-25 where King Saul sought out a witch or medium to contact the deceased Prophet Samuel to get advice about what to do about a pending battle? In this story, not only did King Saul break both God’s law and his own law banishing mediums or any other form of witchcraft and sorcery to predict the future, but the medium was successful in summoning the peacefully rested Samuel. The medium was shocked to see the ghost of Samuel for it was then she realized King Saul was in costume and deceived her as he concealed his identity (since he banished such practices). So, the medium worried that King Saul would kill her as a result (see 1 Sam. 28:8 -12). Meanwhile, the ghost of the Prophet Samuel was irate that he was disturbed from Sheol, the place all dead go to (vs 15).
As if all that wasn’t remarkable enough, the Prophet Samuel could STILL prophesize to King Saul WHILE DEAD (vs 19)! Prophet Samuel accurately predicted King Saul would be joining him in death the next day along with King Saul’s descendants.
What we can learn from this Biblical account are a few things:
We have an immortal soul or eternal life, without a belief in Jesus;
Whether you are a righteous person or a wicked person, it appears that when you are dead, you are hanging out awaiting the resurrection to be judged on your deeds, not your mental beliefs (Job 14:10-14; Daniel 12:1-3; Ezekiel 36-37) and not instantly ushered to “heaven” or “hell” – even the Christian Bible teaches as such (see John 3:13; Acts 2:29); also, notice ancient Jews already believed in the immortal soul and the resurrection (except the sadducees) way before Jesus offered it. So, why does Jesus’ claim only followers of him can receive it? ;
The familiar spirit also known as a ghost can be disturbed and communicated with (it’s called a familiar spirit because a ghost is likely familiar with you personally like a deceased loved one);
Some mediums do indeed have a gift or craft for summoning and communicating with the dead;
A ghost can inform you of things you shouldn’t know about or ask about (i.e. like when you are going to die or what tomorrow holds);
And evidently, prophets can still prophesize even when dead! Put another way, your personality and giftings live on even after you’re dead.
In addition to God stating that ghosts exist, many individuals have experienced paranormal or supernatural events, leading them to come to similar conclusions. So, what’s the harm in wanting to reach out to your deceased parent, spouse, or other loved one for advice? After all, haven’t we gotten advice from our loved ones many times before when they were living? While it’s okay to talk to our deceased loved ones, perhaps the One True Living God wants us to seek Him instead for said matters, not the dead.
Moreover, while we are on the topic of ghosts, have you ever wondered if there is a Holy Ghost or Spirit of Holiness, or however you want to label God’s Spirit, then that would indicate there also are unholy ghosts or evil spirits. Otherwise, the adjective of “holy” would not be needed to distinguish that Spirit from other spirits. Perhaps just like there are righteous and evil people, there too are good ghosts and bad ghosts, angels, and demons. Makes sense when you ponder our personalities live on. The problem is both good angels and bad angels, commonly referred to as demons, are allegedly all around as are possibly the dead, so who do we know for certain we are talking to when consulting the dead or when a medium is communicating with them on our behalf? How do we know whatever spirit we are communicating with isn’t a demon in a costume of his own, disguising himself as Aunt Betty, hoping to lead us into destruction?
As we study the Torah, God appears to focus on life, providing little information about death; and yet, validating that the dead live on just without a physical body. Torah teaches the living to seek the Living God for guidance. Go to His instructions (Torah) for answers to life.
To summarize, even though ghosts indeed exist as the immortal souls of those gone before us, we only need to fear God, not ghosts.
Many Christians are told Isaiah chapter 53 is all about Jesus. If one were to only read that chapter in all of the Book of Isaiah while also ignoring what the other prophets of the Hebrew Bible prophesied about, then it would be easy to assume Isaiah is describing the death of Jesus on the cross. However, one cannot grasp all the author is conveying by only reading one chapter and jumping to conclusions. Whether Christian or Jewish, we must learn to stop making Scripture fit our preconceived notions and rather, let Scripture interpret Scripture within context and how the author refers to terms throughout.
Repeated Themes
Whenever one studies a book, they often start with: What is the series or book’s overall theme? Let’s explore the theme of the Book of Isaiah before identifying the character of Isaiah 53. As I read Isaiah 53, I recognized a familiar theme manifest. In several other chapters penned by Isaiah as well as others throughout the Hebrew Bible, God’s chosen people, particularly the righteous remnant, are often persecuted, and afflicted, not because of their actions, but because of the actions of others associated with them. Certainly, throughout the pages of the Bible and over the course of history, many of God’s chosen people at times were stiff-necked and rebellious (as some are still today); however, there are others, a remnant, who chose to live righteously by adhering to the laws of Torah, or God’s ways, that apply to them as individuals to the best of their ability and will be eventually rewarded. Consider how the prophet Jeremiah warned the House of Judah of their sins and pending captivity should they not repent. We see in the Book of Jeremiah and the Book of Daniel, the righteous prophet, Jeremiah, as well as Daniel, were carried off into captivity alongside their rebellious brethren. Eventually, however, after 70 years, the House of Judah was redeemed and restored by the arm of the LORD. Isaiah was a prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, known as the House of Israel, many of whom were also rebellious while others were righteous. Nevertheless, prior to the captivity of the House of Judah, both the rebellious and the righteous remnant of the House of Israel were attacked and carried off by the Assyrians (too bad the House of Judah didn’t learn from the House of Israel’s sins). Consider how all of the Egyptians suffered the plagues because of Pharoah. Similarly, have you ever told your teenagers to be careful who they hang around with because if one friend does something illegal, the others associated with them can also be charged with the crime? For example, one kid uses drugs in a vehicle, while his friends are also in the car. The teens are pulled over by police and the cops end up arresting all of them because of the one’s rebellious, illegal choice. Guilty by association.
Conversely, we also see in the Bible, others can be spared because of their association with the righteous. Recall how Noah, a righteous Gentile, was mocked while being obedient, and yet, he and those associated with him (his family) were spared of the great flood of judgment by the arm of the LORD while the rest of the world drowned. Similar concepts are portrayed by the righteous deed of Rahab, a Gentile; subsequently, she and her house were spared of God’s judgment. As a sidebar, notice these Gentiles were saved by their response to obedience (their action), not mental belief. Furthermore, Abraham bargained with God that if there were just ten righteous in a city, would God not spare that city (Genesis 18)?
These concepts manifest repeatedly throughout the Jewish Bible, including in the Book of Isaiah. Righteous by association and guilty by association.
Now, as a Christian, you may be thinking those associated with Jesus will be righteous and subsequently, saved by association, and those who reject Jesus or never heard of Jesus will be condemned and excluded. Interestingly, many religious Jews perceive association with Jesus as guilty (idolatrous) and excluded by association because the first commandment God instructed Israel on (and to teach the world) is to not worship any other creature or thing as if they are God. Jews have learned this lesson repeatedly starting with the Golden Calf incident, the Assyrian captivity, and Babylonian captivity. So, you can understand why many Jews balk at Christian missionaries or Christian programs broadcasted in Israel — they don’t want to be guilty by association and find themselves suffering in captivity again!
While we are on the topic of Christianity evangelizing Jews, you never see Jews forcing God or Torah onto others through violent means such as the Crusades or other forced conversions. More often than not, you will find Jews to be kind, inviting, and inclusive, knowing God also is kind, inviting, and inclusive. This isn’t to say all Christians are violent or evil, by any means. Many modern-day Christians are Israel’s biggest and only fans. Furthermore, while you will see Christians and Muslims persecuted for their faith sporadically over history and present-day, you will never see other religions suffer as much as the Jewish people consistently have. Whether righteous or rebellious, all Jews have suffered merely for being Jewish.
But Why?
Israel, wherever he (Israel) is scattered, has been “chosen” to serve the nations. Israel, or Jews, are commissioned to be moral ambassadors as they make the One True God and His ways, and literal salvation known through their lifestyle or their deeds, also known as their obedience to mitzvot (the commandments) See Isaiah 49:1,3,6-8. Because of his (Israel’s) appointed assignment to lead in love, the world historically loathes Jews. The world prefers to sojourn this life apart from a moral compass. Hence, the atrocities Jews have suffered, and still suffer. Israel, the Jewish people, are the suffering “servant” of Isaiah 53 for this reason. By the righteous Jews’ suffering, we are healed, or righteous by association.
Dissecting Isaiah 53
The subject of Isaiah 53 can be found in Isaiah 52:13 and in numerous places throughout Isaiah. The “servant” is Israel and all about God redeeming them, both the people and the land.
Let us dig further for a greater understanding. In the final verses of Isaiah 52, specifically verses 13-15, leading up to the often misunderstood Isaiah 53, we see “My servant” will be raised up and revered by many after having misunderstood the identity of “My servant”. It also says Kings will be shocked at the fact God’s servant is suddenly being elevated. Considering most of the world is under the umbrella of Christianity, will it really be shocking if Jesus is the so-called “servant” Isaiah is referring to? Is Jesus eventually being elevated to rule and reign a concept Gentiles are unfamiliar with? Of course not! It’s the entire hope of Christianity, no? Compare Isaiah 52:13-15 and Isaiah 62:1-4, 12. Notice Scripture doesn’t say Jews will be shocked upon the elevated servant, but rather, that Gentiles and Kings/Government leaders of other nations will be shocked. Interestingly, Jeremiah, the prophet, also reveals that the Gentiles (the nations) will be shocked upon realizing they inherited lies (while the Jews inherited truth) in Jeremiah 16:19. Furthermore, many other Scriptures reflect similar sentiments of Israel being eventually restored, extolled, and elevated (compare Deuteronomy 26:19, 28:1,10 as well as Isaiah 2,11, 60-62, 62:2-4; Ezekiel 34-48; Jeremiah 29-31; Micah 4; Zechariah 8; Zechariah 14, as some examples).
“What other passages refer to Israel as ‘him’?”
Now, that we have considered the theme and a few verses leading up to Isaiah 53, let’s discuss pronouns used in the Scriptures. In regards to Isaiah 52 and 53, I asked myself, “What other passages refer to Israel as ‘him’?” Surprisingly, numerous Scriptures refer to Israel in the masculine (Isaiah 45:11,46:8,56:8; Jeremiah 31:9-11,18,20-22; Hosea 7:8-10, 8:14, 10:6, 11:1,5, 12:1-4, 13:12-13). It would appear when collective people are referred to in the Jewish Bible, such as Israel/Jacob/Ephraim/Judah, pronouns such as him/his and them/their are used. Whereas when Scripture references specific cities such as Zion, Jerusalem, Holy City, Samaria, Babylon, etc, it uses the feminine pronouns (Isaiah 10:11,47:1,5, 51:17-18, 52:1-2, 62:1-2).
“Has Israel been defined as ‘My Servant’ such as in Isaiah 52:13?”
I then asked myself, “Has Israel been defined as ‘My Servant’ such as in Isaiah 52:13?” Again, surprisingly, yes. Isaiah 44:1-2,21-22, 45:4, 48:20, 49:3; (other general references 50:10; 52:13).
When reading any other book, would you insert a different subject just because they have similarities and then deem that one chapter is all about a different person not identified within the book? For example, while reading a book about the suffering of Jews during the Holocaust, no one would pick out one chapter and say, “Oh, this must be about Anne Frank, because she was a Jew that suffered in the Holocaust” when there is no mention specifically of Anne Frank.
More specifically, let’s examine each verse of Isaiah 53 to see other themes of these same sentiments further proving this text is about Israel, not specifically and exclusively Jesus.
Isaiah 53 | Verse-By-Verse
Isaiah 53:1 arm of the LORD = strength; see Isaiah 51:9, 59:16; 63:5 and Psalm 44:4 all of which speaks to this pattern is all of God’s doing, His strength and His will, the arm of the LORD;
53:2 no form or comeliness is likened to Zephaniah 3:12 referring to the remnant as meek and humble;
53:3 the servant is despised and rejected; despised and we did not esteem him is similar to Psalm 44:13-15, but especially Isaiah 49’s reference to Israel being rejected by men, yet later esteemed or raised up just as the later part of Isaiah 52 and 53 speak to. Notice the entire passage of Isaiah 49 is about Israel, the servant (vs 3), who is afflicted by men (vs 13-14), and just as Isaiah 52:13-15 speaks to the “servant” being miraculously extolled higher than kings which shocks the kings that this little nation is now honored, Isaiah 49:23-26, Isaiah 51 speak to the same prophecy as does all of Isaiah 60, but specifically Isaiah 60:14-15, as well as Isaiah 62:2-4;
53:4 wounded, stricken, smitten and afflicted by God – compare to the remnant of Israel being afflicted in Zephaniah 3:19, Psalm 44:24-25, Isaiah 51:7,12 (notice Isaiah 51:9 referring to the arm of the LORD just as Isaiah 53:1 and the close proximity of these parallel verses); also, see Isaiah 60:14-15;
53:5 all of Israel will suffer for the sins of Israel (i.e. even the righteous remnant such as Daniel and Jeremiah were carried off into the Babylonian captivity). Also, compare the servant being bruised for iniquities then healed to Israel being bruised for their iniquities in Isaiah 30:9-15, then bind up the bruise and healed in Isaiah 30:26;
53:6 is about the entire community being held accountable for sins. Should one person sin, they all suffer; hence, why there are incidents in the Jewish Bible of drastically removing the offender from the camp (i.e. Joshua 7-9). God is big on community, unity, and being in one accord; hence, why God stresses throughout Torah that we are responsible for one another (think Cain and Abel; love your neighbor; priests sacrificing for the entire community should there be unintentional sin members committed) or how God’s entire justice system is designed to hold one another accountable. Remember, the prophet Isaiah was the prophet sent to the Northern Kingdom of Israel/10 tribes/House of Israel. So when the majority of the House of Israel sins, hence “we (House of Israel) like sheep have gone astray”, everyone suffers including the few righteous ones just like Jeremiah and Daniel suffered in the Southern Kingdom/House of Judah when the Babylonians took the Jews to Babylon and held them captive. Some of Judah had sinned and consequently, God sent the Babylonians to discipline them for 70 years due to their violation of God’s land laws. Nevertheless, the righteous remnant paid heavily too (Jeremiah, Daniel, and others). We see that same concept in the second part of the verse, “and the LORD has laid on him (righteous remnant of House of Israel) the sins of us all (the majority of people of Israel/House of Israel)” and is likened to Zephaniah 3:13 as well as Ezekiel 34 and Psalm 44:11;
53:7 the servant/he didn’t open his mouth is also referenced of the righteous remnant of Israel learning to not open their mouth in rest and quietness Isaiah 30:15, Numbers 10:36, and Zephaniah 3:13, and Psalm 46:10/11 (depending on if you are using the Hebrew or Christian Bibles); sheep for slaughter, the sheep being representative of Israel, is also found in Jeremiah 11:19 and 12:3 as well as Psalm 44:22;
53:8 the righteous servant/remnant being cut off from land of living is also referenced in Jeremiah 11:19 whereas Israel being cut off from the land/living in general is mentioned in 1 Kings 9:6-7 and Ezekiel 37:11;
53:9 no deceit in his mouth is also referenced in Zephaniah 3:13 of no deceit being in the mouth of the righteous remnant (even the author of the Book of Revelation seemed to understand this reference is about Israel see Revelation 14:5 and how it is referencing the 144,000 righteous remnant of Israel found in Revelation 7);
53:10 again references bruising the servant as did 53:5 and 30:26; note: Jesus/Yeshua had no physical seed or offspring to carry on his legacy, but Israel’s descendants continue to be fruitful and multiply. The prophet Isaiah also prophecized a tenth of the holy seed will remain in chapter 10:13;
53:11 -12 by his knowledge – knowledge or wisdom in the Bible always refers to Torah/God’s laws see Hosea 4:6 as an example or Proverbs 3. Obeying Torah is defined as being righteous and received by God (see Psalm 95:6-11; 103, 119 and Isaiah 1:16-20, as just a few examples, but really it is everywhere in the Tanakh/Jewish Bible.) Also, notice Isaiah 26 speaks all about salvation and the importance of learning righteousness in Isaiah 26:8-12 or Isaiah 48:17-19. Israel, specifically the Jewish people, are called to be the light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6-8 and 49:3,6), and how are Jews to be the light? By living Torah, obeying God’s voice, which is Torah (Deuteronomy 28:1; Psalm 119:105; Proverbs 6:23; 4:2) so that the world might come to know how to be physically saved or spared and therefore not perish (Hosea 4:6). The righteous remnant repeatedly intercedes and suffers on behalf of the people (see Moses and Aaron and all the prophets as examples), but moreover, the righteous remnant lead in love simply by example of a Torah-observant lifestyle (to the best of their ability). Isaiah 53 speaks to the affliction of Israel; Isaiah 54 speaks to the literal, physical salvation of the Jews/Israel; Isaiah 55 is an invitation for all to follow their example; Isaiah 56 explains the Gentiles/foreigners who also keep God’s covenant (Torah), are also saved/gathered to Mt Zion.
Notice the prophets say nothing about one must believe in a Messiah to die for their sins for forgiveness, they simply must repent and turn to the LORD and His ways.
Next, after pondering such concepts, I thoroughly researched the Scriptures to find where it indicates a person will need to die for my sins and that one is eternally damned in their sins. To my surprise, I found “salvation” is always referencing a literal, physical saving, no one can die for another’s sins for we each are held accountable for our individual sins (Deuteronomy 24:16, 2 Kings 14:6, Jeremiah 31:29-30, Ezekiel 18:19-24, 33:12-20) while often collectively subjected to disciplining judgments as previously discussed above. Moreover, to benefit from God’s grace, all one must do is repent and He will gladly forgive (see Psalm 103 and Isaiah 1:16-20 or the story of Jonah and how even the Gentiles had been forgiven simply for repenting or the repeated message of the Prophets).
Christianity teaches if you don’t believe in Jesus you are damned to hell, eternally lost, part of the Anti-Christ Spirit, etc. while the Hebrew/Jewish Scriptures teach if you believe in Jesus you are an idolater and will be held accountable for your sins as we all are. In fact, it could be argued the trouble of Jacob, as prophecized by Daniel 12 (and other passages of judgment on Israel), could be because of Christians and Messianics propagating idolatry (the worship of Jesus) in the land of Israel. Choose this day whom you will serve and choose wisely.
Friends, Israel, more specifically the righteous Jewish remnant, are the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. I hope you will research all these Scriptures prayerfully.
