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A popular Jewish interpretation of Isa 53:11 is that 49:1-3 identifies the
servant as the corporate people of Israel.
Christians have to accept that there's a kernel of truth in the Jewish
interpretation because Christ testified that salvation is of the Jews (John
4:22). However the Jews of Isaiah's day have to be ruled out of the equation
because his prophecy portrays them as rotten to the core. Not one good
thing is credited to the people of Israel in Isaiah's day anywhere in the whole
book. In point of fact, the very first chapter portrays them as rebellious
children who have no more appreciation for God's providence than burros
and oxen. The 49th chapter depicts them as needy of spiritual renewal (Isa
49:5-6) and in the 58th chapter they are depicted as lawbreakers,
hypocritical, self righteous, wicked, oppressive, uncharitable, cruel, and
unloving (Isa 58:1-7). The 53rd chapter itself depicts them all as astray,
transgressors, iniquitous, and deserving punishment, whereas the servant is
depicted as in favor with God (Isa 53:2), and innocent (Isa 53:5, Isa 53:6,
Isa 53:8, and Isa 53:9)
However, there is a day coming when every Jew residing in the State of
Israel will be 110% righteous to a man (Isa 60:21). But of course not before
the fulfillment of the prediction recorded at Ezek 36:24-27.
Now, the way I see it: there's a couple of ways we can go with this. Either
we punish the whole kit and kaboodle of those future 110% righteous Jews
in order to atone for the sins of their ancestors, or we punish just one. Well;
the retribution is quite severe and results in the servant's death (Isa 52:13
14, Isa 53:8-9) so that punishing all of the 110% righteous Jews in total
would result in an all-encompassing, nation-wide genocide in the State of
Israel. So in my estimation, it would be better for all concerned to seek out a
particularly gifted individual-- the pick of the litter so to speak --to represent
the righteous people of Israel and lay the sins of their ancestors all on
him. The man selected has to be a Jew though or it won't work because no
other race of people can fulfill Isa 49:1-3 and John 4:22.
Option #2 was the choice of some of the old-time rabbis. The Talmud
teaches that Isaiah 53 refers to Messiah (Sanhedrin 98). The Targum of
Jonathan begins it with the words Ha yatslakh avdee Mashikha, which mean:
Behold my servant the Messiah shall prosper. Others believed Isaiah 53
spoke of the sufferings of Messiah; e.g. Rabbi Moshe Kohen Ibn Crispin
(a.k.a. Ibn Krispin).
Rabbi Mosheh El-Sheikh (a.k.a. Alshekh) claimed: "our Rabbis with one voice
accept and affirm the opinion that the prophet [Isaiah] is speaking of King
Messiah."
King Messiah goes by a variety of labels in the Old Testament. At Isa 11:1
10 he's called "a sprig of Jesse" viz: a man of the house of David. At Jer
23:5-6, Jer 33:15-16, Zech 3:8-9, and Zech 6:12-13 he's called "the
branch". In every instance wherein Messiah's character is mentioned, he's
always portrayed as a man of impeccable integrity, and unfailing
righteousness, justice, equity, and faithfulness-- just the ticket.
Buen Camino
/
A popular Jewish interpretation of Isa 53:11 is that 49:1-3 identifies the
servant as the corporate people of Israel.
Christians have to accept that there's a kernel of truth in the Jewish
interpretation because Christ testified that salvation is of the Jews (John
4:22). However the Jews of Isaiah's day have to be ruled out of the equation
because his prophecy portrays them as rotten to the core. Not one good
thing is credited to the people of Israel in Isaiah's day anywhere in the whole
book. In point of fact, the very first chapter portrays them as rebellious
children who have no more appreciation for God's providence than burros
and oxen. The 49th chapter depicts them as needy of spiritual renewal (Isa
49:5-6) and in the 58th chapter they are depicted as lawbreakers,
hypocritical, self righteous, wicked, oppressive, uncharitable, cruel, and
unloving (Isa 58:1-7). The 53rd chapter itself depicts them all as astray,
transgressors, iniquitous, and deserving punishment, whereas the servant is
depicted as in favor with God (Isa 53:2), and innocent (Isa 53:5, Isa 53:6,
Isa 53:8, and Isa 53:9)
However, there is a day coming when every Jew residing in the State of
Israel will be 110% righteous to a man (Isa 60:21). But of course not before
the fulfillment of the prediction recorded at Ezek 36:24-27.
Now, the way I see it: there's a couple of ways we can go with this. Either
we punish the whole kit and kaboodle of those future 110% righteous Jews
in order to atone for the sins of their ancestors, or we punish just one. Well;
the retribution is quite severe and results in the servant's death (Isa 52:13
14, Isa 53:8-9) so that punishing all of the 110% righteous Jews in total
would result in an all-encompassing, nation-wide genocide in the State of
Israel. So in my estimation, it would be better for all concerned to seek out a
particularly gifted individual-- the pick of the litter so to speak --to represent
the righteous people of Israel and lay the sins of their ancestors all on
him. The man selected has to be a Jew though or it won't work because no
other race of people can fulfill Isa 49:1-3 and John 4:22.
Option #2 was the choice of some of the old-time rabbis. The Talmud
teaches that Isaiah 53 refers to Messiah (Sanhedrin 98). The Targum of
Jonathan begins it with the words Ha yatslakh avdee Mashikha, which mean:
Behold my servant the Messiah shall prosper. Others believed Isaiah 53
spoke of the sufferings of Messiah; e.g. Rabbi Moshe Kohen Ibn Crispin
(a.k.a. Ibn Krispin).
Rabbi Mosheh El-Sheikh (a.k.a. Alshekh) claimed: "our Rabbis with one voice
accept and affirm the opinion that the prophet [Isaiah] is speaking of King
Messiah."
King Messiah goes by a variety of labels in the Old Testament. At Isa 11:1
10 he's called "a sprig of Jesse" viz: a man of the house of David. At Jer
23:5-6, Jer 33:15-16, Zech 3:8-9, and Zech 6:12-13 he's called "the
branch". In every instance wherein Messiah's character is mentioned, he's
always portrayed as a man of impeccable integrity, and unfailing
righteousness, justice, equity, and faithfulness-- just the ticket.
Buen Camino
/
