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Here are 7 basic truths from the Jewish Bible: 1. God alone is the source of a satisfying and worthwhile life. "Thou wilt make known to me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand are pleasures forevermore" Psalm 16:11 2. There is a barrier between God and us: sin. "Behold the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither is His ear heavy, so that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your GOD, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear" Isaiah 59:1-2 3. Our good deeds won’t remove the barrier. "And we are all as one that is unclean, and our righteousness (good deeds) as filthy rags" Isaiah 64:6 4. God has provided atonement as a way of removing the barrier. The Jewish Bible teaches that only blood makes atonement, not fasting or prayer. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul". Leviticus 17:11 5. God promised to send the Messiah for blood atonement. "The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those who turn from transgression". Isaiah 59:20 "He was pierced for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities… We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all". Isaiah 53:5,6 6. At least 48 specific prophecies further identify this Messianic figure, all of which have been fulfilled in Yeshua (Jesus) of Nazareth. He would be a descendent of King David (Jeremiah 23:5,6) The city of His birth would be Bethlehem (Micah 5:1,2) He would have a divine nature (Isaiah 9:5,6) He would come before the destruction of Herod’s temple in 70 C.E.(Daniel 9:26) He would be executed by crucifixion (Psalm 22:14-17) He would rise from the dead (Isaiah 53:10) He would return with the evidence of having been mortally wounded (Zechariah 12:10) Only Yeshua of Nazareth fulfilled all these prophecies 7. God has provided perfect atonement (forgiveness of sins) through the sacrifice of the Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus). All who place their trust in Him have restored fellowship with God and assurance of eternal life. "Do homage to the Son, How blessed are all who take refuge in Him" Psalm 2:12 |
6 Reasons Why Isaiah 53 Refers to the Messiah and not the Jewish People 1) There is clearly seen a distinction of pronouns for we see Isaiah, when speaking of himself and his nation Israel, uses the pronouns ‘we’ or ‘us’ along with ‘our’. He also is seen to describe the Servant as someone other than himself and his people by simply using the pronouns ‘He’ ‘Him’ ‘His’ 2) Isaiah declares that the Servant was put to death “ For the transgression of my people” which of cause must refer to Isaiah’s people which is the nation of Israel, therefore if the Servant died for Israel how can the Servant be Israel? 3 ) The passage in question makes repeatedly the claims of the Servants innocence when none of the Prophets even Isaiah ever claimed Israel was innocent (Isaiah 1:1-31, 65:5). Since Isaiah affirms the Servants innocence, while at the same time affirming Israel’s guilt, therefore Israel cannot possibly be the Servant. 4) The servant is seen to be a voluntary and unresisting sufferer. Now Israel has indeed suffered over many centuries but never willingly, therefore the sufferings of Israel the Jewish people are very different from those reported by Isaiah of this Servant. 5) This Servant in Isaiah dies on behalf of others, while the Bible clearly declares that Israel will be a nation under God forever in Jeremiah 31:34-36, and will never die. 6) Now we read in the Talmud and other rabbinic writings that this passage refers to the Messiah. Rashi one of the Jewish sages who lived around 1050AD was the first one to refer to this chapter of Isaiah 53 as the nation of Israel. However it did not become the dominant Jewish view until the 1800’s. (All scriptures quoted are from the Jewish Bible) There are over 200,000 Jewish believers in Messiah Yeshua in the USA alone, with thousands more in Israel and other countries. We love and cherish our beautiful Jewish culture and heritage, and part of that heritage is God's promise to us of a Messiah, a promise fulfilled in Yeshua. |