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The Son of Elohim
Who was Yeshua? – Part 2
An Expose’ of Isaiah 53

In part 1 of this study we examined some of the basics showing that Mashiach Yeshua is in fact YHWH in the flesh.  Let us keep those things in mind as we proceed.

With these things in mind let us examine a section of Scripture which was traditionally known to be about Mashiach; but since His first coming, attempts have been made to misapply this passage to the nation of Israel herself.  Let us examine this chapter verse by verse to see what it actually says.  It will take some hardcore honesty by those who have been taught that this is not speaking about Mashiach.  What each one of us needs to do in this matter is simply to allow the Scripture to say what it says without undue twisting of it, in an attempt to make it say something that it simply does not say or mean.

It has been suggested by some that the speakers of Yeshayah 52 are Gentile kings.  The reason that this attempt is made is to try to get one to think that YHWH is not the speaker of Chapter 53.  Let us examine a couple of passages to see if this bears out in this chapter.

Yeshayah (Isaiah) 52:3a 
For thus says YHWH, …

YHWH is speaking here.

Yeshayah (Isaiah) 52:4a
For thus says Adonai YHWH, …

Again, YHWH is speaking here.

Yeshayah (Isaiah) 52:5
“Now therefore, what do I here,” says YHWH, “seeing that My people are taken away for nothing?  They that rule over them do howl,” says YHWH, “and My name continually all the day is blasphemed.”

Once again, it is YHWH who is speaking.

Yeshayah (Isaiah) 52:6
“Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore they shall know in that day that I am He that does speak; behold, it is I.”

YHWH is speaking, again.  Please notice the reference to “My people.”  Gentile kings cannot be saying this as this is a reference to Israel and Israel does not belong to Gentile kings.

Yeshayah (Isaiah) 52:10 
YHWH has made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our Elohim.

No Gentile kings are going to be saying this about baring His holy arm and revealing the salvation of Elohim.  No, this is YHWH speaking.

Yeshayah (Isaiah) 52:13
“Behold, My servant shall deal wisely, He shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.”

It is not the servant of Gentile kings who deals wisely and brings salvation to Israel.  No, this again is YHWH speaking and He is specifically speaking of His Mashiach – His anointed One.

Yeshayah (Isaiah) 52:15 
“so shall He sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths at Him; for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they understand.”

YHWH states that Gentile kings shall shut their mouths.  Gentile kings are not speaking but being spoken about in this passage.  “He” is singular here, being that “He” is YHWH our Elohim and He is the one who will sprinkle many nations, not Gentile kings.  They are the ones who look on in awe and their mouths are shut as a result of what they are witnessing.

Yeshayah (Isaiah) 52:14 
“Like as many were astonished at Thee; His appearance was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men,”

We put verse fourteen after verse fifteen above to show that it is YHWH speaking in verse 13 and 15; then the verse between them is the same Speaker, as the Speaker has not changed and it is still YHWH.  What we see when we examine this chapter is that the Speaker in this chapter is YHWH, speaking through His prophet Yeshayah.  This same Speaker continues to speak as we move into chapter 53.  YHWH is speaking specifically about Mashiach being a suffering servant in this verse.

Yeshayah (Isaiah) 53:1-12

It is interesting to note that there are twelve verses in this chapter.  Could this suggest that Mashiach came for all twelve tribes?

53:1     Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of YHWH been revealed?

There are many times recorded in Scripture that Israel failed to believe what YHWH says and what YHWH did.  Here is one such witness.

B’midbar (Numbers) 14:11 
And YHWH said to Moshe, “How long will this people despise Me?  And how long will they not believe in Me, for all the signs which I have wrought among them?”

In all the time that Israel has been the people of YHWH, there have only been short periods of time interspersed throughout their history that they believed and followed YHWH our Elohim.  It is a sad but true testimony faithfully recorded in Scripture.  Yeshayah 53:1 is simply another instance of this being recorded; albeit, a future instance.

Furthermore, it is YHWH who reveals His arm.  It is not Israel revealing the arm of YHWH.

Yochanan (John) 12:37-38 
37 But though He had done so many signs before them, yet they believed not on Him;
38 that the word of Yeshayah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, “Adonai, who has believed our report?  And to whom has the arm of YHWH been revealed?”

This first verse of Yeshayah 53 not only speaks of the general attitude and actions of Israel towards YHWH our Elohim, but it also points directly to Mashiach when He came, as that same attitude and actions would again be manifested towards Him: Israel not seeing with open eyes, who stood right before them.

53:2     For He grew up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground;
He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

“He grew up before Him as a tender plant” is a reference to Mashiach growing up from childhood into manhood.  This points to Mashiach being born of a woman at some point after this prophecy was given.

53:3     He was despised, and rejected of men;
A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
And as one from whom men hide their face He was despised;
And we esteemed Him not.

Mashiach Yeshua was truly more rejected than any man.  Even those closest to Him hid their faces from Him when He could have used their support in His hour of need. 

Some have attempted to say that this is speaking of Israel and how the nations have rejected Israel.  But this does not really fit, because it was Israel who rejected YHWH as her Elohim.  It was as a result of Israel’s rejection of YHWH that YHWH removed His hand of protection over Israel and which caused all of her woes. 

Also, please note that it states that “we” did not esteem Him.  The “Him” here is YHWH and the “we” is Israel.  Then when YHWH came in the flesh, what Israel had already been doing for generations in rejecting YHWH was continued on in the rejection of Him in the flesh.  Please note this parable.

Matithyah (Matthew) 21:33-45 
33 “Hear another parable: There was a man that was a landowner, who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country.
34 And when the season of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, to receive his fruits.
35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first; and they did to them in like manner.
37 But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
38 But the husbandmen, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and take his inheritance.’
39 And they took him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40 When therefore the master of the vineyard shall come, what will he do to those husbandmen?”
41 They say to Him, “He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will let out the vineyard to other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons.”
42 Yeshua says to them, “Did you never read in the scriptures,
The stone which the builders rejected,
The same was made the head of the corner;
This was from YHWH,
And it is marvelous in our eyes?
43 Therefore say I to you, the kingdom of Elohim shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44 And he that falls on this stone shall be broken to pieces; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust.”
45 And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard this parable, they perceived that He spoke of them.

In this parable the “landowner” represents Father YHWH and the “son” of the landowner represents Yeshua.  In this parable Yeshua tells us that this was what these men would do to Him as the Son of Elohim: they would kill Him.  And as we know, they did indeed do this very thing.

53:4     Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows;
Yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of Elohim, and afflicted.

The “our” in this verse is referring to the griefs and sorrows of Israel.  The “He” is referring to YHWH in the form of Mashiach.  The “we” in this verse is referring to Israel.  Surely one can see that Israel has not borne her own griefs and sorrows.  But this burden has been laid upon another, one that could bear them.  Please note this follow passage.

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 1:31 
“and in the wilderness, where you have seen how that YHWH your Elohim bore you, as a man does bear his son, in all the way that you went, until you came to this place.”

The Torah teaches us that it is YHWH who actually bears Israel.  It is not Israel who bears Israel.  Now please also note this passage.

Tehillim (Psalm) 89:19 
Then You spoke in vision to Your saints,
And said, “I have laid help upon one that is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen out of the people.”

YHWH states that He will choose one from among Israel to be her Mighty One.  That Mighty One was YHWH Himself in the form of a man, whose name was Yeshua, whose name means:  YHWH saves.

53:5     But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement of our peace was upon Him;
And with His stripes we are healed.

It is true that YHWH has severely disciplined Israel at times because of her transgressions and iniquities against Him and His commandments as she has refused again and again to hear and obey His Voice.  However, even as true as that is, when has that discipline ever resulted in Israel being healed?  Simply put, it never has.  However, as we have seen above, YHWH has chosen One from among Israel upon whom to lay all those transgressions and it is by His wounds that Israel shall be healed.  At present it is the individual who is being healed.  However, we are now seeing the beginning of the healing of the nation of Israel as a whole.

Please note that it was “He” who was wounded.  “He” was wounded for “our” benefit.  We cannot miss these pronouns as they tell us a very specific story.  Israel cannot and does not carry her own burdens, but the One upon whom YHWH lays them; specifically, Mashiach Yeshua.

53:6     All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned everyone to his own way;
And YHWH has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Throughout this chapter there is a contrast being put forth.  That contrast is between the nation of Israel represented by plural pronouns as in the above verse with “we,” and a masculine single pronoun as in the above verse with “He.” 

In this case YHWH is laying upon one the sins of the many.  It does not make any sense at all to suggest that the sins of the many are laid upon the whole nation of Israel as a singular “he.”  Israel is the problem, not the solution!  The solution to the problem is not man or men, but rather YHWH our Elohim.  Only He is the solution to our sin problem.

Yochanan (John) 11:49-51
49 But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,
50 nor do you take account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.”
51 Now this he said not of himself; but, being high priest that year, he prophesied that Yeshua should die for the nation;

What the high priest spoke concerning Mashiach Yeshua under the unction of the Ruach Qodesh had already been prophesied through the prophets of old.  Knowing this, he pointed to Mashiach being YHWH in the flesh with this statement.

53:7     He was oppressed, yet when He was afflicted
He opened not His mouth;
As a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
And as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb,
So He opened not His mouth.

If any verse can be seen as not speaking about Israel it is this verse.  Please consider this passage:

B’midbar (Numbers) 14:26-27 
And YHWH spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying,
27 “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, that murmur against Me?  I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against Me.”

Yeshayah 53:7 states that this chosen One is silent and does not complain.  However, it is recorded over and over again in Scripture that Israel complains.  Israel whines and murmurs against YHWH again and again.  What she whines and complains about is always due to her being disobedient to His Voice and then suffering the consequence thereof.  However, in Yeshayah 53 what is recorded is that this chosen One is not suffering due to His own actions; but rather, is suffering because of the actions of Israel.  This alone should tell us that the anointed One of this chapter cannot be Israel herself!

Matithyah (Matthew) 27:12-14 
12 And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.
13 Then says Pilate to Him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?”
14 And He gave him no answer, not even to one word; insomuch that the governor marveled greatly.

The testimony of Scripture teaches us that Israel whines, complains, and murmurs against YHWH repeatedly.  So this chapter cannot in any way be applied to Israel as being the One upon whom all these transgressions are laid.  Israel is anything but silent concerning the discipline through which YHWH takes her in an attempt to get her to listen to and obey His Voice.

However, there was One who was silent when He was falsely accused.  His name was Yeshua, the chosen One of YHWH.  It is of Him which this chapter speaks.

53:8     By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation,
Who among them considered
That He was cut off out of the land of the living
For the transgression of My people to whom the stroke was due?

Again, we see the contrast between the people of YHWH and the One.  In this case it is the transgressions of His people to whom the (death) stroke was due.  However, it was not given to His people.  This cannot be overly stressed.  It was not His people who received the stroke due to them!  So, this chapter cannot be speaking of Israel as the One.  Rather the stroke was given to the One.  It was given to One who did not deserve the death stroke, but He received it in their stead.  As a result He died.

When did it ever happen that all of the people of YHWH died?  It has never happened!  In fact, according to Scripture it never will happen.  Even when Israel, either the northern kingdom or the southern kingdom, was taken away into captivity and ceased to be a nation for a period, they were still in the land of the living.  They were still His people.  This verse cannot rightly mean that all of Israel has ever been cut off from the land of the living.  However, Mashiach Yeshua was.  But the grave could not hold Him, because He is YHWH in the flesh, the Creator of all life!

53:9     And they made His grave with the wicked,
And with a rich man in His death;
Although He had done no violence,
Neither was any deceit in His mouth.

This passage states that the one upon whom was laid the transgressions was without violence.  Does this description fit Israel?  No it does not.  Please note the following passage.

Yechezqel (Ezekiel) 8:17 
Then He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man?  Is it a light thing to the house of Yehudah that they commit the abominations which they commit here?  For they have filled the land with violence, and have turned again to provoke Me to anger; and, behold, they put the branch to their nose.”

Please notice that YHWH tells us through the prophet Yechezqel that the house of Yehudah was full of violence.  But in Yeshayah we learn that the one upon whom the transgressions of all were laid was without violence.  Therefore, that verse cannot be speaking of Israel as the One upon whom the transgressions were laid.  What is being described is that the One upon whom all this was laid was not guilty of any of the things that were laid upon Him.  This cannot in any way be Israel as Israel is guilty of many things when it comes to breaking the Torah commandments of YHWH.

Now let us consider if there is any deceit in the mouth of Israel.

Yirmeyah (Jeremiah) 9:1-6 
1 “Oh that My head were waters, and My eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of My people!
2 Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging-place of wayfaring men; that I might leave My people, and go from them!  For they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.
3 And they bend their tongue, as it were their bow, for falsehood; and they are grown strong in the land, but not for truth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not Me,” says YHWH.
4 “Take heed every one of his neighbor, and trust not in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will go about with slanders.
5 And they will deceive everyone his neighbor, and will not speak the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves to commit iniquity.
6 Your habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know Me,” says YHWH.

These words are the testimony of YHWH against His people Israel.  It is a damning testimony.  In the sight of YHWH is there deceit in the mouth of Israel?  As YHWH states above, “…they will not speak the truth…”  There is nothing but lies in the mouth of Israel, because they refuse to know YHWH.

This was no less true when YHWH came in the flesh as Yeshua.  Still, they refused to know Him.  But was any violence or deceit found in His mouth?

Kepha Aleph (1st Peter) 2:22 
who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth;

Mashiach Yeshua did not sin in any way.

Ivrim (Hebrews) 4:15 
For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that has been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

While the high priests of the line of Aharon sinned and had to make atonement for their own sins as well as for the sins of the nation of Israel, this is not true of Mashiach Yeshua.  He committed no sin, because He is YHWH in the flesh.

Yochanan (John) 8:46-47 
46 “Which of you convicts Me of sin?  If I say truth, why do you not believe Me?
47 He that is of Elohim hears the words of Elohim; for this cause you hear them not, because you are not of Elohim.”

Were they able to convict Mashiach Yeshua on testimony that was truthful?  No!  They had to bring forth false witnesses bearing lies.  Once again, it was Israel who was full of lies and deceit, not Mashiach Yeshua.

53:10   Yet it pleased YHWH to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief;
When you shall make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed,
He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of YHWH shall prosper in His hand.

Please note that in this verse YHWH states “when you,” meaning the nation of Israel, shall offer the One up as an offering for sin.  Did Israel kill herself?  No!  Did Israel kill Mashiach Yeshua?  Yes!

In order for a sin offering to be acceptable to YHWH one of the things that must be true about it is that it must be without defect.  Is Israel without defect?  Not hardly!  But Mashiach Yeshua was without defect.  He absolutely qualified to be a sin offering in this regard.  We have already examined passages of Scripture demonstrating this above so we will not reexamine them here.

53:11   He shall see of the travail of His soul,
And shall be satisfied;
By the knowledge of Himself shall My righteous servant justify many;
And He shall bear their iniquities.

Once again we see that it is the One who is bearing the iniquity of the many.  Also, it is important to note that it is “by the knowledge of Himself” that the One will justify the many.  It is not the many who justify themselves!  When we have knowledge of ourselves, what do we see?  Do we see righteousness?  No!  What we see is sin and the desperate need of redemption.  What we see is something that we cannot attain for ourselves.  We need a Redeemer.  In this case that Redeemer is YHWH our Elohim who came in the likeness of human flesh and died in our place. 

Yeshayah (Isaiah) 41:14 
“Fear not, you worm Ya’aqov, and you men of Israel; I will help you,” says YHWH, and Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

YHWH states through the prophet Yeshayah that it is His Redeemer that will save all of Israel.  Israel is a worm in the sight of YHWH and is not capable of saving herself.

Yeshayah (Isaiah) 44:6 
Thus says YHWH, the King of Israel, and His Redeemer, YHWH Tzava’ot; “I am the first, and I am the last; and besides Me there is no Elohim.”

YHWH states that the name of His Redeemer, the Redeemer of all Yisrael is YHWH Tzava’ot.  It was YHWH Tzava’ot who came in the likeness of human flesh to accomplish the redemption of Israel.  Please note that it states in the above passage that both YHWH (the King of Israel) and YHWH Tzava’ot (His Redeemer) are speaking in this passage.  The Redeemer of Israel calls Himself the first and the last.  He calls Himself Elohim and there are not other Elohim besides Him.  Such is the person of Mashiach Yeshua.

53:12   Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong;
Because He poured out His soul to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He bare the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.

Please note that this One upon whom the sins and transgressions of the many is laid upon dies.  As a result He would be numbered among the transgressors even though He would be without sin.  Yet, He would die a death worthy of those who are sinners.  This He did because the sin of all Israel is laid upon Him to make restitution for her many sins of rebellion against YHWH our Elohim.

As we can see, this chapter cannot be rightly applied to Israel as being the One upon which the transgressions of the many will be or has been laid.  The contrast throughout this chapter is between Israel, who is full of sin and deceit and her Redeemer who has all the sins of Israel laid upon Him though He did no wrong.  But because of the sins of Israel being laid upon Him, He died in her place.  He did not deserve this stroke; but rather, Israel did deserve it, but did not receive it.  Since Israel did not receive the stroke due to her, then she cannot also be the One upon whom her sins were laid!

Abba YHWH, open our eyes to Your Redeemer that we may come to Him; in the name of Mashiach Yeshua.  Amein and amein.

Shabbat shalom
Zerubbabel ben Emunah
www.onetorahforall.com
zerubbabel@onetorahforall.com

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