Introduction<\/p>\n
THIS study is concerned with what is known theologically as Messianic Christology. More simply, it is a survey of all the messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures which were fulfilled at the First Coming of Messiah. The Orthodox Jewish interpretation does not, of course, expect Messiah to come twice, but rather\u2014as will be seen later\u2014expects two Messiahs each coming once. This study is presented from a Messianic Jewish perspective, and it will be shown that these Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled in the life of Yeshua (Jesus) and cannot be fulfilled in any other way. First, however, by way of introduction, we shall look at the New Testament and see how Jesus and His disciples dealt with this subject.<\/p>\n
New Testament Usage<\/p>\n
The Gospels make it very clear that Jesus\u2019 death took the apostles by surprise. Their confusion arose largely because of their lack of knowledge concerning the full program of the Messiah. They had fully expected Jesus to overthrow their enemies and establish His Kingdom on earth. They were very familiar with the prophecies concerning this aspect of the messianic program. What they had failed to grasp was that Messiah had to come twice: first to suffer, and, then, later to come in victory. The purpose of His First Coming was quite different from the purpose of His Second Coming.
\nIn order to substantiate the purpose of His First Coming, Jesus does not ask His disciples to simply believe, but refers them back to the authority of their own Hebrew Scriptures\u2014what is now called the Old Testament. One example of this is Luke 24:25\u201327, 44\u201348.<\/p>\n
24:25 And He said to them, \u201cO foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 \u201cWas it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?\u201d 27 And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.ss;
\n\u2026 44 Now He said to them, \u201cThese are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.\u201d 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, \u201cThus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day; 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 \u201cYou are witnesses of these things.\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
(NASB)<\/p>\n
Here, on the Emmaus Road, in one of His resurrection appearances, Jesus reproaches His disciples for not knowing all that the Prophets spoke\u2014including the prophecies concerning His suffering and death. They had no difficulty believing the prophecies which presented Messiah as a reigning King who would restore Israel to her former glory. They had great difficulty in accepting those prophecies which foretold of Messiah\u2019s suffering and death. The fact that the disciples were so distraught by Jesus\u2019 arrest and execution shows that they were really in a state of unbelief. We are told that Jesus began with the Law of Moses, moved on to the Prophets and went through all of the Hebrew Scriptures, showing the disciples all of the things concerning Messiah. He was, then, able to prove that His death and resurrection were perfectly in accordance with Scripture and essential to His work\u2014proving His Messiahship.
\nFrom the most ancient sources to modern rabbis, Jewish teachers have always divided the Scriptures into three sections: The Law, The Prophets and The Writings. We see here (particularly in verse 44) that Jesus does the same. The Writings are sometimes referred to only as \u201cthe Psalms,\u201d Psalms being the first book in the Writings. Jesus systematically covers all Scripture, revealing to His disciples all things concerning Himself. \u201cAll things\u201d include prophecies of the Second Coming (which are still to be fulfilled), as well as prophecies concerning the First Coming (which were being fulfilled at the time that Jesus was speaking). By bringing together prophecies from all three sections of Jewish Scripture, Jesus is able to prove that it was necessary for Him to be killed, buried and raised again on the third day.
\nJesus\u2019 followers learned their lesson well. Later on in the New Testament, after Yeshua\u2019s ascension, we see that the disciples repeatedly justified and authenticated Jesus\u2019 Messiahship to Gentiles as well as Jews using only the Hebrew Scriptures. The first example is Acts 8:26\u201339:<\/p>\n
8:26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, \u201cArise and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.\u201d (This is a desert road.) 27 And he arose and went; and behold, there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship. 28 And he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, \u201cGo up and join this chariot.\u201d 30 And when Philip had run up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, \u201cDo you understand what you are reading?\u201d 31 And he said, \u201cWell, how could I, unless someone guides me?\u201d And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:
\n\u201cHE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER; AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH. 33 \u201cIN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY; WHO SHALL RELATE HIS GENERATION? FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH.\u201d
\n34 And the eunuch answered Philip and said, \u201cPlease tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself, or of someone else?\u201d 35 And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. 36 And as they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, \u201cLook! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?\u201d 37 [And Philip said, \u201cIf you believe with all your heart, you may.\u201d And he answered and said, \u201cI believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.\u201d] 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.<\/p>\n
(NASB)<\/p>\n
This is the famous story of the Ethiopian eunuch who is reading the prophecy of Isaiah 53. Philip is sent to him to explain the meaning of the prophecy. We read in verse 35 that \u201cbeginning from this Scripture\u201d Philip \u201cpreached Jesus to him.\u201d Beginning with Isaiah 53, a passage which will be examined later in this study, Philip is able to present the Messiahship of Jesus. The Ethiopian eunuch is so impressed by the way in which Jesus\u2019 suffering and death fits Isaiah\u2019s description of the Messianic Person, that he is convinced and immediately becomes a believer.
\nThe second example is Acts 17:1\u20134:<\/p>\n
17:1 Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And according to Paul\u2019s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, \u201cThis Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.\u201d 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a great multitude of the God\u2014fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women.<\/p>\n
(NASB)<\/p>\n
Here, we see that Paul\u2019s procedure in the synagogue was to expound on the Scriptures, meaning the Scriptures of the Old Testament, and specifically the messianic prophecies which we shall be studying later. Having portrayed the kind of Messiah that the Scriptures demanded, he was then able to show how Jesus perfectly fits the messianic mold of the Old Testament.
\nThe third example is Acts 18:27\u201328:<\/p>\n
18:27 And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he helped greatly those who had believed through grace; 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.<\/p>\n
(NASB)<\/p>\n
Here, again, we see that Apollos\u2019 method of debating with the Jewish leaders was to go back to the Scriptures and prove how Jesus satisfied the requirements of Hebrew prophecy.
\nOne final example of this can be seen in Acts 28:23:<\/p>\n
28:23 And when they had set a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God, and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.<\/p>\n
(NASB)<\/p>\n
As Paul debated here with the Jewish leaders in Rome, his evidence once again does not rest on Matthew, Mark, Luke or John but rather the Scriptures of the Old Testament. There is, in fact, no mention of the Gospels as they had not yet been written. In this particular situation, Paul rests his case exclusively on the Law and the Prophets. He excludes the Writings probably because of Jewish beliefs concerning the inspiration of Scripture: Judaism teaches that all of Scripture is inspired by God, but that there are three levels of inspiration. The Law is said to be of greatest authority, as it is the very words of God dictated directly to a human scribe. The Prophets are of lesser authority, being God\u2019s messages spoken through the mouths of men. The Writings are considered to be of least authority, as they are reckoned to be the words of men whose thinking was guided by God. Judaism holds a very high view of the Law and the Prophets, but does not have a very high view of inspiration for the Writings. Paul, therefore, restricts himself to using the words of God given in the Law and the Prophets. Jesus used all three sections of the Old Testament because, as far as He and the apostles were concerned, all of the Hebrew Scriptures were of equal validity.
\nSadly, there are very few people today who can do what the apostles did and present the entire messianic program exclusively from the Old Testament. The ability to do this is important for several reasons but is absolutely essential for ministry among Jewish people. It is necessary to show the kind of Messiah that the Old Testament demands before moving on to the New Testament and showing how Jesus perfectly fulfills all of the scriptural requirements.<\/p>\n
The Four Types of Messianic Prophecy<\/p>\n
When dealing with messianic prophecy it is very important to understand that there are four categories of messianic prophecy, and these distinctions are essential. The four categories are:<\/p>\n
1. First Coming Only (e.g., Micah 5:2)
\n2. Second Coming Only (e.g., Isaiah 63:1\u20136)
\n3. Both First and Second Coming (e.g., Zechariah 9:9\u201310)
\n4. The Entire Redemptive Career (e.g., Psalm 110)<\/p>\n
Some prophecies are very straightforward and deal exclusively with either the First Coming (category 1) or the Second Coming (category 2). Other prophecies are more complicated.
\nThe third category of prophecies includes verses that blend the First and Second Comings together in such a way as to negate or conceal the period of time in between. It becomes necessary to study other parallel Scriptures in order to see the distinction. Zechariah 9:9\u201310 is a good example of this: Verse nine deals with the First Coming, and verse 10 deals with the Second. These verses alone do not distinguish between the two, but this is clarified by other passages as we will see later in this study.
\nThe fourth category refers to passages which cover the entire messianic program and include four elements: First Coming, Interval of Time, Second Coming and the Messianic Kingdom.
\nIn this study, we will cover the first category in its entirety. The second category is a subject in its own right (and, so, is fully covered elsewhere in the author\u2019s The Footsteps Of The Messiah: A Study of the Sequence of Prophetic Events). The third and fourth categories of prophecy will be touched on only in so far as they relate to the First Coming of Messiah.<\/p>\n
Importance<\/p>\n
A study of this kind has three main benefits:<\/p>\n
Avoiding Over-Simplifications<\/p>\n
The relationship between the Old and New Testaments, and the nature of Old Testament faith, are often over-simplified. For example, a frequently-used clich\u00e9 is that \u201cOld Testament saints looked forward to the death of Christ while New Testament saints look back to the death of Christ.\u201d If that were true, then why were the disciples so astounded at Jesus\u2019 death? We have a tendency to read back into the Old Testament a level of New Testament understanding which did not exist in those days. As we follow the progressive revelation of Scripture, we become more aware of the limitations on understanding at various stages of Israel\u2019s history. In particular, there would be no way of knowing from the five books of the Law alone that Messiah was to die. This was not revealed until circa 700 B.C. by the Prophet Isaiah. The Law presents Messiah mainly in terms of a King and Redeemer but not as a dying Savior. It is not true that \u201cOld Testament saints looked forward to the death of Messiah\u201d; for most of Old Testament history, they did not know that such an event was to happen. We should be careful not to over-simplify the content of faith for Old Testament believers.
\nAnother example is the common saying that \u201cJesus fulfilled more than 300 prophecies at His First Coming.\u201d Those who make this claim never produce a list of such 300 prophecies. This study will cover every First Coming prophecy, and these will number well below 300. However, there will be more than enough prophecies fulfilled to fully authenticate the Messiahship of Yeshua.<\/p>\n
Interpreting Second Coming Prophecies<\/p>\n
Understanding the First Coming prophecies and the ways in which they were fulfilled helps us to understand and correctly interpret the Second Coming prophecies. Because all First Coming prophecies were fulfilled in a literal way and not \u201callegorically\u201d or \u201cspiritually,\u201d we should expect the Second Coming prophecies to be fulfilled in the same way.<\/p>\n
Jewish Evangelism<\/p>\n
As has already been seen, the messianic prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures formed the basis for evangelism in the New Testament. First, Jesus with His disciples, and, then, the disciples themselves used the Old Testament to substantiate His claim to be the Messiah. When the messianic expectations of Hebrew prophecy are understood, it becomes clear that Jesus and only Jesus can fulfill these requirements.<\/p>\n
These, then, are the Scriptures that we will now study, examining them in the same context and categories that Jesus and the apostles did: The Law, The Prophets and The Writings.<\/p>\n
The Law<\/p>\n
Genesis 3:15
\nThe Seed of the Woman<\/p>\n
3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel. (NASB)
\n3:15 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b5\u05d9\u05d1\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b8\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9\u05ea \u05d1\u05b5\u05bc\u05d9\u05e0\u05b0\u05da\u05b8 \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b5\u05d9\u05df \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b4\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c1\u05d4 \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b5\u05d9\u05df \u05d6\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05e2\u05b2\u05da\u05b8 \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b5\u05d9\u05df \u05d6\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05e2\u05b8\u05d4\u05bc \u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e4\u05b0\u05da\u05b8 \u05e8\u05b9\u05d0\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b7\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05ea\u05b0\u05bc\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e4\u05b6\u05e0\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc \u05e2\u05b8\u05e7\u05b5\u05d1\u05c3 \u05e1<\/p>\n
MESSIANIC prophecy begins as early as the third chapter of the Book of Genesis. It is no surprise that the very first messianic prophecy should occur within the context of the Fall. If sin had not entered the world, there would never have been a need for a redeeming Messiah. After the Fall, God curses the serpent who had caused the Fall, and declares enmity between the serpent and womanhood. This enmity is to extend to the Seed of the Woman and the seed of the serpent. The Seed of the Woman refers to Christ, the Messiah, and the seed of the serpent will be the Antichrist. (A discussion of the Antichrist lies beyond the scope of this study, but see The Footsteps Of The Messiah, pages 135\u2013146, for further details.)<\/p>\n
The Prophecy<\/p>\n
This, the first messianic prophecy, declares that the Messiah\u2019s descent or genealogy will be reckoned after a woman, not a man. This immediately runs contrary to the biblical norm. There are many genealogies in Scripture: Beginning with the earliest in Genesis five and 10, through the first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles, to Matthew one and Luke three (among many others), virtually all of them are lists of men\u2019s names. Legal descent, national and tribal identity, were always taken from the father, never from the mother (The sole exception to this is found in Ezra 2:61 and Nehemiah 7:63). It is very rare that a woman\u2019s name would be included at all unless she figured very prominently in Jewish history, and even then she would warrant only a passing reference.
\nThe fact that Moses traced this genealogy through the woman tells us that there will be something very different about the Messiah, something that necessitates tracing His ancestry through His mother, not His Father. Moses gives no explanation here, and none will be given for several centuries until the time of the Prophet Isaiah\u2014when he will prophesy (in chapter 7) that Messiah is to be born of a virgin and have no human father.
\nGenesis 3:15 states that Messiah will crush the head of the serpent, that is, Satan (Revelation 12:9, 15; 20:2). In the process Satan will manage to wound the heel of Messiah, but will be unable to prevent his own destruction. The bruising of Messiah\u2019s heel took place at Jesus\u2019 crucifixion\u2014painful but, in the eternal sense, not fatal. The crushing of the serpent\u2019s head began with Jesus\u2019 death and resurrection, a point made in Hebrews 2:14\u201318. Romans 16:20 sees the crushing of Satan\u2019s head as still future and, so, his final destruction will not come until he is thrown into the Lake of Fire, as described in Revelation 20:10.
\nAs well as hinting at the virgin birth, this verse also emphasizes the humanity of the Messiah. Messiah, the Redeemer, will not be angelic nor simply divine, but will be a man. It also lays the groundwork for the Messiah to be the God-Man.
\nThese ideas are further developed in subsequent prophecies.<\/p>\n
Genesis Four, Five and Six: Early Echoes of the Promise<\/p>\n
These understandings about Genesis 3:15 come from our own historical perspective with the light of full revelation we have from the Scriptures. But how was this verse understood by those who first heard it? There are three passages in the following chapters which offer some clues as to the thinking of three significant individuals concerning the meaning of Genesis 3:15. A study of these passages shows that though the virgin birth would not be understood until Isaiah, the expectation of a God-Man Redeemer was understood.<\/p>\n
Genesis 4:1<\/p>\n
A literal translation of the Hebrew text for Genesis 4:1 would read:<\/p>\n
And the man knew Eve his wife, she conceived and bare Cain and said \u201cI have gotten a man: Jehovah.\u201d
\n\u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b8\u05d3\u05b8\u05dd \u05d9\u05b8\u05d3\u05b7\u05e2 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05d7\u05b7\u05d5\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05d0\u05bc\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05b7\u05ea\u05b7\u05bc\u05d4\u05b7\u05e8 \u05d5\u05b7\u05ea\u05b5\u05bc\u05dc\u05b6\u05d3 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05e7\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05df \u05d5\u05b7\u05ea\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05de\u05b6\u05e8 \u05e7\u05b8\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b4\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4\u05c3<\/p>\n
This is exactly the same sentence construction as in the next verse:<\/p>\n
Again she bare his brother: Abel.
\n\u05d5\u05b7\u05ea\u05b9\u05bc\u05e1\u05b6\u05e3 \u05dc\u05b8\u05dc\u05b6\u05d3\u05b6\u05ea \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05d0\u05b8\u05d7\u05b4\u05d9\u05d5 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05d4\u05b8\u05d1\u05b6\u05dc<\/p>\n
Few Bible translators really understand what Eve is saying here, which is why our English translations do not read as given above. Eve has clearly understood from God\u2019s words in Genesis 3:15 that the serpent will be defeated by a God-Man. She obviously thinks that Cain is Jehovah. Her basic theology is correct: Messiah would be both man and God. Her mistake is in her application of that theology. She has assumed that Cain, her first child, was the promised God-Man. That she quickly realized her mistake is evident at the birth of Cain\u2019s brother whom she names Abel, meaning \u201cvanity.\u201d
\nIt is interesting to see how different scholars have dealt with this verse at different times. Most English translations read, \u201cI have gotten a man with the help of Jehovah.\u201d The words \u201cwith the help of\u201d were added by the translators to avoid giving a reading which was unacceptable to them. But the Hebrew does literally read, \u201cI have gotten a man: Jehovah.\u201d This is actually the same construction as the Hebrew for the immediately preceding words, \u201cand she bare: Cain.\u201d The common English translation is not based on the Hebrew text but on the Greek Septuagint which reads \u201cthrough God.\u201d This was followed by the Latin Vulgate which also reads \u201cthrough God.\u201d
\nThe Jerusalem Targum, an Aramaic translation, reads, \u201cI have gotten a man: the angel of Jehovah.\u201d The rabbis gave a reading here which is much closer to the original Hebrew text. The Targum Pseudo\u2014Jonathan reads, \u201cI have gotten for a man the angel of the Lord.\u201d Another Aramaic translation is the Targum Onqelos which says \u201cfrom before the Lord.\u201d These Aramaic translations and paraphrases are seeing what the Hebrew is saying and the supernatural implications of it. In Christian theology the Angel of Jehovah is seen as the second person of the triune God (something which is discussed later under \u201cOther Lines Of Evidence\u201d) but, of course, that was not the view of the Jewish translators of the Targumim.
\nThe Midrash Rabbah (on Genesis, 22:2), the rabbinic commentary, says of Genesis 4:1 \u201cwith the help of the Lord.\u201d \u2018Rabbi Ishmael asked Rabbi Akiba, \u201cSince you have served Nahum of Gimzo for 22 years and he taught that every ach and rach is a limitation but every et and gam is an extension, tell me what is the purpose of the et here.\u201d He replied, \u201cif it is said \u2018I have gotten a man: the Lord\u2019 it would have been difficult to interpret, hence et \u2018with the help of the Lord\u2019 is required.\u201d \u2019 The footnote on page 181 of this Midrash says \u201cit might imply that she had begotten the Lord.\u201d The rabbis clearly understood the implications of the construction and so had to make the necessary adjustments in their translation.
\nThe Peshitta says, \u201cI have gotten a man to the Lord.\u201d A leading rabbi known as Saadia Gaon read it \u201cfrom with the Lord.\u201d Rashi translates it as \u201cwith the Lord\u201d and Nachmanides translates it as \u201cunto the Lord for the service of the Lord.\u201d Here again attempts are made to get around the obvious.<\/p>\n
Genesis 5:21\u201329<\/p>\n
5:21 And Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. 22 Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. 23 So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. 25 And Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty\u2014seven years, and became the father of Lamech. 26 Then Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years after he became the father of Lamech, and he had other sons and daughters. 27 So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died. 28 And Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and became the father of a son. 29 Now he called his name Noah, saying, \u201cThis one shall give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the LORD cursed.\u201d<\/p>\n
(NASB)<\/p>\n
In Genesis 5:21\u201324, we read of righteous Enoch who \u201cwas not, for God took him.\u201d The New Testament, in Jude 14\u201315, tells us that Enoch was a preacher of righteousness and a prophet. The name which he gave to his son was indeed rich with prophetic significance. Methuselah is a Hebrew name which literally means \u201cWhen he dies it will come.\u201d Since there is no neuter in Hebrew, it actually reads \u201cWhen he dies he will come.\u201d This prophecy refers to the coming of the flood. Simple arithmetic with the years given in Genesis shows that the flood came in the year 1656 A.H.\u2014the same year that Methuselah died (see chart on next page). Lamech has understood the name of his father to be prophetic but has mistakenly seen the name as referring to the birth of his son, Noah. Noah will indeed be a man of tremendous significance in human history, but not in the way that Lamech thinks.
\nLamech clearly hopes that Noah, meaning \u201ccomfort,\u201d will be the longed-for Messiah. It is clear from the ages and years given in Genesis 5 that Lamech was 56 years old when Adam died. Lamech would therefore have been given a clear firsthand account of all that happened in the Garden of Eden and all the words that God had spoken. It is very interesting, therefore, to see in verse 5:29 how Lamech expresses his own messianic hope; he sees Messiah as a redeemer who will remove the curse of Adam\u2019s fall, and all of its results. As with Eve, his basic theology is correct but he has misapplied it. Lamech is right: such a man will one day come, in fulfillment of the promise of Genesis 3:15\u2014but Noah was not to be that man.<\/p>\n
Genesis 6:1\u20134<\/p>\n
Human creatures were not the only ones to understand the meaning and significance of God\u2019s words in Genesis 3:15. Satan, to whom those words were addressed, also understood them. In Genesis 6:1\u20134 we see Satan\u2019s first attempt to thwart God\u2019s messianic program. Since Messiah is to be the Seed of the Woman, Satan\u2019s objective must be to corrupt this line of descent.<\/p>\n
6:1 Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, \u201cMy Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.\u201d 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.<\/p>\n
(NASB)<\/p>\n
In order to try to corrupt the Seed of the Woman, at Satan\u2019s command, fallen evil angels, \u201cthe sons of God,\u201d intermarry with human women, foreshadowing the supernatural conception of the Antichrist also indicated in Genesis 3:15. The results of these marriages were grotesque creatures\u2014the Nephilim. It was the appearance of these diabolic creatures which brought the judgment of the Flood upon the earth. By means of this flood God destroyed all the Nephilim and preserved a line through which Messiah would be born. Since this interpretation of the passage is disputed by some, a full explanation of it is given in Appendix 1.<\/p>\n
Genesis 3:15
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah is to come from humanity.<\/p>\n
Genesis 22:18
\nThe Seed of Abraham<\/p>\n
22:18 \u201cAnd in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.\u201d (NASB)
\n22:18 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b4\u05ea\u05b0\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e8\u05b2\u05db\u05d5\u05bc \u05d1\u05b0\u05d6\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05e2\u05b2\u05da\u05b8 \u05db\u05b9\u05bc\u05dc \u05d2\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d9\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b8\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5 \u05e2\u05b5\u05e7\u05b6\u05d1 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05de\u05b7\u05e2\u05b0\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e7\u05b9\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05c3<\/p>\n
GENESIS 22, along with many other passages, deals with the Abrahamic Covenant, which is one of the eight covenants in Scripture. The term \u201cseed\u201d in the Hebrew text is always used in the singular, but used in two different ways. It can be used as an absolute singular, meaning one individual person, or as a collective singular, meaning one group. Within the context of the Abrahamic Covenant, when \u201cseed\u201d is used in its collective sense, it always refers to the nation of Israel (e.g. \u201cyour seed shall be as the stars and the sand\u201d). When used as an absolute singular it refers to one specific individual\u2014Messiah.
\nThis is highlighted in the New Testament by the Apostle Paul:<\/p>\n
Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, \u201cAnd to seeds,\u201d as referring to many, but rather to one, \u201cAnd to your seed,\u201d that is, Christ.<\/p>\n
Galatians 3:16 (NASB)<\/p>\n
Here Paul quotes Genesis 22:18, highlighting the absolute singular nature of \u201cseed\u201d and applying it to Jesus.
\nIn Genesis 3:15 we learned that Messiah would be \u201cthe Seed of the Woman\u201d; Messiah would be human. Within the Abrahamic Covenant this is narrowed to Messiah being a descendant of one particular branch of humanity, a descendant of Abraham.
\nA second point made in this prophecy is that Gentiles\u2014the nations\u2014will be blessed through the Seed of Abraham. This is not explained here but is developed in later prophecies (Isaiah 42:1\u20136 and 49:5\u20136).
\nAltogether there are six different passages of Scripture that pertain to the Abrahamic Covenant: Genesis 12:1\u20133, 7; 13:14\u201317; 15:1\u201321; 17:1\u201321; and 22:15\u201318. A study of these passages shows that there is a total of fourteen specific provisions within this covenant. These cannot be discussed here, but if the covenant is reduced to its very basics then it can be said to contain three main aspects: The Land, The Seed and The Blessing. The Land aspect is developed further in Scripture by the Palestinian Covenant. The Seed aspect is developed further by the Davidic Covenant, and since the Seed is of importance in our present study, the Davidic Covenant will be discussed later under 1 Chronicles 17:10b\u201314. The Blessing aspect is further developed by the New Covenant.
\nA detailed study of these covenants goes beyond the purpose of this study. It is detailed in the author\u2019s other work, Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, pages 570\u2013587, 628\u2013639, 791\u2013805.<\/p>\n
Genesis 22:18
\nteaches that:
\nY The Seed of the Woman is limited to being a descendant of Abraham; Messiah is to be a Jew.<\/p>\n
Genesis 49:10
\nThe Seed of Judah<\/p>\n
49:10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler\u2019s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. (NIV)
\n49:10 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be\u05d9\u05b8\u05e1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e8 \u05e9\u05b5\u05c1\u05d1\u05b6\u05d8 \u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d3\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b0\u05d7\u05b9\u05e7\u05b5\u05e7 \u05de\u05b4\u05d1\u05b5\u05bc\u05d9\u05df \u05e8\u05b7\u05d2\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05e2\u05b7\u05d3 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05be\u05d9\u05b8\u05d1\u05b9\u05d0 (\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9\u05dc\u05b9\u05d4) [\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9] \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e7\u05b0\u05bc\u05d4\u05b7\u05ea \u05e2\u05b7\u05de\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dd\u05c3<\/p>\n
GENESIS chapter 49 describes the prophecies proclaimed by Jacob concerning his sons. In verse 10 he makes a prophetic statement concerning Judah. The basic meaning of this statement is that Judah will not lose its tribal identity or its right to rule over the other tribes until someone comes. The exact wording of the statement varies between translations. Most versions obscure the real meaning by using the word \u201cShiloh,\u201d as if it were a proper name for Messiah. This word should, in fact, be taken as a possessive pronoun. The best translation is probably the NIV given above: \u201cuntil he comes to whom it belongs.\u201d A more literal translation of the verse would read:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler\u2019s staff from between his feet, until he comes whose right it is and unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Judah\u2019s identity and right to rule cannot be lost until one comes who has full rights to the scepter, full rights to rule. This is how the Septuagint translates the verse, as does the Syriac. This reading of the verse is further supported by comparison with a passage in Ezekiel 21:25\u201327:<\/p>\n
21:25 \u2018And you, O slain, wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day has come, in the time of the punishment of the end,\u2019 26 thus says the Lord GOD, \u2018Remove the turban, and take off the crown; this will be no more the same. Exalt that which is low, and abase that which is high. 27 \u2018A ruin, a ruin, a ruin, I shall make it. This also will be no more, until He comes whose right it is; and I shall give it to Him.\u2019<\/p>\n
(NASB)<\/p>\n
Ezekiel 21:25\u201327 is primarily concerned with the Second Coming of Messiah. Verse 25 refers to the Antichrist, the last Gentile to rule over Israel. In verse 26 the turban, or mitre, is the mitre of the priest (Exodus 28:4, 37, 39; 29:6; 39:28, 31; Leviticus 8:9, 16:4) and the crown is the royal crown. Just as Genesis 49:10 uses the royal scepter to represent the authority to rule, Ezekiel uses the royal crown to represent the same thing. Then the exact same phrase is used: \u201cuntil he comes whose right it is.\u201d Both priesthood and kingship will be overthrown \u201cuntil he comes whose right it is.\u201d It should be noted in passing that Ezekiel\u2019s reference to the priestly mitre indicates that Messiah will be a priest as well as a king\u2014something that will be discussed further in Psalm 110. Both priesthood and kingship are to be removed from Israel until Messiah comes the second time, when both priesthood and kingship will be given to Him.
\nReturning to Genesis 49:10 and Messiah\u2019s First Coming, we can see that this verse makes three points. Messiah has previously been declared to be a man, descended from Abraham. His descent is now limited to being a son of Judah. A second point is that Messiah is going to be a King. The scepter and the ruler\u2019s staff indicate royalty and authority. Third, it should be seen that Messiah will have to come before the Tribe of Judah loses its identity. This establishes a clear time period for the prophecy. The records by which tribal identities were maintained were kept in the Jewish Temple. All of these records were lost with the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. Within a few generations all the tribes of Israel, with the exception of Levi, had lost their identity. Immediately after 70 A.D. the rabbis passed laws which would preserve the identity of the priestly Tribe of Levi, but Jews from the other tribes quickly lost their identity. Since the Tribe of Judah lost its pre-eminence and identity in 70 A.D., it can be clearly seen that Messiah must have come some time before 70 A.D. It is not possible for Messiah to come after 70 A.D.
\nThis verse has been consistently regarded by the rabbis as being a messianic verse. For example, the Targum of Onqelos, which is an Aramaic translation, translates it as, \u201cthe transmission of dominion shall not cease from the house of Judah nor the scribe from his children\u2019s children for ever until the Messiah comes to whom the kingdom belongs and whom nations shall obey.\u201d Onqelos clearly saw this verse as messianic.
\nThe rabbis have also interpreted this verse as being the source for one of the rabbinic names for Messiah: Shiloh. One passage says, \u201cthe Messiah shall be called Shiloh to indicate that he was born of a woman and would therefore not be a divine being.\u201d The amniotic sac in which a fetus is formed in the womb is called the shilyah in Hebrew. This is similar to sheloh, the Hebrew word for Shiloh. This is one of the rabbinic arguments against the divinity of Messiah. By calling him Shiloh, this was meant to be an indication that he was born from a shilyah, and therefore, in their thinking, merely human.
\nRashi said, \u201cuntil King Messiah will come, whose will be the kingdom, unto him [meaning the Messiah] shall the nations seek.\u201d
\nThe Midrash Rabbah 97 on this passage reads as follows:<\/p>\n
\u201cFurthermore the royal Messiah will be descended from the tribe of Judah as it says [quoting Isaiah 11:10]. Thus from the tribe of Judah were descended Solomon who built the first Temple and Zerubbabel who built the second Temple and from him will be descended the royal Messiah who will rebuild the Temple. Now of the Messiah it is written [quoting Psalm 89:37] \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026 Judah is a lion\u2019s whelp. Rabbi Hummah ben Rabbi Hannina said, \u2018This alludes to the Messiah the son of David who was descended from two tribes, his father from Judah and his mother from Dan, in connection with both of which \u201clion\u201d is written [quoting Deuteronomy 33:22]\u2019 \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026 The scepter alludes to the Messiah the son of David who will chastise the nations with a staff as it is written [quoting Psalm 2:9] \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026 \u2018until Shiloh comes\u2019 this indicates that all nations will bring a gift to Messiah the son of David as it says [quoting Isaiah 18:7] \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
The Midrash Rabbah 98 says as follows:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis alludes to the royal Messiah. \u2018Obedience of the people,\u2019 the Messiah will come and set on edge the teeth of the nations of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Midrash Rabbah 99, on Genesis 49:10, says \u201cto whom kingship belongs,\u201d again taking \u201cShiloh\u201d to be a possessive pronoun.
\nIt is therefore very clear that the consistent rabbinic view of Genesis 49:10 was that it related to the Messiah.<\/p>\n
Genesis 49:10
\nteaches that:
\nY The Seed of the Woman and the Seed of Abraham is now limited to being of the specific Tribe of Judah.
\nY Messiah will be a king.
\nY Messiah had to come before 70 A.D.<\/p>\n
Numbers 23 & 24
\nThe Predictions of Balaam<\/p>\n
23:7 And he took up his discourse and said, \u201cFrom Aram Balak has brought me, Moab\u2019s king from the mountains of the East, \u2018Come curse Jacob for me, And come, denounce Israel!\u2019 8 \u201cHow shall I curse, whom God has not cursed? And how can I denounce, whom the LORD has not denounced? 9 \u201cAs I see him from the top of the rocks, And I look at him from the hills; Behold, a people who dwells apart, And shall not be reckoned among the nations. 10 \u201cWho can count the dust of Jacob, Or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, And let my end be like his!\u201d
\n23:7 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c2\u05d5\u05b9 \u05de\u05b0\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05de\u05b7\u05e8 \u05de\u05b4\u05df\u05be\u05d0\u05b2\u05e8\u05b8\u05dd \u05d9\u05b7\u05e0\u05b0\u05d7\u05b5\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d1\u05b8\u05dc\u05b8\u05e7 \u05de\u05b6\u05dc\u05b6\u05da\u05b0\u05be\u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05d0\u05b8\u05d1 \u05de\u05b5\u05d4\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05e8\u05b5\u05d9\u05be\u05e7\u05b6\u05d3\u05b6\u05dd \u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b8\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4\u05be\u05dc\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e7\u05b9\u05d1 \u05d5\u05bc\u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d6\u05b9\u05e2\u05b2\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05c3 8 \u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b6\u05e7\u05b9\u05bc\u05d1 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05e7\u05b7\u05d1\u05b9\u05bc\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b6\u05d6\u05b0\u05e2\u05b9\u05dd \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d6\u05b8\u05e2\u05b7\u05dd \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4\u05c3 9 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05be\u05de\u05b5\u05e8\u05b9\u05d0\u05e9\u05c1 \u05e6\u05bb\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0\u05b6\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05e0\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b4\u05d2\u05b0\u05bc\u05d1\u05b8\u05e2\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e8\u05b6\u05e0\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc \u05d4\u05b6\u05df\u05be\u05e2\u05b8\u05dd \u05dc\u05b0\u05d1\u05b8\u05d3\u05b8\u05d3 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05db\u05b9\u05bc\u05df \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b7\u05d2\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b4\u05ea\u05b0\u05d7\u05b7\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c1\u05d1\u05c3 10 \u05de\u05b4\u05d9 \u05de\u05b8\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e2\u05b2\u05e4\u05b7\u05e8 \u05d9\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e7\u05b9\u05d1 \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b4\u05e1\u05b0\u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05e8 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05e8\u05b9\u05d1\u05b7\u05e2 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05de\u05b9\u05ea \u05e0\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9 \u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05d9\u05b0\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05bc\u05ea\u05b0\u05d4\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9 \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05de\u05b9\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05c3<\/p>\n
23:18 Then he took up his discourse and said, \u201cArise, O Balak, and hear; Give ear to me, O son of Zippor! 19 \u201cGod is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? 20 \u201cBehold, I have received a command to bless; When He has blessed, then I cannot revoke it. 21 \u201cHe has not observed misfortune in Jacob; Nor has He seen trouble in Israel; The LORD his God is with him, And the shout of a king is among them. 22 \u201cGod brings them out of Egypt, He is for them like the horns of the wild ox. 23 \u201cFor there is no omen against Jacob, Nor is there any divination against Israel; At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob And to Israel, what God has done. 24 \u201cBehold, a people rises like a lioness, And as a lion it lifts itself; It shall not lie down until it devours the prey, And drinks the blood of the slain.\u201d
\n23:18 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c2\u05d0 \u05de\u05b0\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05de\u05b7\u05e8 \u05e7\u05d5\u05bc\u05dd \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05b8\u05e7 \u05d5\u05bc\u05e9\u05b2\u05c1\u05de\u05b8\u05e2 \u05d4\u05b7\u05d0\u05b2\u05d6\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e2\u05b8\u05d3\u05b7\u05d9 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9 \u05e6\u05b4\u05e4\u05b9\u05bc\u05e8\u05c3 19 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d0\u05b4\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05d5\u05b4\u05d9\u05db\u05b7\u05d6\u05b5\u05bc\u05d1 \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b6\u05df\u05be\u05d0\u05b8\u05d3\u05b8\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05d9\u05b4\u05ea\u05b0\u05e0\u05b6\u05d7\u05b8\u05dd \u05d4\u05b7\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05d0\u05b8\u05de\u05b7\u05e8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c2\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d3\u05b4\u05d1\u05b6\u05bc\u05e8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b0\u05e7\u05b4\u05d9\u05de\u05b6\u05e0\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4\u05c3 20 \u05d4\u05b4\u05e0\u05b5\u05bc\u05d4 \u05d1\u05b8\u05e8\u05b5\u05da\u05b0 \u05dc\u05b8\u05e7\u05b8\u05d7\u05b0\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b5\u05e8\u05b5\u05da\u05b0 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9\u05d1\u05b6\u05e0\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4\u05c3 21 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be\u05d4\u05b4\u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05d8 \u05d0\u05b8\u05d5\u05b6\u05df \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d9\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e7\u05b9\u05d1 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be \u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e2\u05b8\u05de\u05b8\u05dc \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b1\u05dc\u05b9\u05d4\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05e2\u05b4\u05de\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05bc\u05ea\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05e2\u05b7\u05ea \u05de\u05b6\u05dc\u05b6\u05da\u05b0 \u05d1\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05c3 22 \u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05e6\u05b4\u05d9\u05d0\u05b8\u05dd \u05de\u05b4\u05de\u05b4\u05bc\u05e6\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05ea\u05d5\u05b9\u05e2\u05b2\u05e4\u05b9\u05ea \u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b5\u05dd \u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05c3 23 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be\u05e0\u05b7\u05d7\u05b7\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d9\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e7\u05b9\u05d1 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be\u05e7\u05b6\u05e1\u05b6\u05dd \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05e2\u05b5\u05ea \u05d9\u05b5\u05d0\u05b8\u05de\u05b5\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b0\u05d9\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e7\u05b9\u05d1 \u05d5\u05bc\u05dc\u05b0\u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05de\u05b7\u05d4\u05be \u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05e2\u05b7\u05dc \u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05c3 24 \u05d4\u05b6\u05df\u05be\u05e2\u05b8\u05dd \u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05dc\u05b8\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b8\u05e7\u05d5\u05bc\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05db\u05b7\u05d0\u05b2\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b4\u05ea\u05b0\u05e0\u05b7\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c2\u05d0 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05db\u05b7\u05bc\u05d1 \u05e2\u05b7\u05d3\u05be\u05d9\u05b9\u05d0\u05db\u05b7\u05dc \u05d8\u05b6\u05e8\u05b6\u05e3 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d3\u05b7\u05e1\u05be\u05d7\u05b2\u05dc\u05b8\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05ea\u05b6\u05bc\u05d4\u05c3<\/p>\n
24:3 And he took up his discourse and said, \u201cThe oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened; 4 The oracle of him who hears the words of God, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered, 5 How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel! 6 \u201cLike valleys that stretch out, Like gardens beside the river, Like aloes planted by the LORD, like cedars beside the waters. 7 \u201cWater shall flow from his buckets, And his seed shall be by many waters, And his king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted. 8 \u201cGod brings him out of Egypt, He is for him like the horns of the wild ox. He shall devour the nations who are his adversaries, And shall crush their bones in pieces, And shatter them with his arrows. 9 \u201cHe couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, And cursed is everyone who curses you.\u201d
\n24:3 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c2\u05d0 \u05de\u05b0\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05de\u05b7\u05e8 \u05e0\u05b0\u05d0\u05bb\u05dd \u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05dc\u05b0\u05e2\u05b8\u05dd \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d1\u05b0\u05e2\u05b9\u05e8 \u05d5\u05bc\u05e0\u05b0\u05d0\u05bb\u05dd \u05d4\u05b7\u05d2\u05b6\u05bc\u05d1\u05b6\u05e8 \u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05ea\u05bb\u05dd \u05d4\u05b8\u05e2\u05b8\u05d9\u05b4\u05df\u05c3 4 \u05e0\u05b0\u05d0\u05bb\u05dd \u05e9\u05b9\u05c1\u05de\u05b5\u05e2\u05b7 \u05d0\u05b4\u05de\u05b0\u05e8\u05b5\u05d9\u05be\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05de\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05d5\u05b5\u05d4 \u05e9\u05b7\u05c1\u05d3\u05b7\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b6\u05d7\u05b1\u05d6\u05b6\u05d4 \u05e0\u05b9\u05e4\u05b5\u05dc \u05d5\u05bc\u05d2\u05b0\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b5\u05d9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd\u05c3 5 \u05de\u05b7\u05d4\u05be \u05d8\u05b9\u05bc\u05d1\u05d5\u05bc \u05d0\u05b9\u05d4\u05b8\u05dc\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05d9\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e7\u05b9\u05d1 \u05de\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05b9\u05ea\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05c3 6 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05e0\u05b0\u05d7\u05b8\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05e0\u05b4\u05d8\u05b8\u05bc\u05d9\u05d5\u05bc \u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05d2\u05b7\u05e0\u05b9\u05bc\u05ea \u05e2\u05b2\u05dc\u05b5\u05d9 \u05e0\u05b8\u05d4\u05b8\u05e8 \u05db\u05b7\u05bc\u05d0\u05b2\u05d4\u05b8\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05e0\u05b8\u05d8\u05b7\u05e2 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05db\u05b7\u05bc\u05d0\u05b2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d6\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05e2\u05b2\u05dc\u05b5\u05d9\u05be\u05de\u05b8\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd\u05c3 7 \u05d9\u05b4\u05d6\u05b7\u05bc\u05dc\u05be\u05de\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05de\u05b4\u05d3\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05b0\u05d9\u05b8\u05d5 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d6\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05e2\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05de\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05e8\u05b7\u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05d9\u05b8\u05e8\u05b9\u05dd \u05de\u05b5\u05d0\u05b2\u05d2\u05b7\u05d2 \u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05ea\u05b4\u05e0\u05b7\u05bc\u05e9\u05b5\u05bc\u05c2\u05d0 \u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05bb\u05ea\u05d5\u05b9\u05c3 8 \u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05e6\u05b4\u05d9\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9 \u05de\u05b4\u05de\u05b4\u05bc\u05e6\u05b0\u05e8\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05ea\u05d5\u05b9\u05e2\u05b2\u05e4\u05b9\u05ea \u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b5\u05dd \u05dc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d9\u05b9\u05d0\u05db\u05b7\u05dc \u05d2\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05e6\u05b8\u05e8\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e2\u05b7\u05e6\u05b0\u05de\u05b9\u05ea\u05b5\u05d9\u05d4\u05b6\u05dd \u05d9\u05b0\u05d2\u05b8\u05e8\u05b5\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05d7\u05b4\u05e6\u05b8\u05bc\u05d9\u05d5 \u05d9\u05b4\u05de\u05b0\u05d7\u05b8\u05e5\u05c3 9 \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2 \u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05db\u05b7\u05d1 \u05db\u05b7\u05bc\u05d0\u05b2\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d5\u05bc\u05db\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05d0 \u05de\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b0\u05e7\u05b4\u05d9\u05de\u05b6\u05e0\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc \u05de\u05b0\u05d1\u05b8\u05e8\u05b2\u05db\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05d1\u05b8\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05da\u05b0 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b9\u05e8\u05b0\u05e8\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05d0\u05b8\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05e8\u05c3<\/p>\n
24:15 And he took up his discourse and said, \u201cThe oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened, 16 The oracle of him who hears the words of God, And knows the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered. 17 \u201cI see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, And a scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth. 18 \u201cAnd Edom shall be a possession, Seir, its enemies, also shall be a possession, While Israel performs valiantly. 19 \u201cOne from Jacob shall have dominion, And shall destroy the remnant from the city.\u201d
\n20 And he looked at Amalek, and took up his discourse and said, \u201cAmalek was the first of the nations, But his end shall be destruction.\u201d
\n21 And he looked at the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said,
\n\u201cYour dwelling place is enduring, And your nest is set in the cliff. 22 \u201cNevertheless Kain shall be consumed; How long shall Asshur keep you captive?\u201d
\n23 And he took up his discourse and said, \u201cAlas, who can live except God has ordained it? 24 \u201cBut ships shall come from the coast of Kittim, And they shall afflict Asshur and shall afflict Eber; So they also shall come to destruction.\u201d
\n24:15 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c2\u05d0 \u05de\u05b0\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05de\u05b7\u05e8 \u05e0\u05b0\u05d0\u05bb\u05dd \u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05dc\u05b0\u05e2\u05b8\u05dd \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d1\u05b0\u05e2\u05b9\u05e8 \u05d5\u05bc\u05e0\u05b0\u05d0\u05bb\u05dd \u05d4\u05b7\u05d2\u05b6\u05bc\u05d1\u05b6\u05e8 \u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05ea\u05bb\u05dd \u05d4\u05b8\u05e2\u05b8\u05d9\u05b4\u05df\u05c3 16 \u05e0\u05b0\u05d0\u05bb\u05dd \u05e9\u05b9\u05c1\u05de\u05b5\u05e2\u05b7 \u05d0\u05b4\u05de\u05b0\u05e8\u05b5\u05d9\u05be\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05d5\u05b0\u05d9\u05b9\u05d3\u05b5\u05e2\u05b7 \u05d3\u05b7\u05bc\u05e2\u05b7\u05ea \u05e2\u05b6\u05dc\u05b0\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05df \u05de\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05d6\u05b5\u05d4 \u05e9\u05b7\u05c1\u05d3\u05b7\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b6\u05d7\u05b1\u05d6\u05b6\u05d4 \u05e0\u05b9\u05e4\u05b5\u05dc \u05d5\u05bc\u05d2\u05b0\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b5\u05d9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd\u05c3 17 \u05d0\u05b6\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05e0\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05e2\u05b7\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e8\u05b6\u05e0\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05e7\u05b8\u05e8\u05d5\u05b9\u05d1 \u05d3\u05b8\u05bc\u05e8\u05b7\u05da\u05b0 \u05db\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05db\u05b8\u05d1 \u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05b7\u05bc\u05e2\u05b2\u05e7\u05b9\u05d1 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e7\u05b8\u05dd \u05e9\u05b5\u05c1\u05d1\u05b6\u05d8 \u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b8\u05d7\u05b7\u05e5 \u05e4\u05b7\u05bc\u05d0\u05b2\u05ea\u05b5\u05d9 \u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05d0\u05b8\u05d1 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e7\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05e7\u05b7\u05e8 \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05be\u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05b5\u05d9\u05be\u05e9\u05b5\u05c1\u05ea\u05c3 18 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b8\u05d9\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b1\u05d3\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05d9\u05b0\u05e8\u05b5\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b8\u05d9\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d9\u05b0\u05e8\u05b5\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05d4 \u05e9\u05b5\u05c2\u05e2\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8 \u05d0\u05b9\u05d9\u05b0\u05d1\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05e2\u05b9\u05e9\u05b6\u05c2\u05d4 \u05d7\u05b8\u05d9\u05b4\u05dc\u05c3 19 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d9\u05b5\u05e8\u05b0\u05d3\u05b0\u05bc \u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05b7\u05bc\u05e2\u05b2\u05e7\u05b9\u05d1 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b6\u05d0\u05b1\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05d3 \u05e9\u05b8\u05c2\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05d3 \u05de\u05b5\u05e2\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8\u05c3 20 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b7\u05bc\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05e2\u05b2\u05de\u05b8\u05dc\u05b5\u05e7 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c2\u05d0 \u05de\u05b0\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05de\u05b7\u05e8 \u05e8\u05b5\u05d0\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9\u05ea \u05d2\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05e2\u05b2\u05de\u05b8\u05dc\u05b5\u05e7 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05ea\u05d5\u05b9 \u05e2\u05b2\u05d3\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b9\u05d1\u05b5\u05d3\u05c3 21 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b7\u05bc\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05d4\u05b7\u05e7\u05b5\u05bc\u05d9\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c2\u05d0 \u05de\u05b0\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05de\u05b7\u05e8 \u05d0\u05b5\u05d9\u05ea\u05b8\u05df \u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05d1\u05b6\u05da\u05b8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e9\u05b4\u05c2\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05e1\u05b6\u05bc\u05dc\u05b7\u05e2 \u05e7\u05b4\u05e0\u05b6\u05bc\u05da\u05b8\u05c3 22 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b4\u05e1\u05be\u05d9\u05b4\u05d4\u05b0\u05d9\u05b6\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b0\u05d1\u05b8\u05e2\u05b5\u05e8 \u05e7\u05b8\u05d9\u05b4\u05df \u05e2\u05b7\u05d3\u05be\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b7\u05e9\u05bc\u05c1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e8 \u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05d1\u05b6\u05bc\u05da\u05b8\u05bc\u05c3 23 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c2\u05d0 \u05de\u05b0\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05de\u05b7\u05e8 \u05d0\u05d5\u05b9\u05d9 \u05de\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b4\u05d7\u05b0\u05d9\u05b6\u05d4 \u05de\u05b4\u05e9\u05bb\u05bc\u05c2\u05de\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05c3 24 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e6\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05b7\u05bc\u05d3 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05e2\u05b4\u05e0\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc \u05d0\u05b7\u05e9\u05bc\u05c1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e2\u05b4\u05e0\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc\u05be\u05e2\u05b5\u05d1\u05b6\u05e8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d2\u05b7\u05e1\u05be\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05e2\u05b2\u05d3\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b9\u05d1\u05b5\u05d3\u05c3<\/p>\n
25 Then Balaam arose and departed and returned to his place, and Balak also went his way. (NASB)
\n25 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b8\u05bc\u05e7\u05b8\u05dd \u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05dc\u05b0\u05e2\u05b8\u05dd \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b5\u05bc\u05dc\u05b6\u05da\u05b0 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b8\u05bc\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05d1 \u05dc\u05b4\u05de\u05b0\u05e7\u05b9\u05de\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d2\u05b7\u05e1\u05be\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05b8\u05e7 \u05d4\u05b8\u05dc\u05b7\u05da\u05b0 \u05dc\u05b0\u05d3\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05db\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05c3 \u05e3<\/p>\n
NUMBERS, chapters 22\u201324, present us with the story of Balaam. Balaam was a Gentile astrologer, a seer, who came from the region of Babylonia. He established a considerable reputation for himself throughout the ancient world. It was widely regarded that \u201che whom Balaam cursed was cursed, and he whom Balaam blessed was blessed\u201d (22:1\u20136 especially verse 6, and also 22:12).
\nAt this point in the Exodus from Egypt, Israel have arrived on the border of Moab and are about to enter the Promised Land. The King of Moab, one of the early anti-Semites of history, took objection to the prospect of new neighbors and decided to take action. He called for Balaam and commissioned him for a considerable amount of money to come and curse the Jews. Balaam tries very hard to fulfill his commission, but every time he opens his mouth to pronounce curses God takes control of his tongue and he finds himself blessing the Jews instead. The four oracles which he utters, put in his mouth by God, deal for the most part with the Second Coming of Messiah and His Kingdom. There are, however, several statements which are of interest in our present study.<\/p>\n
The First Oracle\u2014Numbers 23:7\u201310<\/p>\n
There are a few points worth noting in this first oracle. Balaam points out in verse 8 that he is unable to curse those whom God has not cursed. It is sometimes said that Israel\u2019s enjoyment of divine blessing is dependent on her obedience. At this particular point in her history, Israel is in disobedience, yet despite that, God is still watching over her. Regardless of her obedience or disobedience, Israel will always be God\u2019s chosen and covenant people. God will never permit Gentiles to put curses on Israel such that they would be of eternal effect, which Balaam\u2019s would have been. God therefore intervenes in this situation and overrules the intentions of men.
\nA second point to note is in verse 9. The Jewish nation will not be reckoned to be a nation as such. Throughout much of their history, the Jewish people have been unable to live in a land of their own. While the land of Canaan, or Palestine, or better still, the Land of Israel, belongs to the Jews by divine right, their ability to occupy the land has been largely dependent on their obedience to God. To man, a people without a land cannot be a nation, which is why in verse 9 \u201cthey dwell alone \u2026 not reckoned among the nations.\u201d From the divine viewpoint however, the people of Israel will always be a distinct nation. It makes no difference whether Israel is in the Land or scattered abroad; God sees Israel not as the people of a particular place, but as the nation which is descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is why Jewish identity is determined by descent. Jewishness is not determined by place of birth or by religious beliefs, but purely by ancestry. It is irrelevant what an individual Jew may believe or disbelieve; his Jewish identity is determined by his descent. Judaism as a religion is, of course, determined by belief, but atheists and agnostics will still call themselves Jews on the basis of their lineage.
\nIn the Dispersion, the Jews have for centuries been \u201cnot reckoned among the nations\u201d; that is, not given a separate national status. They have been called American Jews, Polish Jews, Russian Jews and so on, which is not entirely wrong\u2014an American Jew is a Jew who lives in America. But biblically speaking this cannot be correct. A Jew can never be American, Polish or Russian\u2014a Jew can only ever be a Jew with a quite distinct national identity. Even after four centuries, the Jews in Egypt were not called \u201cEgyptians\u201d but \u201cIsrael.\u201d As the Passover Haggadah states:<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd there became a nation.\u201d By which we are informed that the Children of Israel were distinct, even in Egypt, as a peculiar nation.<\/p>\n
This may not be recognized by Gentiles, but in God\u2019s eyes, Israel will always be separate, distinct, and unique among the nations of the world.
\nAs Balaam prophetically looks forward to the future of this nation, he sees that God\u2019s final destiny for them is one of supreme blessing, and in verse 10b he expresses his desire to share in that blessing.<\/p>\n
The Second Oracle\u2014Numbers 23:18\u201324<\/p>\n
There are two key points made in this passage, found mainly in verse 21. First, Balaam sees a time in the future when Israel as a nation will be seen as sinless. Second, Balaam says that during this time of sinlessness, God Himself will be present with Israel as their King. These prophecies relate to the Second Coming of Messiah, but it should still be noted that Israel will one day have God Himself present in the midst of the people, ruling as King.<\/p>\n
The Third Oracle\u2014Numbers 24:3\u20139<\/p>\n
Again there are two points emphasized here. The first is a description of the future condition of Israel as one of supreme blessing. The second highlights the future condition of Israel\u2019s King (verse 7b).
\nHaving introduced the uniqueness of the nation of Israel in the first oracle, the second and third oracles go on to emphasize the uniqueness of the King who will one day rule over this nation.<\/p>\n
The Fourth Oracle\u2014Numbers 24:15\u201324<\/p>\n
It is the fourth of the oracles which is of greatest interest in our study of First Coming prophecies. The key prophecy is given in verse 17a and it builds on the prophecy already given in Genesis 49:10.
\nA star shall come forth from Jacob, that is, Israel; coupled with this star is a scepter which, as in Genesis 49:10, represents kingship, since he who has the scepter has the right to rule. The message is, therefore, that when He comes, Messiah will be a king. As we shall see, Messiah has three offices, one of which is king.
\nBalaam began his oracles by emphasizing the unique nature of the nation of Israel. He then went on to say that this nation, though scattered at first, would have a unique and powerful King to rule over it. He finishes here by declaring the awesome power of this King and noting, in verse 17a, that His coming would be heralded by the appearance of a star.
\nThe significance of the closing words of chapter 24 should not be missed. Having completed his work, Balaam the Babylonian astrologer returns to \u201cmy people\u201d (verse 14), and to \u201chis place\u201d (verse 25). With him he takes the prophecy of a star announcing the birth of a unique and powerful King who will rule over Israel. As we shall see further on in our study (in Appendix 6), later generations of Babylonian astrologers recorded these words and kept watch for this star. At its appearing they went and found the new-born King and worshipped Him.<\/p>\n
Numbers 24:17a
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah is to be a king.<\/p>\n
Deuteronomy 18:15\u201319
\nA Prophet Like Moses<\/p>\n
18:15 \u201cThe LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. 16 \u201cThis is according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, \u2018Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD My God, let me not see this great fire anymore, lest I die.\u2019 17 \u201cAnd the LORD said to me, \u2018They have spoken well. 18 \u2018I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 \u2018And it shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. (NASB)
\n18:15 \u05e0\u05b8\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05d0 \u05de\u05b4\u05e7\u05b4\u05bc\u05e8\u05b0\u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05da\u05b8 \u05de\u05b5\u05d0\u05b7\u05d7\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05de\u05b9\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b8\u05e7\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05b0\u05da\u05b8 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b1\u05dc\u05b9\u05d4\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05de\u05b8\u05e2\u05d5\u05bc\u05df\u05c3 16 \u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05db\u05b9\u05dc \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8\u05be\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05d0\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc \u05de\u05b5\u05e2\u05b4\u05dd \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b1\u05dc\u05b9\u05d4\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d7\u05b9\u05e8\u05b5\u05d1 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05d4\u05b7\u05e7\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4\u05b8\u05dc \u05dc\u05b5\u05d0\u05de\u05b9\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d0\u05b9\u05e1\u05b5\u05e3 \u05dc\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05de\u05b9\u05e2\u05b7 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05e7\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b1\u05dc\u05b9\u05d4\u05b8\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d4\u05b7\u05d2\u05b0\u05bc\u05d3\u05b9\u05dc\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d4\u05b7\u05d6\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05ea \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be\u05d0\u05b6\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05d4 \u05e2\u05d5\u05b9\u05d3 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d0\u05b8\u05de\u05d5\u05bc\u05ea\u05c3 17 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05de\u05b6\u05e8 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05b8\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b5\u05d9\u05d8\u05b4\u05d9\u05d1\u05d5\u05bc \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05d1\u05b5\u05bc\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05c3 18 \u05e0\u05b8\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05d0 \u05d0\u05b8\u05e7\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05b8\u05d4\u05b6\u05dd \u05de\u05b4\u05e7\u05b6\u05bc\u05e8\u05b6\u05d1 \u05d0\u05b2\u05d7\u05b5\u05d9\u05d4\u05b6\u05dd \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05da\u05b8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05b8\u05ea\u05b7\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d3\u05b0\u05d1\u05b8\u05e8\u05b7\u05d9 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e4\u05b4\u05d9\u05d5 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d3\u05b4\u05d1\u05b6\u05bc\u05e8 \u05d0\u05b2\u05dc\u05b5\u05d9\u05d4\u05b6\u05dd \u05d0\u05b5\u05ea \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05be\u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e6\u05b7\u05d5\u05b6\u05bc\u05e0\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc\u05c3 19 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b8\u05d9\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b4\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be\u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05de\u05b7\u05e2 \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc\u05be\u05d3\u05b0\u05bc\u05d1\u05b8\u05e8\u05b7\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d3\u05b7\u05d1\u05b5\u05bc\u05e8 \u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05de\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b8\u05e0\u05b9\u05db\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b6\u05d3\u05b0\u05e8\u05b9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05de\u05b5\u05e2\u05b4\u05de\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05c3<\/p>\n
DEUTERONOMY 18:18 contains a promise given by God to Moses. God promises Moses that He will raise up a prophet \u201clike you.\u201d Why does God specify a prophet like Moses? What was different about Moses compared with other men called by God to be prophets? The unique status of Moses among the other prophets is explained in Numbers 12:5\u20138:<\/p>\n
12:5 Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tent, and He called Aaron and Miriam. When they had both come forward, 6 He said, \u201cHear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. 7 \u201cNot so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; 8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even openly, and not in dark sayings, And he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant, against Moses?\u201d<\/p>\n
(NASB)<\/p>\n
In this passage, Aaron and Miriam are railing against their brother Moses because they do not approve of the woman he has married. God himself intervenes on Moses\u2019 behalf, declaring Moses\u2019 unique standing before him.
\nEven with great men like Elijah and Isaiah, God did not reveal Himself directly but used dreams, visions, and other methods. Moses is the only man who received direct revelation from God. It is on this basis that Judaism developed its three-tier view of Scriptural inspiration (see Introduction).
\nPreviously we were told that Messiah would be a king. Now we are told that He will be a prophet too, and not an ordinary prophet, but One who will speak \u201cmouth to mouth\u201d with God and Who will see the very form of Jehovah.
\nMany writers have sought to draw up lists of similarities between Moses and Jesus, the \u201cprophet like unto Moses.\u201d Many of these parallels are rather contrived and somewhat fanciful. We can, however, point out four clear similarities between the ministries of Moses and Messiah:<\/p>\n
1. A Prophet (Numbers 12:6\u20138)
\nAs explained above.<\/p>\n
2. A Redeemer (Exodus 3:10)
\nIn Exodus 3:1\u201310, God sees the suffering of the people of Israel and declares His intention to redeem them out of the land of Egypt. Moses is the man chosen by God to lead the people out of their captivity. (Note that the Angel of Jehovah mentioned in verse 2 is further discussed in the fourth part of this study, \u201cOther Lines of Evidence.\u201d) As has already been seen, Messiah too will be a redeemer.<\/p>\n
3. A Mediator (Exodus 20:18\u201321)
\nTo begin with God spoke directly to the people of Israel (Exodus 19:16\u201325). The sound of God\u2019s voice was so overwhelming that the people asked Moses to mediate for them so that they would not hear God\u2019s voice, but only God\u2019s words repeated to them by Moses.<\/p>\n
4. An Intercessor (Exodus 32:7\u201335)
\nOften, during their long exodus from Egypt, it was only because of Moses\u2019 intercession on their behalf that Israel escaped the judgment of God and survived. This is particularly clear in Exodus 32:30\u201332.<\/p>\n
Messiah will fit the Mosaic mold in each of these four areas: He will be a prophet, a redeemer, a mediator and an intercessor.<\/p>\n
Deuteronomy 18:15\u201319
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah is to be a prophet.<\/p>\n
Summary of the Law
\nThe Messianic prophecies in the Law which relate to the First Coming of Messiah can be summarized in six key points. These relate either to His Person or His work or both.
\nThe Seed
\nThe subject of the Seed was encountered three times:
\n1. The Seed of the Woman
\nMessiah would be human, not an angel, nor purely God as God.
\n2. The Seed of Abraham
\nMessiah would come from one specific part of humanity; He would be a Jew, not a Gentile.
\n3. The Seed of Judah
\nAlthough there were twelve Jewish tribes, Messiah would come from one specific tribe, the Tribe of Judah. This requires that Messiah come prior to the destruction of Jewish genealogical records in 70 A.D.
\nBoth God and Man
\nAlthough Eve wrongly identified Cain as Messiah, she clearly understood that Messiah was to be a God-Man.
\nA King
\nMore than once the symbol of the scepter was used to indicate that Messiah would be a King.
\nA Prophet Like Moses
\nMessiah would be a prophet and specifically He would be a prophet like Moses.
\nRemoval of the Curse
\nAlthough Lamech wrongly identified his son Noah as Messiah, he clearly understood that Messiah, when He came, would remove the curse brought upon the earth by Adam\u2019s sin.
\nA Hint of the Virgin Birth
\nAlthough not as clearly stated as the five points above, there is a hint in Genesis 3:15 that Messiah would be born of a virgin. Messiah would be reckoned as the Seed of the Woman and not of a man.<\/p>\n
The Prophets<\/p>\n
Isaiah 7:1\u201317
\nBorn of a Virgin<\/p>\n
7:1 When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it. 2 Now the house of David was told, \u201cAram has allied itself with Ephraim\u201d; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind. 3 Then the LORD said to Isaiah, \u201cGo out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman\u2019s Field. 4 Say to him, \u2018Be careful, keep calm and don\u2019t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood\u2014because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. 5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah\u2019s son have plotted your ruin, saying, 6 \u201cLet us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.\u201d 7 Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: \u201c \u2018It will not take place, it will not happen, 8 for the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. 9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah\u2019s son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.\u2019 \u201d 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, 11 \u201cAsk the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.\u201d 12 But Ahaz said, \u201cI will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test.\u201d 13 Then Isaiah said, \u201cHear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 15 He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right. 16 But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. 17 The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah\u2014he will bring the king of Assyria.\u201d (NIV)
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\u05e1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e8\u05be\u05d0\u05b6\u05e4\u05b0\u05e8\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05de\u05b5\u05e2\u05b7\u05dc \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d3\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b5\u05ea \u05de\u05b6\u05dc\u05b6\u05da\u05b0 \u05d0\u05b7\u05e9\u05bc\u05c1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e8\u05c3 \u05e3<\/p>\n
CHAPTERS 7\u201312 of Isaiah constitute a single unit, sometimes referred to as \u201cThe Book of Immanuel\u201d because the name \u201cImmanuel\u201d appears three times in the Hebrew text (7:14; 8:8, 10). The first prophecy which we will look at within this section of Scripture deals with the birth of Immanuel. In the Bible, when parents name a child, the meaning of the name shows the thinking of the parents. When God names the child, as here, the name shows the very nature of the child. Immanuel means \u201cwith us, God.\u201d The character of the child will be \u201cGod among us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Controversy<\/p>\n
As mentioned in our discussion of Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 7:13\u201314 is a prophecy concerning the virgin conception and birth of the Messiah. This is perhaps the most controversial of the messianic prophecies and therefore requires a closer textual analysis than others. The exact meaning of this passage is disputed by rabbis, liberal theologians and even by some evangelical theologians.
\nThe passage talks of \u201ca sign: The virgin will be with child \u2026\u201d There are two areas of controversy here:<\/p>\n
1. The sign
\nSince the context of the chapter requires a short range prophecy\u2014giving a sign to King Ahaz\u2014how can this be applied to the birth of a child some 700 years later, as claimed in Matthew 1:22\u201323?<\/p>\n
2. The Hebrew word \u201calmah\u201d
\nDoes it really mean a virgin, or simply a young unmarried woman?<\/p>\n
We will deal with both of these contentious issues before proceeding to discuss the passage itself.<\/p>\n
Hermeneutics<\/p>\n
Since Isaiah 7:13\u201314 requires an immediate sign to King Ahaz, many Evangelicals have taken this verse to be an example of \u201cdouble fulfillment.\u201d This principle states that a prophecy may have more than one fulfillment. This verse may, accordingly, be both a sign for King Ahaz and the sign in Matthew 1:22\u201323 for the birth of Jesus.
\nThis author does not accept the principle of double fulfillment either here or in any other place in the Bible. If this principle were true, there would be no real need for the virgin birth at all.
\nThere is another, better principle of biblical interpretation which is \u201cdouble reference.\u201d This principle states that one block of Scripture dealing with one person, one event, one time, may be followed by another block of Scripture dealing with a different person, place and time, without making any clear distinction between the two blocks or indicating that there is a gap of time between the two blocks. The fact of a gap of time is known only from other Scriptures. There are, therefore, two separate prophecies side-by-side each having their own fulfillment, but with only one fulfillment per prophecy. \u201cDouble Fulfillment\u201d states that one prophecy can have two fulfillments. \u201cDouble Reference\u201d states that the one piece of Scripture actually contains two prophecies, each having its own fulfillment.
\nAs will be explained later, Isaiah 7:13\u201317 contains two quite separate prophecies with different purposes, and having different fulfillments at different times.<\/p>\n
The Hebrew Word Almah<\/p>\n
The major debate, of course, is over the exact meaning of the Hebrew word almah, translated here as virgin. In describing a young woman, there are three Hebrew words which Isaiah could have used:<\/p>\n
1. Na\u02bea\u02berah
\nNa\u02bea\u02berah means \u201cdamsel\u201d and can refer to either a virgin (as in 1 Kings 1:2), or a non-virgin (as in Ruth 2:6).<\/p>\n
2. Betulah
\nThis is commonly considered to mean a virgin, exclusively. It is argued that if Isaiah had really meant to say a virgin, then he would have used this word. It is true that this word is often used to mean virgin, but not always. For example:<\/p>\n
i. In Joel 1:8 it is used in reference to a widow.<\/p>\n
ii. In Genesis 24:16, because the word does not exclusively mean \u201cvirgin\u201d the writer adds the phrase \u201chad never known a man\u201d in order to clarify what he means.<\/p>\n
iii. Again in Judges 21:12 the phrase \u201chad not known a man\u201d has to be added to give the precise meaning.<\/p>\n
3. Almah
\nAlmah means \u201ca virgin,\u201d \u201ca young virgin,\u201d a \u201cvirgin of marriageable age.\u201d This word is used seven times in the Hebrew Scriptures and not once is it used to describe a married woman; this point is not debated.<\/p>\n
i. Genesis 24:43. In contrast to 24:16 mentioned above, verse 43 requires no additional qualifying remarks since the one word alone is sufficient to mean \u201cvirgin.\u201d Furthermore, it is used of Rebekah who was obviously a virgin at the time of her marriage to Isaac.<\/p>\n
ii. Exodus 2:8. Used in reference to Moses\u2019 sister Miriam, who was a virgin.<\/p>\n
iii. Psalm 68:25. Used in reference to the royal procession of virgins. Since the King in this context is God Himself, absolute virginity is required; it is unthinkable that God would allow unchaste, unmarried women in His procession.<\/p>\n
iv. Song of Songs 1:3. The context here is purity in marriage.<\/p>\n
v. Song of Songs 6:8. The word is used here in contrast to wives and concubines who would obviously be non-virgins.<\/p>\n
vi. Proverbs 30:18\u201319. The word is used in verse 19 in contrast to an adulteress in verse 20.<\/p>\n
vii. Isaiah 7:14. Since all of the above six verses mean \u201ca virgin,\u201d what reason is there for making Isaiah 7:14 the only exception?<\/p>\n
Since everyone agrees that almah means an unmarried woman, if the woman in Isaiah 7:14 were a non-virgin, then God would be promising a sign involving fornication and illegitimacy. It is unthinkable that God would sanction sin, and in any case, what would be so unusual about an illegitimate baby that could possibly constitute a sign?
\nAs far as ancient Jewish writers were concerned, there was no argument about Isaiah 7:14 predicting a virgin birth. The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures made about 200 B.C., 200 years before the issue of Jesus\u2019 Messiahship ever arose. The Jews who made this translation, living much closer to the times of Isaiah than we do today, translated Isaiah 7:14 using the Greek word parthenos which very clearly and exclusively means a virgin.
\nThere can therefore be no doubt that the unique event which God is promising as a sign, is the miraculous conception of a son by a girl who is still a virgin.<\/p>\n
The Threat to the House of David\u20147:1\u20132<\/p>\n
At this point in history there was an empire arising which was threatening the smaller kingdoms of the Middle East\u2014the Assyrian Empire.
\nAmong these smaller Kingdoms was Syria (or Aram), the northern Kingdom of Israel (or Ephraim), and the southern Kingdom of Judah. The kings of Israel and Syria joined forces against their common enemy (verses 1\u20132), but still did not have enough military might to withstand an Assyrian attack. They invited Judah to join forces with them, but Ahaz, King of Judah, refused.
\nIsrael and Syria then conspired, not only to dethrone Ahaz, when they might have succeeded, but to depose the entire House of David. This is the emphasis in verse 2. They would then establish a new dynasty in Judah more favorable to an alliance against Assyria.
\nThis, then, is a direct attack upon God\u2019s eternal covenant with David. It is therefore doomed to failure. (The Davidic Covenant is discussed under 1 Chronicles 17:10b\u201314 in the section on The Writings.)<\/p>\n
The Message to Ahaz\u20147:3\u20139<\/p>\n
Ahaz is not a worshipper of the one true God, but has fallen into idolatry and is very much afraid of the approaching attack (verse 2). In verses 3\u20139 God gives a message to Ahaz. In verse 3, Isaiah is commissioned to meet with Ahaz, who is inspecting water supplies in preparation for a siege. Isaiah is also to take his son with him. His son is called Shear-Jashub, meaning \u201ca remnant will return.\u201d The reason for taking his son is not explained until verses 15\u201316.
\nIn verses 4\u20136 the message is given, describing the plot and telling Ahaz not to be afraid. The plot consists of overthrowing Ahaz and replacing him with the son of Tabeel. Isaiah was a master of the Hebrew language and loved playing word games. He does so here in verse 6. Tabeel means \u201cGod is good.\u201d By altering the vowel pattern very slightly, Isaiah changes this to mean \u201cgood for nothing.\u201d The one that means \u201cGod is good\u201d will prove to be \u201cgood for nothing.\u201d Because of the Davidic Covenant, no conspiracy against the House of David can ever succeed. God clearly states this in verse 7, and in verses 8\u20139 God will judge the two kings involved in the conspiracy.<\/p>\n
The Signs of Deliverance\u20147:10\u201317<\/p>\n
The Offer of a Sign\u20147:10\u201311<\/p>\n
Ahaz, however, is an idolater who does not trust in God and has made his own arrangements. He has sent letters and gifts to the Assyrian Emperor, asking for assistance in his defense against these two kings. He has greater faith in the Assyrian Empire than in the God of Israel. So, in verse 10, God speaks a second time. He offers Ahaz a sign\u2014whatever it takes to convince Ahaz not to fear, not to trust the Assyrians, but to trust in God. Whatever it takes, let him ask for it and God will do it for him. The word for \u201csign\u201d does not of itself mean a miracle; it could be a miraculous or a natural sign. Within this context, however, it is clear that it will take a miracle to convince Ahaz. God offers him a sign anywhere he wants\u2014in heaven, on earth, under the earth\u2014whatever it takes to convince him.<\/p>\n
The Rejection of the Offer\u20147:12<\/p>\n
In response, the idolatrous Ahaz suddenly becomes very spiritual. In verse 12 he refuses to \u201ctest\u201d God or \u201ctempt\u201d Him. This is a reference to Deuteronomy 6:16, but he misapplies it. Nevertheless, it is evident that even in idolatry, Ahaz was not ignorant of the true God! Deuteronomy 6:16 warns against asking for a sign, but here God is offering a sign and Ahaz is invited to respond. Ahaz does not want a sign, lest it come to pass, and he be forced to abandon his alliance with Assyria.
\nThen come the crucial verses, 13 and 14.<\/p>\n
The Sign to the House of David\u20147:13\u201314<\/p>\n
In verse 13, Isaiah turns from addressing Ahaz as an individual and addresses the entire House of David. The English language does not distinguish between \u201cyou\u201d addressed to one person and \u201cyou\u201d addressed to many people. In Hebrew there is a difference, and there is a clear change between the singular \u201cyou\u201d of verses 9, 11, 16, 17 and the plural \u201cyou\u201d of verses 13\u201314. The sign therefore is not just for Ahaz, but for the whole House of David. This becomes clearer if we state the passage again with the singular [s] and plural [pl] words indicated:<\/p>\n
7:9 \u2026 and the head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you [s] will not believe, you [s] surely shall not last.\u201d \u2019 \u201d 10 Then the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 \u201cAsk a sign for yourself [s] from the LORD your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven.\u201d 12 But Ahaz said, \u201cI will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!\u201d 13 Then he said, \u201cListen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you [pl] to try the patience of men, that you [pl] will try the patience of my God as well? 14 \u201cTherefore the Lord Himself will give you [pl] a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. 15 \u201cHe will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. 16 \u201cFor before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you [s] dread will be forsaken. 17 \u201cThe LORD will bring on you [s], on your people, and on your father\u2019s house such days as have never come since the day that Ephraim separated from Judah, the king of Assyria.\u201d<\/p>\n
(NASB, with comments added)<\/p>\n
In verse 14, the Hebrew word for \u201cbehold\u201d is a word which draws attention to an event which could be past, present or future. However, grammatically, whenever \u201cbehold\u201d is used with the Hebrew present participle, it always refers to a future event. That is the case here. Not only is the birth future, but the very conception is future. This is not referring to a pregnant woman about to give birth.
\nThe text specifically says \u201cthe virgin\u201d (the NIV and NKJV are correct at this point; the NASB like most translations says \u201ca virgin,\u201d which is quite wrong). According to the rules of Hebrew grammar, when finding the use of a definite article (the), the reader should look for a reference in the immediate previous context. Having followed the passage from chapter 7:1, there has been no mention of any woman. Having failed with the immediate context, the second rule is the \u201cprinciple of previous reference,\u201d something which has been dealt with much earlier and is common knowledge among the people. Where in Jewish Scripture or tradition is there any concept of \u201cthe virgin giving birth to a son\u201d? The only possible reference is to Genesis 3:15. Contrary to the biblical norm, the Messiah would be reckoned after the Seed of the Woman. Why? Because He would have no human father; His would be a virgin conception and birth.
\nThe key point of this should not be missed. God is promising that the House of David cannot be deposed or lose its identity until the birth of a virgin-born son. Again, this requires that Messiah be born prior to the destruction of the Temple and its genealogical records in 70 A.D.<\/p>\n
The Sign to Ahaz\u20147:15\u201317<\/p>\n
Having concluded that Isaiah 7:12\u201314 is a long range prophecy concerning the birth of Messiah, that still leaves a problem. What about Ahaz? An event 700 years in the future is of little significance to him. There is however a second sign in verses 15\u201317, and this time it is specifically for Ahaz. The \u201cyou\u201d in verse 16 is again singular, meaning Ahaz. Before Isaiah\u2019s son is old enough to make moral distinctions between right and wrong, the kings of Israel and Syria will be deposed and their threat removed. This was fulfilled within three years. Isaiah again uses the definite article before the term \u201cboy.\u201d This time there is another boy mentioned in the context: Isaiah\u2019s son. The boy of verse 16 cannot be the son of verse 14 but refers back to Isaiah\u2019s son in verse 3. Why else was Isaiah commanded to take him?<\/p>\n
Summary of Isaiah 7:1\u201317<\/p>\n
In Isaiah chapter 7, King Ahaz, the King of Judah, is under threat of attack. This threat is not only to him personally but to the whole House of David. Through the Prophet Isaiah, God tells King Ahaz to be at peace and to be unafraid. Two reasons are given, two signs which guarantee God\u2019s promise of security. The first sign, in verses 13 and 14, is that no attempt to destroy the House of David will succeed until the birth of a virgin-born son. The term \u201cvirgin\u201d is required both by the Hebrew vocabulary and the context. The second sign, in verses 15 and 16, is given to Ahaz personally. God promises that the attack upon him by Israel and Syria will not succeed, and before Isaiah\u2019s son, Shear-Jashub, reaches an age of moral maturity, the two enemy kings will cease to exist.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 7:14
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah would be born of a girl who is still a virgin; the explanation of Genesis 3:15.
\nY Messiah will be the God-Man.
\nY Messiah will be a king.
\nY Messiah must be born prior to the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 8:9\u201310
\nThe Promise of Immanuel<\/p>\n
8:9 \u201cBe broken, O peoples, and be shattered; And give ear, all remote places of the earth. Gird yourselves, yet be shattered; Gird yourselves, yet be shattered. 10 \u201cDevise a plan but it will be thwarted; State a proposal, but it will not stand, For God is with us.\u201d (NASB)
\n8:9 \u05e8\u05b9\u05e2\u05d5\u05bc \u05e2\u05b7\u05de\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05b8\u05d7\u05b9\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05d0\u05b2\u05d6\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05db\u05b9\u05bc\u05dc \u05de\u05b6\u05e8\u05b0\u05d7\u05b7\u05e7\u05b5\u05bc\u05d9\u05be\u05d0\u05b8\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5 \u05d4\u05b4\u05ea\u05b0\u05d0\u05b7\u05d6\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b8\u05d7\u05b9\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc \u05d4\u05b4\u05ea\u05b0\u05d0\u05b7\u05d6\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b8\u05d7\u05b9\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc\u05c3 10 \u05e2\u05bb\u05e6\u05d5\u05bc \u05e2\u05b5\u05e6\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05ea\u05bb\u05e4\u05b8\u05e8 \u05d3\u05b7\u05bc\u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc \u05d3\u05b8\u05d1\u05b8\u05e8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b8\u05e7\u05d5\u05bc\u05dd \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b4\u05de\u05b8\u05bc\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05c3 \u05e1<\/p>\n
Verse 10 reads more literally \u201c\u2026 but it will not stand, because of Immanuel.\u201d<\/p>\n
CHAPTER 7 of Isaiah described how King Ahaz was under threat of attack. This threat was primarily against King Ahaz himself, but also against the House of King David. When God made His covenant with David, He promised him an eternal dynasty. (See discussion of 1 Chronicles 17:10b\u201314 in the section on the Writings.) This covenant assured the House of David of God\u2019s protection. God\u2019s response in Isaiah 7 was to offer a sign to King Ahaz assuring him of his security, and to offer another sign which assured the preservation of the House of David. This meant that God was committed to preserving the line of David until \u201cthe virgin shall conceive and bear a son and call his name Immanuel.\u201d Clearly therefore, until this birth takes place, all conspiracies and uprisings against the House of David are doomed to failure.
\nIt is this point which is reaffirmed in Isaiah 8:9\u201310. The real impact of these two verses is lost in English translations because of the failure to use the proper name Immanuel. Immanuel means \u201cGod with us,\u201d but it is quite wrong to translate it as such in verse 10. It is the same word as in 7:14 and 8:8 and should be translated the same way here: Immanuel. What is being said here is \u201cattack if you want, but you will be defeated because of Immanuel.\u201d Until the virgin birth of Immanuel the Messiah, God promises to preserve the security and identity of the House of David.
\nIn 70 A.D. the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, and along with it were lost all of the genealogical records of Israel. Since 70 A.D. it has not been possible to identify the descendants of David. If the promise given in Isaiah 8:10 is true, it follows that Messiah must have been born before 70 A.D.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 8:10
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah must be born prior to the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 9:6\u20137
\nUnto Us a Son Is Given<\/p>\n
9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. (NASB)
\n9:5 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05be\u05d9\u05b6\u05dc\u05b6\u05d3 \u05d9\u05bb\u05dc\u05b7\u05bc\u05d3\u05be\u05dc\u05b8\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d1\u05b5\u05bc\u05df \u05e0\u05b4\u05ea\u05b7\u05bc\u05df\u05be\u05dc\u05b8\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b7\u05ea\u05b0\u05bc\u05d4\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05db\u05b0\u05de\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05bc\u05e7\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0 \u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05de\u05d5\u05b9 \u05e4\u05b6\u05bc\u05dc\u05b6\u05d0 \u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05e2\u05b5\u05e5 \u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05d2\u05b4\u05bc\u05d1\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8 \u05d0\u05b2\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05e2\u05b7\u05d3 \u05e9\u05b7\u05c2\u05e8\u05be\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd\u05c3 6 (\u05dc\u05b8\u05de\u05b9\u05e8\u05b7\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4) [\u05dc\u05b0\u05de\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05d1\u05b5\u05bc\u05d4] \u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05bc\u05dc\u05b0\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05d0\u05b5\u05d9\u05df\u05be\u05e7\u05b5\u05e5 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05e1\u05b5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05d3\u05b8\u05d5\u05b4\u05d3 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be \u05de\u05b7\u05de\u05b0\u05dc\u05b7\u05db\u05b0\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05dc\u05b0\u05d4\u05b8\u05db\u05b4\u05d9\u05df \u05d0\u05b9\u05ea\u05b8\u05d4\u05bc \u05d5\u05bc\u05dc\u05b0\u05e1\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05d3\u05b8\u05d4\u05bc \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05de\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05d8 \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b4\u05e6\u05b0\u05d3\u05b8\u05e7\u05b8\u05d4 \u05de\u05b5\u05e2\u05b7\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e2\u05b7\u05d3\u05be\u05e2\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b8\u05dd \u05e7\u05b4\u05e0\u05b0\u05d0\u05b7\u05ea \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e6\u05b0\u05d1\u05b8\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05ea\u05b7\u05bc\u05e2\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c2\u05d4\u05be\u05d6\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05ea\u05c3 \u05e1<\/p>\n
Note that the Hebrew verse numbering differs from the English numbering for this passage.<\/p>\n
CHAPTERS 7\u201312 of Isaiah comprise the fifth major section of the book and constitute a single unit sometimes referred to as \u201cThe Book of Immanuel.\u201d The name Immanuel appears three times in this section, in verses 7:14, 8:8 and 8:10, but the unit as a whole deals with various facets of the Messiah. The two verses discussed here deal specifically with Messiah\u2019s origin, both human and divine.<\/p>\n
Human Origin\u20149:6a<\/p>\n
Isaiah 9:6a emphasizes the humanity of Messiah (His Messiahship is shown in verse 7). Isaiah sees a Son, given by God and being born into the human world; specifically, the Jewish world. The phrase \u201cunto us a son is given\u201d in the Old Testament emphasizes a unique gift of God. This is the same Son as in Psalm 2, which will be dealt with later.<\/p>\n
Divine Origin\u20149:6b<\/p>\n
In 9:6b, this son is given four names, each one having two parts. Each of these names is applicable to God; three of them exclusively so.<\/p>\n
1. Wonderful Counselor (Pele-Yoeitz)
\nIn some translations a comma is placed between these two words making them two separate names. The word \u201cwonderful\u201d is in the construct state and should be taken together with \u201ccounselor.\u201d There are some words in Hebrew which are used only of God and never of men. One example is barah meaning \u201cto create.\u201d This is used only of God and what God does; it is never used of what man does. Another word like this is pele, rendered here in English as \u201cwonderful.\u201d In English, \u201cwonderful\u201d may be freely used of many things, but in Hebrew it is reserved exclusively for that which is divine.<\/p>\n
2. Mighty God (El-Gibbor)
\nObviously never used of a mere man.<\/p>\n
3. Eternal Father (Avi-Ad)
\nLiterally: Father of Eternity. The Son who is to be born will be the Father of Eternity, meaning that He is the source of eternal life. Clearly this is to be no mere man.<\/p>\n
4. Prince of Peace (Sar-Shalom)
\nThis is the only one of the four names which can be used of man and God.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, these four names are all used elsewhere in the Book of Isaiah and in each case they are used of God, never of man.<\/p>\n
1. Wonderful Counselor
\nThis can be found in Isaiah 25:1, \u201c\u2026 I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things, [even] counsels of old \u2026\u201d and in Isaiah 28:29, \u201cThis also cometh forth from Jehovah of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel \u2026\u201d (both in the ASV). In both cases it clearly refers to God.<\/p>\n
2. Mighty God
\nThis is found in the very next chapter in Isaiah 10:21 \u201c\u2026 to the mighty God.\u201d There are many liberal theologians who object to the concept of Messiah as a God-Man. When they translate verses such as Isaiah 9:6 they are forced to interfere with the text in order to justify their own presuppositions. In the New English Bible, for example, an entire phrase\u2014completely absent in the Hebrew text\u2014is inserted to make Isaiah 9:6 read, \u201cin battle he will be Godlike.\u201d This is an impossible translation. In the Hebrew there are only two words, El Gibbor, which mean \u201cGod Almighty.\u201d Furthermore, when exactly the same words appear in Isaiah 10:21, the NEB then translates them correctly as \u201c\u2026 the mighty God.\u201d Clearly there is no integrity in such inconsistent translation.<\/p>\n
3. Eternal Father
\nThis can be compared with Isaiah 63:16b, \u201c\u2026 thou, O Jehovah, art our Father; our Redeemer from everlasting is thy name\u201d (ASV). The same words used in Isaiah 9:6 as a proper name are seen within this sentence where they are clearly used of God.<\/p>\n
4. Prince of Peace
\nIsaiah 26:3 says, \u201cThe steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace \u2026\u201d The object and subject of the sentence is God Himself. Again in Isaiah 26:12, the work of peace is attributed to God: \u201cLord, Thou wilt establish peace for us \u2026\u201d As stated above, the fourth name, \u201cthe Prince of Peace,\u201d is sometimes used of men in the Hebrew text. If we limit our attention to the book of Isaiah, however, then the work of peace is the work of God only.<\/p>\n
The Rule of the King\u20149:7<\/p>\n
Isaiah 9:6 presents us with a Being who is both God and man. Isaiah 9:7 shows us that this person is the Messiah of Israel: He is to sit upon the throne of David. Verse 7 is a reaffirmation of the Davidic Covenant, which is studied under 1 Chronicles 17:10b\u201314 in The Writings section. In the Davidic Covenant, God promised David four things:<\/p>\n
1. An eternal house or dynasty
\n2. An eternal kingdom
\n3. An eternal throne
\n4. An eternal son<\/p>\n
Isaiah 9:7 further confirms that David\u2019s house, kingdom and throne will be maintained eternally by the everlasting Son.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 9:6\u20137
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah would be a king.
\nY Messiah would be both God and Man.
\nY Messiah must appear prior to 70 A.D. because of the requirements of the Davidic Covenant and the destruction of the Temple.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 11:1\u20132
\nThe Stump of Jesse<\/p>\n
11:1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him\u2014the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD\u20143 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. (NIV)
\n11:1 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d9\u05b8\u05e6\u05b8\u05d0 \u05d7\u05b9\u05d8\u05b6\u05e8 \u05de\u05b4\u05d2\u05b5\u05bc\u05d6\u05b7\u05e2 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05b5\u05e6\u05b6\u05e8 \u05de\u05b4\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c1\u05e8\u05b8\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05d9\u05d5 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e4\u05b0\u05e8\u05b6\u05d4\u05c3 2 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05b8\u05d7\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e2\u05b8\u05dc\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05d7\u05b7 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05d7\u05b7 \u05d7\u05b8\u05db\u05b0\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05d7\u05b7 \u05e2\u05b5\u05e6\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05bc\u05d2\u05b0\u05d1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05d7\u05b7 \u05d3\u05b7\u05bc\u05e2\u05b7\u05ea \u05d5\u05b0\u05d9\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b7\u05ea \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4\u05c3<\/p>\n
THE emphasis in verse 1 is on Messiah\u2019s lowly origin. The picture given is of a tree which has been cut down, leaving only a dead stump. A single shoot remains growing low, near to the ground, eventually bearing fruit. It is interesting that this particular prophecy does not use the name of David, but uses the name of David\u2019s father, Jesse. David is normally associated with kingship, royalty and wealth. It should not be forgotten, however, that in his youth, living in the house of Jesse, David was a poor shepherd boy. During the lifetime of David, the house of Jesse was raised from poverty in Bethlehem to honor and majesty in Jerusalem. The emphasis of verse 1 is that although Messiah will be a descendant of David, He will not appear until the House of David has been once again reduced to what it was in the days of Jesse. This verse concentrates on the lowly origin of Messiah at the time of His birth, rather than the majesty of His kingdom which will be seen at His Second Coming. From the stump of Jesse, however, grows a shoot, low to the ground, but not without fruit. Eventually this shoot will become a tree in its own right.
\nIn verse 2 we are told that this One will have the sevenfold fullness of the Holy Spirit. The description used here is representative of the Jewish Menorah or seven branched lampstand. The \u201cSpirit of the Lord\u201d is mentioned once, followed by three more references to \u201cthe Spirit of,\u201d each one followed by two attributes (see chart). When looking for the fulfillment of this prophecy in the life of Jesus we find that:<\/p>\n
1. Jesus was born into the House of David.<\/p>\n
2. He was born in Bethlehem, the home of Jesse.<\/p>\n
3. He was born in great poverty.
\nThis is seen at the time of Miriam\u2019s (Mary\u2019s) purification. It was required by the Law, in Leviticus 12:1\u20138, that after the birth of a baby, the mother should go to the Temple and make a sacrifice for her cleansing. This had to be a blood sacrifice and two offerings were acceptable. Normally, the sacrifice would consist of a lamb and a pigeon or dove, but provision was made for exceptionally poor families, from whom two pigeons or doves were acceptable. We are told in Luke\u2019s Gospel that Jesus\u2019 mother could only afford two birds. Both Mary and Joseph were descendants of David, and so the abject poverty of the House of David is made clear.<\/p>\n
4. In John 3:34, John the Baptist describes Jesus as having the fullness of the Spirit. \u201cFor He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.\u201d The New Testament teaches that all who believe in Jesus as Messiah are given a measure of the Holy Spirit. Because each believer only has a measure of the Spirit, each one has different gifts and ministries (1 Corinthians 12:13\u201314). No one ever has all of the gifts because God has ordained that the members of the church be mutually dependent. Jesus, however, was given the Spirit \u201cwithout measure.\u201d In Scripture the number seven signifies perfection, completeness or fullness. The sevenfold nature of the Spirit in Isaiah 11:2 is therefore synonymous with the measureless fullness in John 3:34. It also corresponds to the \u201cseven spirits\u201d of Revelation 1:4, 3:1, 4:5, and 5:6.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 11:1\u20132
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah would be born into the House of David.
\nY Messiah would not be born until the House of David had once again returned to the state of poverty which it was in during the days of David\u2019s father, Jesse. Messiah will be born into a house of lowliness.
\nY Messiah would have the sevenfold fullness of the Holy Spirit and act accordingly.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 40:3\u20135
\nThe Herald of the King<\/p>\n
40:3 A voice is calling, \u201cClear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. 4 \u201cLet every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; 5 Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.\u201d (NASB)
\n40:3 \u05e7\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc \u05e7\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05b5\u05d0 \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05de\u05b4\u05bc\u05d3\u05b0\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e8 \u05e4\u05b7\u05bc\u05e0\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc \u05d3\u05b6\u05bc\u05e8\u05b6\u05da\u05b0 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d9\u05b7\u05e9\u05b0\u05bc\u05c1\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e2\u05b2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d1\u05b8\u05d4 \u05de\u05b0\u05e1\u05b4\u05dc\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b5\u05d0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d4\u05b5\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc\u05c3 4 \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05be\u05d2\u05b6\u05bc\u05d9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e0\u05b8\u05bc\u05e9\u05b5\u05c2\u05d0 \u05d5\u05b0\u05db\u05b8\u05dc\u05be \u05d4\u05b7\u05e8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d2\u05b4\u05d1\u05b0\u05e2\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b8\u05d9\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d4\u05b6\u05e2\u05b8\u05e7\u05b9\u05d1 \u05dc\u05b0\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b8\u05e8\u05b0\u05db\u05b8\u05e1\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05b0\u05d1\u05b4\u05e7\u05b0\u05e2\u05b8\u05d4\u05c3 5 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05b4\u05d2\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05d4 \u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05d1\u05d5\u05b9\u05d3 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05d5\u05bc \u05db\u05b8\u05dc\u05be\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e9\u05b8\u05c2\u05e8 \u05d9\u05b7\u05d7\u05b0\u05d3\u05b8\u05bc\u05d5 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05e4\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05d1\u05b5\u05bc\u05e8\u05c3 \u05e1<\/p>\n
THESE verses do not deal with Messiah personally, but with His forerunner. In ancient times a herald, or forerunner, would be sent out to clear the road of obstacles or repair any pot-holes in the road prior to a journey by the king. This passage states that a forerunner will precede the arrival of the Messianic King, as with any other ancient king. In the New Testament these words are specifically applied to John the Baptist, whose words were quoted in the previous section.<\/p>\n
3:1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 \u201cRepent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.\u201d 3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet, saying, \u201cTHE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, \u2018MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!\u2019 \u201d 4 Now John himself had a garment of camel\u2019s hair, and a leather belt about his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea, and all the district around the Jordan; 6 and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.<\/p>\n
Matthew 3:1\u20136 (NASB)<\/p>\n
See also Mark 1:2\u20138; Luke 1:5\u201380 (especially verse 76); Luke 3:1\u201320 (especially verses 4\u20136); and, John 1:6\u20138, 15\u201336 (especially verse 23).<\/p>\n
Isaiah 40:3\u20135
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah would have a forerunner, or herald, to make preparations for His arrival.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 42:1\u20136
\nThe Servant of Jehovah<\/p>\n
42:1 \u201cBehold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 \u201cHe will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. 3 \u201cA bruised reed He will not break, And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 \u201cHe will not be disheartened or crushed, Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.\u201d 5 Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk in it, 6 \u201cI am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, \u2026\u201d (NASB)
\n42:1 \u05d4\u05b5\u05df \u05e2\u05b7\u05d1\u05b0\u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05b0\u05de\u05b8\u05da\u05b0\u05be\u05d1\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d7\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9 \u05e8\u05b8\u05e6\u05b0\u05ea\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e0\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9 \u05e0\u05b8\u05ea\u05b7\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05d7\u05b4\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b8\u05dc\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05de\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05d8 \u05dc\u05b7\u05d2\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05e6\u05b4\u05d9\u05d0\u05c3 2 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e6\u05b0\u05e2\u05b7\u05e7 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c2\u05d0 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be\u05d9\u05b7\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05e2\u05b7 \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05d7\u05d5\u05bc\u05e5 \u05e7\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05c3 3 \u05e7\u05b8\u05e0\u05b6\u05d4 \u05e8\u05b8\u05e6\u05d5\u05bc\u05e5 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05d1\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8 \u05d5\u05bc\u05e4\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05db\u05b5\u05d4\u05b8\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b0\u05db\u05b7\u05d1\u05b6\u05bc\u05e0\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b6\u05d0\u05b1\u05de\u05b6\u05ea \u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05e6\u05b4\u05d9\u05d0 \u05de\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05d8\u05c3 4 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b4\u05db\u05b0\u05d4\u05b6\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b8\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05e5 \u05e2\u05b7\u05d3\u05be\u05d9\u05b8\u05e9\u05b4\u05c2\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05d0\u05b8\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5 \u05de\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05d8 \u05d5\u05bc\u05dc\u05b0\u05ea\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05b8\u05ea\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d0\u05b4\u05d9\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dd \u05d9\u05b0\u05d9\u05b7\u05d7\u05b5\u05d9\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc\u05c3 \u05e3 5 \u05db\u05b9\u05bc\u05d4\u05be\u05d0\u05b8\u05de\u05b7\u05e8 \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d1\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05b5\u05d0 \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c1\u05de\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9\u05d8\u05b5\u05d9\u05d4\u05b6\u05dd \u05e8\u05b9\u05e7\u05b7\u05e2 \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b8\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e6\u05b6\u05d0\u05b1\u05e6\u05b8\u05d0\u05b6\u05d9\u05d4\u05b8 \u05e0\u05b9\u05ea\u05b5\u05df \u05e0\u05b0\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b8\u05e2\u05b8\u05dd \u05e2\u05b8\u05dc\u05b6\u05d9\u05d4\u05b8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05d7\u05b7 \u05dc\u05b7\u05d4\u05b9\u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4\u05bc\u05c3 6 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e7\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05d1\u05b0\u05e6\u05b6\u05d3\u05b6\u05e7 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b7\u05d7\u05b0\u05d6\u05b5\u05e7 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d9\u05b8\u05d3\u05b6\u05da\u05b8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05e6\u05b8\u05bc\u05e8\u05b0\u05da\u05b8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05b6\u05bc\u05e0\u05b0\u05da\u05b8 \u05dc\u05b4\u05d1\u05b0\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05ea \u05e2\u05b8\u05dd \u05dc\u05b0\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8 \u05d2\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd\u05c3<\/p>\n
ONE of Isaiah\u2019s favorite designations for the Messiah is the term \u201cservant.\u201d This messianic title is found throughout chapters 42 to 66 of Isaiah\u2019s book. This is the first of five \u201cservant\u201d passages which we will study. Isaiah 42:1\u20136 can be broken down into four sections, each of which emphasizes a different aspect of the Messianic Person. The various points made can be detailed as listed below.<\/p>\n
His Status\u201442:1<\/p>\n
Verse 1 makes four points.<\/p>\n
1. He is the Servant of Jehovah.
\nThis is the theme of the Gospel of Mark. Each of the four Gospel writers wrote for a different audience and highlighted different aspects of the life of Jesus. Matthew emphasizes Messiah\u2019s royalty\u2014Jesus, the King of the Jews. Luke, the doctor, deals with the humanity of Jesus\u2014Jesus, the Messiah the Son of Man. John concentrates on the divinity of Messiah\u2014Jesus, the Son of God. Mark sees Messiah primarily as the Servant of Jehovah. He focuses on those aspects of Jesus\u2019 life which best demonstrate the way in which Jesus perfectly completed the assignments given to Him as described in the Prophets and particularly the servant-passages of Isaiah.<\/p>\n
2. He is Jehovah\u2019s Chosen One in whom Jehovah will greatly delight.<\/p>\n
3. He is anointed with the Spirit.
\nThis is a reaffirmation of Isaiah 11:2.<\/p>\n
4. He will benefit the Gentile nations.
\nAlthough Messiah will come primarily for the Jewish nation, there will be some way by which the Gentiles (the nations) will also benefit. This is not explained here but is developed further in Isaiah 49:6, our next passage.<\/p>\n
Most rabbis, apart from Rashi, saw this as being messianic.<\/p>\n
1. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan
\n\u201cBehold My Servant, the Messiah, I will draw Him near, My Chosen One in whom My Memra is well pleased.\u201d<\/p>\n
2. Rabbi David Kimchi
\n\u201cBehold My Servant \u2026 This is King Messiah.\u201d<\/p>\n
His Manner\u201442:2<\/p>\n
Verse 2 describes the manner in which He will conduct Himself. Messiah will not be a street preacher. The Gospels describe Jesus as teaching primarily in the synagogues. He also taught large groups of people on the hillsides, but these were people who came to Him, who sought Him out. At no time did Jesus deliberately seek attention on the streets of the cities, but rather His reputation went ahead of Him and it was the crowds who went looking for Him. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with street preaching. On the contrary, the New Testament encourages it and describes the apostles as doing so, but that was not Messiah\u2019s mode of operation.<\/p>\n
His Way\u201442:3<\/p>\n
Verse 3 emphasizes His characteristics. He will be characterized by mercy, truth and justice. Those who come to Him for help will be accepted and treated with great tenderness.<\/p>\n
His Success\u201442:4<\/p>\n
Verse 4 teaches that, ultimately, Messiah will not fail, nor be discouraged. There will be discouragements along the way, as will be seen in the next passage, but these will be temporary. All of the objectives laid down for His First Coming will be accomplished.<\/p>\n
His Mission\u201442:5\u20136<\/p>\n
Verses 5\u20136 teach that the coming of the Messiah will benefit two groups of people. First, the Messiah will be \u201cthe Covenant of the People,\u201d meaning He will be the One to fulfill God\u2019s covenant-promises to Israel. Second, He will be \u201cthe Light to the nations,\u201d the One to bring salvation-light to the Gentiles.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 42:1\u20136
\nteaches that:
\nY The Messiah would be anointed by the Holy Spirit.
\nY The Messiah would conduct Himself in meekness and gentleness.
\nY Although Messiah\u2019s mission would appear to end in failure it would in fact be a complete success. The success of His mission actually required his death.
\nY Messiah\u2019s mission includes Gentile salvation.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 49:1\u201313
\nThe Discouragement of the Servant<\/p>\n
49:1 Listen to Me, O islands, And pay attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called Me from the womb; From the body of My mother He named Me. 2 And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me, And He has also made Me a select arrow; He has hidden Me in His quiver. 3 And He said to Me, \u201cYou are My Servant, Israel, In Whom I will show My glory.\u201d 4 But I said, \u201cI have toiled in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity; Yet surely the justice due to Me is with the LORD, And My reward with My God.\u201d 5 And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, in order that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the LORD, And My God is My strength), 6 He says, \u201cIt is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.\u201d 7 Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and its Holy One, To the despised One, To the One abhorred by the nation, To the Servant of rulers, \u201cKings shall see and arise, Princes shall also bow down; Because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.\u201d 8 Thus says the LORD, \u201cIn a favorable time I have answered You, And in a day of salvation I have helped You; And I will keep You and give You for a covenant of the people, To restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages; 9 Saying to those who are bound, \u2018Go forth,\u2019 To those who are in darkness, \u2018Show yourselves.\u2019 Along the roads they will feed, And their pasture will be on all bare heights. 10 \u201cThey will not hunger or thirst, Neither will the scorching heat or sun strike them down; For He who has compassion on them will lead them, And will guide them to springs of water. 11 \u201cAnd I will make all My mountains a road, And My highways will be raised up. 12 \u201cBehold, these shall come from afar; And lo, these will come from the north and from the west, And these from the land of Sinim.\u201d 13 Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people, And will have compassion on His afflicted. (NASB)
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\u05d9\u05b0\u05e8\u05b7\u05d7\u05b5\u05dd\u05c3 \u05e1<\/p>\n
THIS is the second of the five \u201cservant\u201d passages in Isaiah. The first passage, 42:1\u20136, introduced the Servant. This passage, 49:1\u201313, now tells us more about the mission of the Servant, and develops the promise in Isaiah 42 that He would bring blessing to the Gentiles. This will result from His initial rejection by the nation of Israel, although assurance is given that He will, finally, be accepted by Israel.<\/p>\n
The Servant\u2019s Discouragement\u201449:1\u20134<\/p>\n
Verses 1\u20134 highlight a temporary discouragement in the life of Messiah. In verse 1 the words of Messiah Himself are being spoken prophetically by Isaiah. He says that from His very conception He has been given a specific mission by God. In Matthew 1:21, we are told that the angel said to Joseph at the time of Mary\u2019s conception, \u201c\u2026 you are to call Him Jesus because He will save His people from their sins.\u201d Here again we have a reference to a mother but not a father, which is consistent with the virgin birth prophesied in Isaiah 7:14.
\nIn verse 2, Messiah has been specifically called and equipped for His task.
\nIn verse 3, Messiah, the Servant of Jehovah, is called \u201cIsrael par excellence\u201d because He will be the only Jew to completely and perfectly fulfill the Mosaic Law.
\nIt is in verse 4 that the note of discouragement comes. As is seen elsewhere, the Servant, despite His perfection, will be rejected, and it is this which causes His sadness. Yet He still has hope: \u201cmy reward is with my God.\u201d From a New Testament point of view, the only place in the life of Jesus where this can find fulfillment is in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the Gospels, one reason for His discouragement is His fear of experiencing spiritual death, and He prays that the cup of God\u2019s wrath might pass from Him (Matthew 26:38\u201339 and Mark 14:34\u201336). Isaiah 49 highlights a second reason for discouragement. He had ministered to the nation of Israel for three and a half years, and although He had come as their Messiah, the Jewish nation is rejecting Him.<\/p>\n
God\u2019s Answer\u201449:5\u20136<\/p>\n
The Lord replies with words of encouragement in verses 5\u20136. He begins in verse 5 by summarizing the Servant\u2019s original commission:<\/p>\n
1. To bring Israel to spiritual salvation<\/p>\n
2. To gather the dispersed Israel to physical restoration
\nGiven Israel\u2019s rejection of the Servant, how can these objectives now be accomplished? The Lord continues in verse 6 by giving the Servant a third objective:<\/p>\n
3. To be a light to, and bring salvation to, the Gentile nations
\nIsrael\u2019s rejection of Messiah at His First Coming is part of God\u2019s plan. It need not be a source of discouragement. It was always God\u2019s plan that for a period of time, the first two objectives would be set aside in order that salvation may go out to the Gentiles. It was noted in Isaiah 42:1 that the Gentiles would somehow benefit from Messiah\u2019s coming; now we are told exactly how.<\/p>\n
The Rejection and Exaltation of the Messiah\u201449:7<\/p>\n
Verse 7a confirms that Israel will reject Messiah, but verse 7b goes on to say that the rejection will only be for a time and Messiah will one day be accepted.<\/p>\n
The Restoration by the Messiah\u201449:8\u201313<\/p>\n
In verse 8, when Messiah\u2019s mission to the Gentiles is complete, then will come the final restoration of Israel. The rest of the passage through to verse 13 elaborates on this final restoration. Messiah will become the covenant for the people (singular, meaning Israel), showing that they have at last accepted Him. With Israel\u2019s acceptance of Messiah comes the in-gathering of the dispersed Jews; in verse 12, even from as far away as Sinim. \u201cSinim\u201d is the modern Hebrew word for \u201cChina,\u201d but it is uncertain if that was the meaning in the Old Testament. The word does imply at least somewhere in the Far East. If there are Jews in the Far East, they will be re-gathered, and there are indeed Jews in China today. It is interesting to note that at the time Isaiah wrote this, the Jewish people were not yet dispersed from the land; China, or anywhere in the Far East, would have been the last place to have looked for a Jew.<\/p>\n
Summary<\/p>\n
At the present time, Jesus is still being rejected as Messiah by Israel. It is often said that if Jesus had really been the true Messiah, then He would have been welcomed by the Jewish leaders of His day. This passage makes it very clear, however, that that is the exact opposite of the truth. Every man who has been hailed as Messiah by Jewish leadership has proved to be a false Messiah. Isaiah says quite specifically that Messiah will initially be rejected. Rejection is stated as being one of the credentials of Messiahship. Israel\u2019s national rejection of Jesus actually substantiates His claim to be Messiah.
\nThe purpose of the rejection was so that God could bring salvation to the Gentiles. For a limited time there will be more Gentile believers than Jewish believers. In Acts 15:14, God is said to be \u201ctaking from the Gentiles a people for Himself.\u201d In Romans 11:25\u201326 it says that this will continue \u201c\u2026 until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel shall be saved \u2026\u201d (Note that these things were written by the Jewish leaders of the first Jewish Church in Jerusalem).
\nThis present time will continue until the Church is numerically complete, at which point the Rapture will occur. God will then again deal with Israel and, as Paul says above, \u201call Israel will be saved.\u201d Paul is building on what is written in Isaiah 49:7. In the first half of the verse, Messiah is to be despised and abhorred by Israel, but is later destined for glory and honor, to be worshipped by kings and princes world-wide.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 49:1\u201313
\nteaches that:
\nY The Messiah\u2019s First Coming would be rejected by Israel.
\nY For a time, the message of salvation through Messiah will go out to the Gentiles.
\nY Eventually, Israel will receive Messiah; He will become their New Covenant.
\nY Israel\u2019s acceptance of Messiah will herald the re-gathering of all Jews to the Land of Israel.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 50:4\u20139
\nThe Training of the Servant<\/p>\n
50:4 The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. 5 The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not disobedient, Nor did I turn back. 6 I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. 7 For the Lord GOD helps Me, Therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face like flint, And I know that I shall not be ashamed. 8 He who vindicates Me is near; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand up to each other; Who has a case against Me? Let him draw near to Me. 9 Behold, the Lord GOD helps Me; Who is he who condemns Me? Behold, they will all wear out like a garment; The moth will eat them. (NASB)
\n50:4 \u05d0\u05b2\u05d3\u05b9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05b9\u05d5\u05b4\u05d4 \u05e0\u05b8\u05ea\u05b7\u05df \u05dc\u05b4\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05b9\u05df \u05dc\u05b4\u05de\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc\u05d3\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05b8\u05d3\u05b7\u05e2\u05b7\u05ea \u05dc\u05b8\u05e2\u05d5\u05bc\u05ea \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05d9\u05b8\u05e2\u05b5\u05e3 \u05d3\u05b8\u05bc\u05d1\u05b8\u05e8 \u05d9\u05b8\u05e2\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8 \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05d1\u05b9\u05bc\u05e7\u05b6\u05e8 \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05d1\u05b9\u05bc\u05e7\u05b6\u05e8 \u05d9\u05b8\u05e2\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b9\u05d6\u05b6\u05df \u05dc\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05de\u05b9\u05e2\u05b7 \u05db\u05b7\u05bc\u05dc\u05b4\u05bc\u05de\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc\u05d3\u05b4\u05dd\u05c3 5 \u05d0\u05b2\u05d3\u05b9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b4\u05d4 \u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05ea\u05b7\u05d7\u05be \u05dc\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b9\u05d6\u05b6\u05df \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b8\u05e0\u05b9\u05db\u05b4\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05de\u05b8\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b8\u05d7\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05e0\u05b0\u05e1\u05d5\u05bc\u05d2\u05b9\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9\u05c3 6 \u05d2\u05b5\u05bc\u05d5\u05b4\u05d9 \u05e0\u05b8\u05ea\u05b7\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b0\u05de\u05b7\u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05bc\u05dc\u05b0\u05d7\u05b8\u05d9\u05b7\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b0\u05de\u05b9\u05e8\u05b0\u05d8\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05e0\u05b7\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d4\u05b4\u05e1\u05b0\u05ea\u05b7\u05bc\u05e8\u05b0\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05de\u05b4\u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05dc\u05b4\u05de\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05d5\u05b8\u05e8\u05b9\u05e7\u05c3 7 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d0\u05d3\u05b9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b4\u05d4 \u05d9\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05d6\u05b8\u05e8\u05be\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05db\u05b5\u05bc\u05df \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05e0\u05b4\u05db\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05de\u05b0\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05db\u05b5\u05bc\u05df \u05e9\u05b7\u05c2\u05de\u05b0\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05e4\u05b8\u05e0\u05b7\u05d9 \u05db\u05b7\u05bc\u05d7\u05b7\u05dc\u05b8\u05bc\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d5\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05d3\u05b7\u05e2 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05be\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d0\u05b5\u05d1\u05d5\u05b9\u05e9\u05c1\u05c3 8 \u05e7\u05b8\u05e8\u05d5\u05b9\u05d1 \u05de\u05b7\u05e6\u05b0\u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05e7\u05b4\u05d9 \u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05be\u05d9\u05b8\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05d1 \u05d0\u05b4\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05e0\u05b7\u05e2\u05b7\u05de\u05b0\u05d3\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d9\u05b8\u05bc\u05d7\u05b7\u05d3 \u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05be\u05d1\u05b7\u05e2\u05b7\u05dc \u05de\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05d8\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b4\u05d2\u05b7\u05bc\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05b8\u05d9\u05c3 9 \u05d4\u05b5\u05df \u05d0\u05b2\u05d3\u05b9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b4\u05d4 \u05d9\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05d6\u05b8\u05e8\u05be\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9 \u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05be\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9\u05e2\u05b5\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b5\u05df \u05db\u05bb\u05bc\u05dc\u05b8\u05bc\u05dd \u05db\u05b7\u05bc\u05d1\u05b6\u05bc\u05d2\u05b6\u05d3 \u05d9\u05b4\u05d1\u05b0\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc \u05e2\u05b8\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d9\u05b9\u05d0\u05db\u05b0\u05dc\u05b5\u05dd\u05c3<\/p>\n
THE New Testament gives us an account of a 12 year old Jesus visiting the Temple in Jerusalem for the first time (Luke 2:41\u201350). By the age of 12 Jesus was fully conversant with the Hebrew Scriptures and able to debate deep spiritual matters with the leading theologians of the day. Furthermore, when Jesus is later rebuked by His mother for remaining in the Temple, He replies, \u201cDid you not know I would be in My Father\u2019s house?\u201d This one statement shows that by the age of 12 Jesus knew that Joseph was not His father, knew that God was His Father, and therefore understood that He was the Messiah of Israel.
\nSince it is clear that in His humanity Jesus was not omniscient, how did He acquire His knowledge and learning? The New Testament does not explain. There are several aspects of Jesus\u2019 life which are revealed only in the Old Testament; this is one of them.
\nIsaiah 50:4\u20139 gives us a picture of the learning process which Jesus went through.<\/p>\n
The Messiah Taught\u201450:4<\/p>\n
Verse 4 describes the learning or disciplining of the Servant. During His boyhood in Nazareth, every morning, Jesus was awakened by His Father in the early hours of the morning to receive instruction. In this way Jesus learned who He was, what His mission was, and how to act and react accordingly.<\/p>\n
The Messiah Despised\u201450:5\u20136<\/p>\n
In verse 5, we are told that Jesus learned all that was required of Him, that He must suffer and die. By the time Jesus\u2019 ministry became public, He was not rebellious and did not draw back. When the time came (verse 6), He willingly submitted Himself to His tormentors. The abuses described here are all fully described in the Gospels during both His religious and civil trials.<\/p>\n
18:22And when He had said this, one of the officers standing by gave Jesus a blow, saying, \u201cIs that the way You answer the high priest?\u201d 23 Jesus answered him, \u201cIf I have spoken wrongly, bear witness of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?\u201d<\/p>\n
John 18:22, 23 (NASB)<\/p>\n
22:63 And the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him, and beating Him, 64 and they blindfolded Him and were asking Him, saying, \u201cProphesy, who is the one who hit You?\u201d 65 And they were saying many other things against Him, blaspheming.<\/p>\n
Luke 22:63\u201365 (NASB)<\/p>\n
14:65 And some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, \u201cProphesy!\u201d And the officers received Him with slaps in the face.<\/p>\n
Mark 14:65 (NASB)<\/p>\n
27:26 Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he delivered Him to be crucified. 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. 28 And they stripped Him, and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 And after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they kneeled down before Him and mocked Him, saying, \u201cHail, King of the Jews!\u201d 30 And they spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. 31 And after they had mocked Him, they took His robe off and put His garments on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.<\/p>\n
Matthew 27:26\u201331 (NASB)<\/p>\n
15:16 And the soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they called together the whole Roman cohort. 17 And they dressed Him up in purple, and after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; 18 and they began to acclaim Him, \u201cHail, King of the Jews!\u201d 19 And they kept beating His head with a reed, and spitting at Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him. 20 And after they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, and put His garments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him.<\/p>\n
Mark 15:16\u201320 (NASB)<\/p>\n
The Messiah Aided by Jehovah\u201450:7\u20139<\/p>\n
In verses 7\u20139, Jesus is able to endure the sufferings which led to His death, although His death is not actually mentioned here, because He knows that God is with Him throughout.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 50:4\u20139
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah would receive special training from God the Father.
\nY Messiah\u2019s First Coming would be characterized by suffering.
\nY Messiah would be obedient in submitting Himself to physical abuse.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 52:13\u201353:12
\nThe Suffering of the Servant<\/p>\n
52:13 Behold, my servant shall deal wisely, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. 14 Like as many were astonished at thee (his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men), 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.
\n52:13 \u05d4\u05b4\u05e0\u05b5\u05bc\u05d4 \u05d9\u05b7\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dc \u05e2\u05b7\u05d1\u05b0\u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b8\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05b4\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c2\u05d0 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d2\u05b8\u05d1\u05b7\u05d4\u05bc \u05de\u05b0\u05d0\u05b9\u05d3\u05c3 14 \u05db\u05b7\u05bc\u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05de\u05b0\u05de\u05d5\u05bc \u05e2\u05b8\u05dc\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05e8\u05b7\u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dd \u05db\u05b5\u05bc\u05df\u05be\u05de\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05d7\u05b7\u05ea \u05de\u05b5\u05d0\u05b4\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05de\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b5\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b0\u05ea\u05b9\u05d0\u05b2\u05e8\u05d5\u05b9 \u05de\u05b4\u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b8\u05d3\u05b8\u05dd\u05c3 15 \u05db\u05b5\u05bc\u05df \u05d9\u05b7\u05d6\u05b6\u05bc\u05d4 \u05d2\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05e8\u05b7\u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dd \u05e2\u05b8\u05dc\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e7\u05b0\u05e4\u05b0\u05bc\u05e6\u05d5\u05bc \u05de\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05db\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05e4\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05d4\u05b6\u05dd \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be \u05e1\u05bb\u05e4\u05b7\u05bc\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b8\u05d4\u05b6\u05dd \u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b7\u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05de\u05b0\u05e2\u05d5\u05bc \u05d4\u05b4\u05ea\u05b0\u05d1\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e0\u05b8\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc\u05c3<\/p>\n
53:1 Who hath believed our message? and to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 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.
\n53:1 \u05de\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b6\u05d0\u05b1\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05df \u05dc\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05de\u05bb\u05e2\u05b8\u05ea\u05b5\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05bc\u05d6\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05b9\u05e2\u05b7 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05de\u05b4\u05d9 \u05e0\u05b4\u05d2\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05ea\u05b8\u05d4\u05c3 2 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b7\u05bc\u05e2\u05b7\u05dc \u05db\u05b7\u05bc\u05d9\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e0\u05b5\u05e7 \u05dc\u05b0\u05e4\u05b8\u05e0\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05d5\u05b0\u05db\u05b7\u05e9\u05b9\u05bc\u05c1\u05e8\u05b6\u05e9\u05c1 \u05de\u05b5\u05d0\u05b6\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5 \u05e6\u05b4\u05d9\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be\u05ea\u05b9\u05d0\u05b7\u05e8 \u05dc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d4\u05b8\u05d3\u05b8\u05e8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b5\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be \u05de\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05b6\u05d7\u05b0\u05de\u05b0\u05d3\u05b5\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05c3 3 \u05e0\u05b4\u05d1\u05b0\u05d6\u05b6\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05d3\u05b7\u05dc \u05d0\u05b4\u05d9\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0\u05b4\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05de\u05b7\u05db\u05b0\u05d0\u05b9\u05d1\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05d5\u05b4\u05d9\u05d3\u05d5\u05bc\u05e2\u05b7 \u05d7\u05b9\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d5\u05bc\u05db\u05b0\u05de\u05b7\u05e1\u05b0\u05ea\u05b5\u05bc\u05e8 \u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05de\u05b4\u05de\u05b6\u05bc\u05e0\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc \u05e0\u05b4\u05d1\u05b0\u05d6\u05b6\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d7\u05b2\u05e9\u05b7\u05c1\u05d1\u05b0\u05e0\u05bb\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05c3<\/p>\n
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 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. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
\n4 \u05d0\u05b8\u05db\u05b5\u05df \u05d7\u05dc\u05b8\u05d9\u05b5\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05e0\u05b8\u05e9\u05b8\u05c2\u05d0 \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b7\u05db\u05b0\u05d0\u05b9\u05d1\u05b5\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05e1\u05b0\u05d1\u05b8\u05dc\u05b8\u05dd \u05d5\u05b7\u05d0\u05b2\u05e0\u05b7\u05d4\u05b0\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d7\u05b2\u05e9\u05b7\u05c1\u05d1\u05b0\u05e0\u05bb\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc \u05e0\u05b8\u05d2\u05d5\u05bc\u05e2\u05b7 \u05de\u05bb\u05db\u05b5\u05bc\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b1\u05dc\u05b9\u05d4\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b0\u05e2\u05bb\u05e0\u05b6\u05bc\u05d4\u05c3 5 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05de\u05b0\u05d7\u05b9\u05dc\u05b8\u05dc \u05de\u05b4\u05e4\u05b0\u05bc\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05e2\u05b5\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05de\u05b0\u05d3\u05bb\u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05d0 \u05de\u05b5\u05e2\u05b2\u05d5\u05b9\u05e0\u05b9\u05ea\u05b5\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05de\u05d5\u05bc\u05e1\u05b7\u05e8 \u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05de\u05b5\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05e2\u05b8\u05dc\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05d1\u05bb\u05e8\u05b8\u05ea\u05d5\u05b9 \u05e0\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05d0\u05be\u05dc\u05b8\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc\u05c3 6 \u05db\u05bb\u05bc\u05dc\u05b8\u05bc\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05db\u05b7\u05bc\u05e6\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05df \u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05e2\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d0\u05b4\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05dc\u05b0\u05d3\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05db\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d4\u05b4\u05e4\u05b0\u05d2\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05e2\u05b7 \u05d1\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d0\u05b5\u05ea \u05e2\u05b2\u05d5\u05b9\u05df \u05db\u05bb\u05bc\u05dc\u05b8\u05bc\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc\u05c3<\/p>\n
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. 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)? 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.
\n7 \u05e0\u05b4\u05d2\u05b7\u05bc\u05e9\u05c2 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05e0\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e0\u05b6\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e4\u05b0\u05ea\u05b7\u05bc\u05d7\u05be\u05e4\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05d5 \u05db\u05b7\u05bc\u05e9\u05b6\u05bc\u05c2\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b7\u05d8\u05b6\u05bc\u05d1\u05b7\u05d7 \u05d9\u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b8\u05dc \u05d5\u05bc\u05db\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05d7\u05b5\u05dc \u05dc\u05b4\u05e4\u05b0\u05e0\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d2\u05b9\u05d6\u05b0\u05d6\u05b6\u05d9\u05d4\u05b8 \u05e0\u05b6\u05d0\u05b1\u05dc\u05b8\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e4\u05b0\u05ea\u05b7\u05bc\u05d7 \u05e4\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05d5\u05c3 8 \u05de\u05b5\u05e2\u05b9\u05e6\u05b6\u05e8 \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b4\u05de\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05d8 \u05dc\u05bb\u05e7\u05b8\u05bc\u05d7 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05d3\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05d5\u05b9 \u05de\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b0\u05e9\u05c2\u05d5\u05b9\u05d7\u05b5\u05d7\u05b7 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05e0\u05b4\u05d2\u05b0\u05d6\u05b7\u05e8 \u05de\u05b5\u05d0\u05b6\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5 \u05d7\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dd \u05de\u05b4\u05e4\u05b6\u05bc\u05e9\u05b7\u05c1\u05e2 \u05e2\u05b7\u05de\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05e0\u05b6\u05d2\u05b7\u05e2 \u05dc\u05b8\u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05c3 9 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05bc\u05ea\u05b5\u05bc\u05df \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05e8\u05b0\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05e2\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05e7\u05b4\u05d1\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05e2\u05b8\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9\u05e8 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05de\u05b9\u05ea\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be\u05d7\u05b8\u05de\u05b8\u05dd \u05e2\u05b8\u05e9\u05b8\u05c2\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05de\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e4\u05b4\u05d9\u05d5\u05c3<\/p>\n
10 Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see (his) seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand. 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. 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 unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors: yet he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (ASV)
\n10 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d7\u05b8\u05e4\u05b5\u05e5 \u05d3\u05b7\u05bc\u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d4\u05b6\u05d7\u05b1\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b4\u05dd\u05be\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05e9\u05b4\u05c2\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0\u05b8\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dd \u05e0\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05d4 \u05d6\u05b6\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2 \u05d9\u05b7\u05d0\u05b2\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05da\u05b0 \u05d9\u05b8\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05d7\u05b5\u05e4\u05b6\u05e5 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d9\u05b8\u05d3\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e6\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05d7\u05c3 11 \u05de\u05b5\u05e2\u05b2\u05de\u05b7\u05dc \u05e0\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05d4 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e2 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d3\u05b7\u05e2\u05b0\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d9\u05b7\u05e6\u05b0\u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05e7 \u05e6\u05b7\u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05e7 \u05e2\u05b7\u05d1\u05b0\u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b8\u05e8\u05b7\u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05d5\u05b9\u05e0\u05b9\u05ea\u05b8\u05dd \u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e1\u05b0\u05d1\u05b9\u05bc\u05dc\u05c3 12 \u05dc\u05b8\u05db\u05b5\u05df \u05d0\u05b2\u05d7\u05b7\u05dc\u05b6\u05bc\u05e7\u05be\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d1\u05b8\u05e8\u05b7\u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be \u05e2\u05b2\u05e6\u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d9\u05b0\u05d7\u05b7\u05dc\u05b5\u05bc\u05e7 \u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05b8\u05dc \u05ea\u05b7\u05bc\u05d7\u05b7\u05ea \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05d4\u05b6\u05e2\u05b1\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b7\u05de\u05b8\u05bc\u05d5\u05b6\u05ea \u05e0\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05e4\u05b9\u05bc\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05e2\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05e0\u05b4\u05de\u05b0\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05d7\u05b5\u05d8\u05b0\u05d0\u05be\u05e8\u05b7\u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dd \u05e0\u05b8\u05e9\u05b8\u05c2\u05d0 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b7\u05e4\u05b9\u05bc\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05e2\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d9\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05d2\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05e2\u05b7\u05c3 \u05e1<\/p>\n
THE most crucial passage in the whole Book of Isaiah is 52:13\u201353:12. This long section of Isaiah is so clear in its description of the suffering Messiah that it has caused enormous problems for teachers of Judaism. It is quite common today to hear rabbis say that this passage speaks, not of Messiah, but of Israel suffering in a Gentile world. They may even go as far as to say that this has always been the traditional view of Judaism. At that point they are entirely dependent on the ignorance of their listeners. All of the ancient Jewish writings\u2014the Mishnah, the Gemara, (the Talmud), the Midrashim and many others\u2014all regard this portion of Scripture as relating to the Messianic Person. The first rabbi to suggest otherwise was Rashi, around 1050 A.D. Every rabbi prior to Rashi, without exception, viewed this passage as describing Messiah. When Rashi first proposed that this passage spoke of the nation of Israel, he sparked a fierce debate with his contemporaries. The most famous of these was Rambam, perhaps better known as Maimonides. Rambam stated very clearly that Rashi was completely wrong in going contrary to the traditional Jewish viewpoint. (See Appendix 2 for a discussion of these rabbinic sources.)
\nAs Christian evangelists began to make greater use of this passage, particularly from the early 1800\u2019s onward, an increasing number of rabbis found Rashi\u2019s view an attractive way of countering Christian teaching. Reading through the passage will show that there are several statements which could not possibly be applied to the nation of Israel. This passage is not read in synagogues; public readings of Isaiah will jump from Isaiah 52 to Isaiah 54.
\nPreviously, in Isaiah 49, it was said that Messiah would at first be rejected by Israel, but would eventually be accepted at some later stage. This passage of Isaiah is dealing with that final acceptance\u2014which is still in the future\u2014when the leaders of Israel will acknowledge their failure at Messiah\u2019s First Coming and, using these very words in Isaiah, make their national confession. (See The Footsteps Of The Messiah, page 233.) This description of Messiah, then, is not given as something still to happen, but from a point of time in the future, immediately prior to Messiah\u2019s Second Coming, looking back to His First Coming.
\nThe whole passage divides easily into five sections, each having three verses. The first line of each section is the title of that section.<\/p>\n
Behold My Servant Shall Deal Wisely\u201452:13\u201315<\/p>\n
By referring to the Messiah as the Servant, Isaiah connects Him with the previous Servant of Jehovah passages. In 42:1\u20136, Isaiah described the mission of the Servant; in 49:1\u201313, the mission of the Servant was accompanied by difficulties; in 50:4\u20139, the Servant was seen as suffering physically but short of death, and no reason was given for His sufferings. Now, in 52:13\u201353:12, it is revealed that His physical sufferings will lead to His death, and the reason for His suffering and death will be given. Verses 13, 14 and 15 of chapter 52 are a summary of everything in chapter 53; verses 1\u201312 of chapter 53 elaborate on these three verses.
\nThe emphasis in verse 13 is the exaltation of Messiah, speaking of His ascension to heaven and sitting down at the right hand of God the Father. \u201cExaltation\u201d speaks of Jesus\u2019 resurrection, \u201clifted up\u201d describes His ascension, and \u201cvery high\u201d refers to His session at the right hand of God the Father. Summary: The Servant will act wisely and His actions will gain Him a position of glory.
\nVerse 14 explains that prior to His exaltation, Messiah is to suffer humiliation. His body was so badly disfigured that He no longer resembled a man. In the sufferings of Jesus this would have happened at His scourging. The 40 lashes were given with a multi-strand whip, each strand having a nail or a piece of glass attached to it. These literally lifted the flesh off bones, not only from the back but also by wrapping around to all parts of the body. There were many who were never crucified because they did not survive the initial scourging. By the end of His scourging, when Pilate said, \u201cbehold the man,\u201d Jesus was so disfigured He was hardly recognizable as a man. Summary: The Servant will suffer and be terribly disfigured.
\nDespite the appalling suffering of verse 14, in verse 15 Messiah is destined for eventual success and victory. Those who once mocked Him will be silenced by Him. A day will come when their mouths will be closed in awe at Him. Summary: The Servant\u2019s suffering will eventually gain the silent attention of world rulers when they begin to understand the purpose of His sufferings.
\nWith this overview, chapter 53 now elaborates on these points.<\/p>\n
Who Hath Believed Our Message?\u201453:1\u20133<\/p>\n
The emphasis of verse 1 is on the unbelief of Israel. They did not believe the message; the message that Jesus is the Messiah. Isaiah, besides referring to Messiah as \u201cthe Servant of Jehovah,\u201d also refers to Him as \u201cthe Arm of Jehovah\u201d as he does here. Earlier, in 40:10, Isaiah declared that the Arm will rule for God; in 51:5, the Gentiles will trust in the Arm; in 51:9, the Arm will redeem; in 52:10, the Arm will provide salvation. Now, in 53:1, Isaiah reveals the identity of the Arm to be the same as the Servant of Jehovah, the Messiah. Summary: Israel expresses surprise at what was just stated in 52:13\u201315.
\nSome of the reasons for this disbelief are given in verse 2. There was nothing about His First Coming which seemed unusual. He was born in normal\u2014indeed rather poor\u2014circumstances. This is a reaffirmation of Isaiah 11:1. Furthermore, there was nothing in His outward appearance to draw men to Him. This militates against the portraits and portrayals of Jesus so often seen. Jesus was a Jewish man with a Jewish beard, dark eyes and probably not very tall. According to this verse He was not particularly good looking. Summary: Israel confesses that when the Servant was with them, they did not notice anything special about His outward appearance that would have attracted them to Him; His childhood and growth were no different than those of others.
\nIn verse 3 we are told that His whole life was characterized by rejection and suffering. Men turned away from Him and at no time was He accorded the respect due to royalty. Summary: On the contrary, He was despised and rejected, and people in general did their best to avoid Him.<\/p>\n
Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs, and Carried Our Sorrows\u201453:4\u20136<\/p>\n
The emphasis in verse 4 is on the substitutionary nature of Messiah\u2019s suffering. At the time (verse 4b) Israel did not understand this, but considered His sufferings to be a punishment from God. He was seen to be suffering for His own sins, not for the sins of others. Summary: The nation which formerly despised the Servant now recognizes that He suffered vicariously. They thought that He was suffering for His own sins, but now realize He was suffering for theirs.
\nBut in verse 5, they now recognize that \u201che was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities,\u201d that His death was indeed substitutionary so that \u201cwith his stripes we are healed.\u201d Summary: The nation confesses that the substitutionary sufferings resulted in reconciliation and spiritual healing for He was the chastisement for their sins.
\nMessiah was not suffering for His own sins but, in verse 6, \u201cJehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.\u201d Messiah was suffering for the sins of Israel. Summary: Israel confesses that it was they who sinned and went astray, and God laid the iniquity of Israel upon the Servant and therefore He suffered.
\nNote the pronouns throughout this passage: we \u2026 our, etc. Isaiah was not a Gentile but a Jew, talking to a Jewish nation. The pronouns mean that Isaiah and the Jews must be included; they cannot refer to Gentiles. Furthermore, none of the things happening to this individual could be said to apply to the nation of Israel. Isaiah is clearly talking of one person. The nation is only included in the pronouns.<\/p>\n
He Was Oppressed, Yet When He Was Afflicted He Opened Not His Mouth\u201453:7\u20139<\/p>\n
According to verse 7, in the course of His affliction, Messiah remains silent. This was true of Jesus at both His Jewish and Roman trials (Matthew 26:63, 27:12\u201314; Luke 23:9). He uttered no words against the manifold accusations brought against Him. This is hardly true of Israel. One thing Israel has not been is silent in her sufferings; she has written many books describing her suffering and accusing those responsible. The modern state of Israel has not remained silent in the face of Arab attack; she has bombed Iraqi nuclear installations and Palestinian military encampments. This verse about suffering in silence cannot possibly be applied to the nation of Israel past or present. But it does fit the Messianic Person. Summary: The Servant humbly subjected Himself to the suffering and unjust treatment saying nothing in His own defense or making any complaint.
\nIn verse 8, He undergoes a legal trial at which He is condemned to death. He was then \u201ccut off\u201d\u2014legally executed\u2014but He suffered the penalty of the law for \u201cthe transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due.\u201d He was executed for the transgressions of the people. \u201cTransgression\u201d is a word for sin which emphasizes the breaking of a law. This One, who is Messiah, is quite distinct from \u201cmy people,\u201d who are Israel. Throughout both Old and New Testaments, \u201cmy people\u201d is always a reference to Israel. Messiah will be killed because of the sins of Israel. Here for the first time in Scripture it clearly states that Messiah is to die. There have been many previous references to His suffering, but it was never suggested that He would die. It is important to remember that Messianic prophecy was a progressive revelation. Summary: After a judicial trial and judgment, the Servant was taken away for execution and Israel did not realize that He died for the sins of the people.
\nVerse 9 talks about the burial of Messiah. Having been executed as a criminal, it would have been expected for Him to be given a criminal\u2019s grave. God intervenes, however, and, though treated with injustice and dishonor in execution, He is justly laid in a place of honor: in a rich man\u2019s tomb. Jesus was indeed taken down from the cross and laid in the tomb of a rich man, Joseph of Arimathea (Matthew 27:57\u201360). God ordains this because \u201cthere was no deceit in his mouth\u201d; His death was purely substitutionary. Summary: The Servant was assigned a criminal\u2019s grave but, in divine justice, He was instead buried in a rich man\u2019s tomb.<\/p>\n
Yet It Pleased Jehovah to Bruise Him\u201453:10\u201312<\/p>\n
Note in verse 10 who is ultimately responsible for Messiah\u2019s death. It is not the Jews, nor the Romans, but is Jehovah Himself. It was God\u2019s will to bruise Him and God Himself who made \u201chis soul an offering for sin.\u201d The only one able and qualified to provide salvation to the world is God. Messiah\u2019s death was not accidental nor due to force of circumstance, but part of God\u2019s divine plan. It is a biblical principle that there is no remission of sin without the shedding of blood. As a temporary measure, a system of animal sacrifice was instituted, but these sacrifices only covered sin, they did not remove it. Even then, the covering only lasted for one year until the next Yom Kippur, the next Day of Atonement. But Messiah will be the final sacrifice for sin, the sacrifice which finally removes sin, and the One who will provide it will be God Himself. God is the One who is ultimately responsible for the death of Messiah. (See Appendix 3 for a more detailed discussion of this important doctrine.) And then comes a strange line: \u201cHe shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days \u2026\u201d If He has been killed, how can He see His spiritual progeny? If He is dead, how can His days be prolonged? The only way that these things can happen is by means of the resurrection, which will be described later. Having been told for the first time that Messiah will die, we are immediately given clear indication that He will be raised from the dead. After resurrection, Messiah will see the success of His mission and because of that, \u201cthe pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.\u201d Summary: God was pleased to allow the Servant to suffer and die, because this was the means by which God was going to make atonement for the people; though He dies, He will see His posterity, and His days will be prolonged.
\nAlso, in verse 11, the Messiah who has died will be able to see the results of His sufferings. By His self-knowledge, as the Messiah who died for sin, He will be able to bring justification to many. While He died for all, His death is applied only to those who believe. For those who believe, \u201che shall bear their iniquities.\u201d Summary: God will be satisfied with the work of His Servant, for He dies a substitutionary death for His people and by His death justifies many, as He bears their iniquity.
\nIn verse 12, He will finally come into His kingdom, \u201cbecause he poured out his soul unto death.\u201d He was reckoned as a sinner although He was not, but rather He bore the sins of others and has, by His death and resurrection, made intercession for others\u2019 transgressions. Summary: The Servant will be greatly blessed in the end above all others because He died on behalf of others and thus bore their sin, and now intercedes for them.<\/p>\n
Summary of Isaiah 52\u201353<\/p>\n
Having read through the passage, it should now be very clear that this prophecy cannot possibly be applied to the nation of Israel. Israel is not silent. Israel has never been legally tried and condemned; Israel as a nation has never died through legal execution.
\nAs has already been said, all of the ancient rabbis without exception held the view that this is a messianic passage. There is of course an apparent conflict between passages such as this that describe Messiah as suffering, and other passages which describe Messiah as conquering, ruling and reigning in Jerusalem.
\nTo believers, this is easily understood as Messiah coming twice, once to suffer and a second time to establish His Kingdom and to rule in peace in Jerusalem.
\nThe ancient rabbis resolved the problem in a different way: by inventing the concept of two Messiahs. They taught that the first Messiah, whom they called \u201cMessiah son of Joseph,\u201d who suffered in Egypt, would come to suffer and die in fulfillment of the servant passages, one of which they listed as Isaiah 53. The second Messiah, \u201cMessiah son of David,\u201d would then come and raise the first Messiah back to life. He would then establish His Kingdom to rule and to reign. They clearly recognized the teaching of death and resurrection contained in the messianic prophecies, but failed to correctly interpret that Messiah must first come to die for our sins and then come a second time to rule in Jerusalem.
\nTo summarize why this passage must refer to Messiah and not Israel, the following ten points should be noted:<\/p>\n
1. This was the view of all the ancient rabbis (see Appendix 2).
\n2. The distinctive pronouns we, us, our, must refer to Isaiah and his Jewish audience while the he, him, his, refer to the Messiah.
\n3. Throughout the passage, the Servant is portrayed as a singular personality and not a nation; there is no allegory or personification of the Servant as Israel.
\n4. In verse 9, the Servant\u2019s suffering is voluntary, willing and silent, which has never been true of Israel.
\n5. In verse 8, the Servant dies for \u201cmy people\u201d; Isaiah\u2019s people were the Jews; the Servant and Israel are therefore clearly distinguished.
\n6. The Servant is an innocent sufferer (verses 4\u20136, 8\u20139), but Israel always suffers for its own sins as Isaiah himself stated in 1:4\u20138.
\n7. The Servant suffers a vicarious and substitutionary death (verses 4\u20136, 8, 10, 12) while Israel does not suffer on behalf of the Gentiles, but because of the Gentiles.
\n8. The sufferings of the Servant bring justification and spiritual healing to those who accept it (verses 5b, 11b), but Israel has not done this for the Gentiles.
\n9. The Servant dies (verses 8, 12), but the people of Israel always survive.
\n10. The Servant is resurrected (verses 10\u201311), but since the people of Israel have never passed away, they have no need for a resurrection.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 52:13\u201353:12
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah would be born in natural circumstances with no unusual characteristics.
\nY Messiah\u2019s First Coming would be characterized by suffering.
\nY Messiah\u2019s First Coming would be characterized by rejected.
\nY Messiah would undergo a legal trial and be condemned to death.
\nY Messiah would be executed.
\nY Messiah would be buried in a rich man\u2019s tomb.
\nY Messiah would be resurrected.
\nY All of Messiah\u2019s sufferings and His death were to be substitutionary. He died so that we may have life. He died so that our sins may be removed from us. He died so that we may enter into a new relationship with God.
\nY Messiah would bring justification to all who believe in Him.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 61:1\u20133
\nThe Mission of the Servant<\/p>\n
61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted. To proclaim liberty to captives, And freedom to prisoners; 2 To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified. (NASB)
\n61:1 \u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05d7\u05b7 \u05d0\u05b2\u05d3\u05b9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b4\u05d4 \u05e2\u05b8\u05dc\u05b8\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b7\u05e2\u05b7\u05df \u05de\u05b8\u05e9\u05b7\u05c1\u05d7 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b9\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b0\u05d1\u05b7\u05e9\u05b5\u05bc\u05c2\u05e8 \u05e2\u05b2\u05e0\u05b8\u05d5\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05dc\u05b8\u05d7\u05b7\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05d1\u05b9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05dc\u05b0\u05e0\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05b5\u05d9\u05be\u05dc\u05b5\u05d1 \u05dc\u05b4\u05e7\u05b0\u05e8\u05b9\u05d0 \u05dc\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05d1\u05d5\u05bc\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05d3\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b7\u05d0\u05b2\u05e1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05e4\u05b0\u05bc\u05e7\u05b7\u05d7\u05be\u05e7\u05d5\u05b9\u05d7\u05b7\u05c3 2 \u05dc\u05b4\u05e7\u05b0\u05e8\u05b9\u05d0 \u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05e0\u05b7\u05ea\u05be\u05e8\u05b8\u05e6\u05d5\u05b9\u05df \u05dc\u05b7\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05e0\u05b8\u05e7\u05b8\u05dd \u05dc\u05b5\u05d0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d4\u05b5\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05dc\u05b0\u05e0\u05b7\u05d7\u05b5\u05dd \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05be\u05d0\u05b2\u05d1\u05b5\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd\u05c3 3 \u05dc\u05b8\u05e9\u05c2\u05d5\u05bc\u05dd \u05dc\u05b7\u05d0\u05b2\u05d1\u05b5\u05dc\u05b5\u05d9 \u05e6\u05b4\u05d9\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05df \u05dc\u05b8\u05ea\u05b5\u05ea \u05dc\u05b8\u05d4\u05b6\u05dd \u05e4\u05b0\u05bc\u05d0\u05b5\u05e8 \u05ea\u05b7\u05bc\u05d7\u05b7\u05ea \u05d0\u05b5\u05e4\u05b6\u05e8 \u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05de\u05b6\u05df \u05e9\u05b8\u05c2\u05e9\u05c2\u05d5\u05b9\u05df \u05ea\u05b7\u05bc\u05d7\u05b7\u05ea \u05d0\u05b5\u05d1\u05b6\u05dc \u05de\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05d8\u05b5\u05d4 \u05ea\u05b0\u05d4\u05b4\u05dc\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05ea\u05b7\u05bc\u05d7\u05b7\u05ea \u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05d7\u05b7 \u05db\u05b5\u05bc\u05d4\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e7\u05b9\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0 \u05dc\u05b8\u05d4\u05b6\u05dd \u05d0\u05b5\u05d9\u05dc\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05e6\u05b6\u05bc\u05d3\u05b6\u05e7 \u05de\u05b7\u05d8\u05b7\u05bc\u05e2 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b0\u05d4\u05b4\u05ea\u05b0\u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05d0\u05b5\u05e8\u05c3<\/p>\n
THIS prophecy falls into the third category of messianic prophecies mentioned in the Introduction\u2014prophecies which combine references to the First and Second Comings with no clear indication of any gap of time in between. Verses 1 and 2a deal with the First Coming; verses 2b and 3 deal with the Second Coming. This is very clear from Jesus\u2019 reading of the passage, described in Luke\u2019s Gospel:<\/p>\n
16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,
\n18 \u201cTHE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE DOWNTRODDEN, 19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.\u201d
\n20 And He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed upon Him. 21 And He began to say to them, \u201cToday this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luke 4:16\u201321 (NASB)<\/p>\n
Jesus read verses 1 and 2a and then stopped\u2014these words were now fulfilled, but the fulfillment of the rest of the passage still awaits His return.<\/p>\n
The First Coming\u201461:1\u20132a<\/p>\n
Verse 1 reaffirms Isaiah 11:2 and 42:1. Messiah will be anointed with the Holy Spirit for His mission and His task. This anointing took place in the life of Jesus at His baptism (Matthew 3:16). It was at this point that He began His public ministry and openly claimed to be Messiah. During His First Coming, Messiah is prophesied to do four things:<\/p>\n
1. Preach good news (or, the gospel) to men<\/p>\n
2. Proclaim liberty to the captives
\nIn the Jewish context, the nation of Israel and Jews in particular were enslaved to the Mosaic Law because they were unable to keep it. Anyone who commits sin becomes a slave to sin. Since no Jew was able to keep perfectly all 613 commandments they were enslaved to the curse of the law. Jesus came to preach freedom and deliverance from the Law through faith in Him.<\/p>\n
3. To open the prison of them who are bound
\nThis is further explained in the New Testament in the letter to the Hebrews 2:14\u201316. Because of Israel\u2019s failures under the Law, they were bound by a Satanic fear of death. Part of Jesus\u2019 mission at His First Coming is to remove the keys of death and hades from Satan so that he who believes in Jesus, Jew or Gentile, need have no more fear of death and need not be imprisoned by that fear.<\/p>\n
4. To proclaim the acceptable year of Jehovah\u2019s favor
\nOr, it might be expressed as, \u201cTo proclaim the acceptable period of favor of grace.\u201d With the death of Messiah, the Dispensation of Law was brought to an end, and the Dispensation of Grace began. Under the grace of God, our salvation comes purely from accepting that Messiah died and rose again on our behalf. This is a personal decision which must be made at some point in a person\u2019s life; no one can be born a Christian in the New Testament sense of the term.<\/p>\n
The Second Coming\u201461:2b\u20133<\/p>\n
This aspect of the passage lies outside the scope of this study (see The Footsteps Of The Messiah page 121).<\/p>\n
Isaiah 61:1\u20132a
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah would be anointed by the Spirit for His mission.
\nY Messiah would have a prophetic preaching ministry.<\/p>\n
Jeremiah 23:5\u20136
\nMessiah the King<\/p>\n
23:5 \u201cBehold, the days are coming,\u201d declares the LORD, \u201cWhen I shall raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. 6 \u201cIn His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, \u2018The LORD our righteousness.\u2019 (NASB)
\n23:5 \u05d4\u05b4\u05e0\u05b5\u05bc\u05d4 \u05d9\u05b8\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05d0\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05e0\u05b0\u05d0\u05bb\u05dd\u05be\u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d4\u05b2\u05e7\u05b4\u05de\u05b9\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b0\u05d3\u05b8\u05d5\u05b4\u05d3 \u05e6\u05b6\u05de\u05b7\u05d7 \u05e6\u05b7\u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05e7 \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b8\u05dc\u05b7\u05da\u05b0 \u05de\u05b6\u05dc\u05b6\u05da\u05b0 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dc \u05d5\u05b0\u05e2\u05b8\u05e9\u05b8\u05c2\u05d4 \u05de\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05d8 \u05d5\u05bc\u05e6\u05b0\u05d3\u05b8\u05e7\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05d0\u05b8\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5\u05c3 6 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d9\u05b8\u05de\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d5\u05b8\u05bc\u05e9\u05b7\u05c1\u05e2 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d3\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05db\u05b9\u05bc\u05df \u05dc\u05b8\u05d1\u05b6\u05d8\u05b7\u05d7 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d6\u05b6\u05d4\u05be\u05e9\u05b0\u05bc\u05c1\u05de\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8\u05be\u05d9\u05b4\u05e7\u05b0\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e6\u05b4\u05d3\u05b0\u05e7\u05b5\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc\u05c3 \u05e1<\/p>\n
THESE verses deal primarily with the Second Coming of Messiah, but there is an aspect of them which relates to His First Coming, too. Verse 5 tells of a man who will be a son of David, who will rule and reign as king. The kingship of Messiah is yet to come, but this verse clearly speaks of Messiah as a descendent of David and thus stresses His humanity. In verse 6, however, this man is given a name which is applicable to God alone: \u201cJehovah our righteousness.\u201d Modern translations generally render this as LORD. This is intended to convey the four letters YHVH which are read as Jehovah or Yahweh. (In Hebrew, \u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4. Reading from right to left these are the letters yod heh vav heh).Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures the divine name YHVH is given to God alone, yet here the man of verse 5 is clearly given the name of God in verse 6. This again presents us with the clear concept of Messiah as God-Man.
\nOne of the arguments presented by Rabbinic Judaism to refute this teaching is to point out that throughout the Scriptures there are examples of names which contain the name of God. For example, the name Jeremiah means \u201cJehovah will establish\u201d or \u201cJehovah will hurl.\u201d Or again, the name Isaiah means \u201cJehovah is salvation,\u201d and there are many other names which contain \u201cJehovah\u201d in them. It needs to be realized, however, that in none of these cases are all four of the letters YHVH found. Usually only two letters are used, sometimes three, but nowhere are all four letters of the name of God ever used in relation to a human being. Despite this, Jeremiah 23:5 clearly speaks of a man\u2014a human descendent of King David\u2014and in 23:6 he is given a name which is the name of God alone.
\nThis is something which was not, in fact, disputed by the ancient rabbis, who always interpreted this as a messianic passage. It is only relatively recently that rabbis have tried to argue otherwise. Four quotations from rabbinic writings can be given to show this.
\nIn the Midrash on Proverbs 19:21 (c. 200\u2013500 A.D.) it says:<\/p>\n
Rabbi Hunah said \u201cEight names are given to the Messiah which are: Yinnon, Shiloh, David, Menachem, Jehovah, Justi de Nostra, Tzemmach, Elias.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fifth name listed is Jehovah, the name of God, and this is based on the words of Jeremiah 23:6. The seventh name is Tzemmach, or \u201cBranch,\u201d and this is based on Jeremiah 23:5.
\nIn the Midrash on Lamentations 1:16, it says:<\/p>\n
What is the name of the Messiah? Rav Ava ben Kahanna said, \u201cJehovah is his name and this is proved by, \u2018this is his name \u2026 [quoting Jeremiah 23:6].\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
In the Talmud (Babba Bathra Tractate 75b) it says:<\/p>\n
Shmuel ben Nachman said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan, \u201cthe following three will be named with the name of the Holy One blessed be he\u2014the upright, as it is said, \u2018\u2026 [quotes Isaiah 43:7]\u2019, the Messiah, as it is written \u2018and this is his name whereby he shall be called The LORD our righteousness [quoting Jeremiah 23:6]\u2019 \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
In the Midrash on Psalm 21:1 it says:<\/p>\n
God calls King Messiah by his own name, but what is his name? The answer is \u2018Jehovah is a man of war\u2019 and concerning Messiah we read \u201cJehovah our righteousness this is his name.\u201d<\/p>\n
And so it can be seen that in ancient rabbinic writings, and even in the Talmud itself, Jeremiah 23:6 is applied to Messiah; Messiah is given the name of Jehovah.<\/p>\n
Jeremiah 23:5\u20136
\nteaches that:
\nY The Messiah would be a God-Man.
\nY The Messiah would be Jehovah Himself; Jehovah would become a man.
\nY The Messiah would be a descendent of David and therefore a king. Jeremiah here reaffirms the Davidic Covenant (discussed under 1 Chronicles 17:10b\u201314).<\/p>\n
Micah 5:2
\nBethlehem Ephrathah<\/p>\n
5:2 \u201cBut as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.\u201d (NASB)
\n5:1 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b7\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05d1\u05b5\u05bc\u05d9\u05ea\u05be\u05dc\u05b6\u05d7\u05b6\u05dd \u05d0\u05b6\u05e4\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05ea\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e6\u05b8\u05e2\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b4\u05d4\u05b0\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d0\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05e4\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d3\u05b8\u05d4 \u05de\u05b4\u05de\u05b0\u05bc\u05da\u05b8 \u05dc\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b5\u05e6\u05b5\u05d0 \u05dc\u05b4\u05d4\u05b0\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05e9\u05b5\u05c1\u05dc \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05e6\u05b8\u05d0\u05b9\u05ea\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05de\u05b4\u05e7\u05b6\u05bc\u05d3\u05b6\u05dd \u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05de\u05b5\u05d9 \u05e2\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b8\u05dd\u05c3<\/p>\n
Note that the Hebrew verse numbering differs from the English numbering in this passage.<\/p>\n
THIS verse adds to Isaiah 7:14. It has already been shown that a great many Scriptures point to the divine as well as human nature of the Messiah. This has been clear from as early as Genesis chapters 3 and 4, and continues through to the prophecy of Micah. Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah, prophesying at the same time, but in a different part of Judea. In Isaiah 7:14, we read that Messiah was to be born of a virgin; here in Micah 5:2, we read where that birth is to take place. Messiah is to be born, not in Jerusalem as might have been expected, but in Bethlehem. This was perhaps hinted at in Isaiah 11:1, but is now stated clearly. This is Bethlehem Ephrathah, as distinguished from another Bethlehem in Galilee. This Bethlehem is the Bethlehem of David and of Judah, situated south of Jerusalem.
\nThe One to be born is said to \u201cgo forth for Me\u201d; He is being born in order to fulfill a particular mission, a specific purpose of God. As regards His human origin, He is to be born in Bethlehem, but regarding His divine origin, He is said to be \u201cfrom long ago, from the days of eternity.\u201d The Hebrew words for \u201cfrom long ago, from the days of eternity\u201d are the strongest Hebrew words ever used for eternity past. They are used of God the Father in Psalm 90:2. What is true of God the Father is also said to be true of this One who is to be born in Bethlehem. These words are also used in Proverbs 8:22\u201323 (the voice of Wisdom speaking).
\nAgain we have a passage which shows that Messiah is to be human\u2014being born at some specific point in time and at some specific place\u2014yet having existed since all eternity past, and therefore divine.<\/p>\n
Micah 5:2
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, the city of David.
\nY Messiah would be divine as well as human, having existed from eternity past.<\/p>\n
Zechariah 9:9\u201310
\nRiding on a Donkey<\/p>\n
9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth. (NASB)
\n9:9 \u05d2\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9 \u05de\u05b0\u05d0\u05b9\u05d3 \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05ea\u05be\u05e6\u05b4\u05d9\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05df \u05d4\u05b8\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05e2\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05ea \u05d9\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05b7\u05dd \u05d4\u05b4\u05e0\u05b5\u05bc\u05d4 \u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05b5\u05bc\u05da\u05b0 \u05d9\u05b8\u05d1\u05d5\u05b9\u05d0 \u05dc\u05b8\u05da\u05b0 \u05e6\u05b7\u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05e7 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05e2 \u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05e2\u05b8\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e8\u05b9\u05db\u05b5\u05d1 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05d7\u05b2\u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05e2\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05e8 \u05d1\u05b6\u05bc\u05df\u05be\u05d0\u05b2\u05ea\u05b9\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea\u05c3 10 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b4\u05db\u05b0\u05e8\u05b7\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05be\u05e8\u05b6\u05db\u05b6\u05d1 \u05de\u05b5\u05d0\u05b6\u05e4\u05b0\u05e8\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05e1\u05d5\u05bc\u05dd \u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05b7\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05b4\u05db\u05b0\u05e8\u05b0\u05ea\u05b7\u05d4 \u05e7\u05b6\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05ea \u05de\u05b4\u05dc\u05b0\u05d7\u05b8\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d3\u05b4\u05d1\u05b6\u05bc\u05e8 \u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05dc\u05b7\u05d2\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b8\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05b8\u05bc\u05dd \u05e2\u05b7\u05d3\u05be \u05d9\u05b8\u05dd \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b4\u05e0\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4\u05b8\u05e8 \u05e2\u05b7\u05d3\u05be\u05d0\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05e1\u05b5\u05d9\u05be\u05d0\u05b8\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5\u05c3<\/p>\n
THE third category of messianic prophecy mentioned in the Introduction is the kind where First and Second Coming prophecies are blended together without obvious distinction. Zechariah 9:9\u201310 is an example of this. Verse 9:9 relates to the First Coming, while 9:10 relates to the Second Coming. This can be established from other passages of Scripture, but is not clear from the text itself.<\/p>\n
The First Coming\u20149:9<\/p>\n
The background to these verses is an invasion of Israel by a foreign king prophesied in verses 9:1\u20138. These verses were fulfilled by Alexander the Great. But in verse 9, in contrast to this invading Gentile king, we find reference to a future Jewish king. Israel is told to rejoice because \u201cyour king\u201d [Israel\u2019s king] is coming [not \u201cagainst you,\u201d but] \u201cto you.\u201d Jerusalem is to rejoice because, unlike Alexander, this king is to be:<\/p>\n
1. Just
\nHe is characterized by righteousness, a point also made by Jeremiah 23:5\u20136. In contrast, Alexander the Great died in a drunken stupor.<\/p>\n
2. Offering salvation
\nIn contrast to Alexander who came with conquest, destruction, and death.<\/p>\n
3. Lowly and humble
\nLowly here has the sense of being brought low through oppression. Messiah was indeed oppressed. Alexander came with pomp and power.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, in contrast to Alexander the Great on his white steed, this king is to come riding on a donkey. Specifically, He is to ride on the foal of a donkey\u2014a creature not yet broken, one which has never been ridden before.
\nThe fulfillment of this prophecy is found in the Gospels of the New Testament in the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem at the beginning of the last week of His life (Matthew 21:1\u201311). This marked His official presentation as the Messianic King. Jesus instructs His disciples to go to Bethphage and find a colt which had never been ridden before. The miraculous aspect of this should not be missed. By nature, the animal should have bucked Jesus off the moment He got on, but instead of throwing Him, it submitted to Him.<\/p>\n
The Second Coming\u20149:10<\/p>\n
Verse 10 deals with the events of the Second Coming, in which all weapons of war are to be removed from the Land, but this lies outside the scope of this study.<\/p>\n
The Rabbinic View<\/p>\n
Here we see very clearly the two lines of messianic prophecy side by side in the same passage. First, Messiah is described as being lowly and oppressed but then, in the very next sentence, He is seen as a king whose dominion extends to the ends of the whole earth. When the ancient rabbis looked at these two contradictory prophecies, they reconciled them by saying that there would be two different Messiahs. First would come Messiah whom they called the son of Joseph, to fulfill the suffering passages. He would then be followed by Messiah the son of David, the conquering Messiah (see Appendix 2).
\nThat the rabbis took this passage as messianic can be seen from the Talmud in Sanhedrin 98b\u201399a:<\/p>\n
Rabbi Hillel said: \u201cIsrael can expect no Messiah because they consumed him in the days of Hezekiah.\u201d The retort: \u201cWhen did Hezekiah live? Was it not in the days of the First Temple? Yet Zechariah during the time of the Second Temple prophesied and said \u2026 [quoting 9:9].\u201d<\/p>\n
Also, Pesikta (Piska 53) states:<\/p>\n
This refers to Messiah. He is called anee [lowly] because He was oppressed all these years in prison, and the sinners of Israel denied Him.\u2026 For the merits of the Messiah, the Holy One, blessed be He, will protect and redeem you.<\/p>\n
Again in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 98a) it says:<\/p>\n
Rabbi Joseph the son of Levi objects that it is written in one place \u201cBehold one like the son of man comes with the clouds of heaven,\u201d but in another place it is written \u201clowly and riding upon an ass.\u201d The solution is, if they be righteous he shall come with the clouds of heaven, but if they not be righteous he shall come lowly riding upon an ass.<\/p>\n
This is an alternative rabbinic interpretation to explain the two lines of messianic prophecy. This says that either one line of prophecy or the other will be fulfilled, but not both. If Israel is righteous, Messiah will come riding on the clouds; but if she is sinful, then He will come riding on a donkey. The Scriptures, however, clearly require the fulfillment of both types of prophecy.
\nThe New Testament view is much simpler than either of the rabbinic views given above. It teaches that there would be one Messiah, but He would come twice, first to die and then a second time to rule, thereby fulfilling all of the prophetic statements concerning Him.<\/p>\n
Zechariah 9:9\u201310
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah\u2019s First Coming would be characterized by humility.
\nY Messiah\u2019s official presentation as the Messianic king would come when He rides into Jerusalem, riding on the foal of a donkey.<\/p>\n
Zechariah 11:1\u201317
\nThe Two Shepherds<\/p>\n
11:1 Open your doors, O Lebanon, That a fire may feed on your cedars. 2 Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen, Because the glorious trees have been destroyed; Wail, O oaks of Bashan, For the impenetrable forest has come down. 3 There is a sound of the shepherds\u2019 wail, For their glory is ruined; There is a sound of the young lions\u2019 roar, For the pride of the Jordan is ruined. 4 Thus says the LORD my God, \u201cPasture the flock doomed to slaughter. 5 \u201cThose who buy them slay them and go unpunished, and each of those who sell them says, \u2018Blessed be the LORD, for I have become rich!\u2019 And their own shepherds have no pity on them. 6 \u201cFor I shall no longer have pity on the inhabitants of the land,\u201d declares the LORD; \u201cbut behold, I shall cause the men to fall, each into another\u2019s power and into the power of his king; and they will strike the land, and I shall not deliver them from their power.\u201d 7 So I pastured the flock doomed to slaughter, hence the afflicted of the flock. And I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Favor, and the other I called Union; so I pastured the flock. 8 Then I annihilated the three shepherds in one month, for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also was weary of me. 9 Then I said, \u201cI will not pasture you. What is to die, let it die, and what is to be annihilated, let it be annihilated; and let those who are left eat one another\u2019s flesh.\u201d 10 And I took my staff, Favor, and cut it in pieces, to break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was broken on that day, and thus the afflicted of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the LORD. 12 And I said to them, \u201cIf it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!\u201d So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. 13 Then the LORD said to me, \u201cThrow it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them.\u201d So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD. 14 Then I cut my second staff, Union, in pieces, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. 15 And the LORD said to me, \u201cTake again for yourself the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16 \u201cFor behold, I am going to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or sustain the one standing, but will devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hoofs. 17 \u201cWoe to the worthless shepherd Who leaves the flock! A sword will be on his arm And on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered, And his right eye will be blind.\u201d (NASB)
\n11:1 \u05e4\u05b0\u05bc\u05ea\u05b7\u05d7 \u05dc\u05b0\u05d1\u05b8\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9\u05df \u05d3\u05b0\u05bc\u05dc\u05b8\u05ea\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05ea\u05b9\u05d0\u05db\u05b7\u05dc \u05d0\u05b5\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05d0\u05b2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d6\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8\u05c3 2 \u05d4\u05b5\u05d9\u05dc\u05b5\u05dc \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05d5\u05b9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05be\u05e0\u05b8\u05e4\u05b7\u05dc \u05d0\u05b6\u05e8\u05b6\u05d6 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05d0\u05b7\u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05e9\u05bb\u05c1\u05d3\u05b8\u05bc\u05d3\u05d5\u05bc \u05d4\u05b5\u05d9\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc \u05d0\u05b7\u05dc\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e0\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d1\u05b8\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05df \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b8\u05e8\u05b7\u05d3 \u05d9\u05b7\u05e2\u05b7\u05e8 (\u05d4\u05b7\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e6\u05d5\u05bc\u05e8) [\u05d4\u05b7\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e6\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8]\u05c3 3 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\u05d9\u05b0\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d6\u05b0\u05e8\u05b9\u05e2\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d9\u05b8\u05d1\u05d5\u05b9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05d1\u05b8\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e2\u05b5\u05d9\u05df \u05d9\u05b0\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9 \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4\u05b9\u05d4 \u05ea\u05b4\u05db\u05b0\u05d4\u05b6\u05d4\u05c3 \u05e1<\/p>\n
THE whole of chapter 11 deals with the First Coming and the events surrounding it. The chapter divides into three sections. Verses 1\u20133 describe a great devastation upon the entire land of Israel from north to south. This was fulfilled by the first and second revolts against Rome in 70 A.D. and 135 A.D. Verses 4\u201314 describe the events of the First Coming and the rejection of the true shepherd, Messiah, leading to the destruction of 70 A.D. Verses 15\u201317 describe the choosing of a false shepherd, leading to the destruction of 135 A.D.<\/p>\n
The Devastation of the Land\u201411:1\u20133<\/p>\n
The kind of devastation described in verses 1\u20133 only happened in 70 A.D. as a result of the first Jewish uprising against Rome. The prophecy of these first three verses could be said to be fully completed by the year 135 A.D. with the further destruction of the second uprising.
\nThe Jewish Temple was often referred to as a place of cedar, or as a house of cedar (1 Kings 5:5\u20136), so the destruction described in verses 1 and 2 is probably an allusion to the future destruction of the Temple, which was still being rebuilt at the time of Zechariah\u2019s prophecy. In verse 3a the shepherds, that is the Jewish leaders, are to wail because of the ruin of their glory. When Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed, their glory was indeed ruined. Finally, verse 3b concentrates on the ruination of the Jordan valley. This is also mentioned in Jeremiah 12:5, 49:19 and 50:44.
\nThe rest of this chapter deals with the two causes of the destruction: the rejection of the true shepherd and the acceptance of the false shepherd.<\/p>\n
The Rejection of the True Shepherd\u201411:4\u201314<\/p>\n
The Commission to the Prophet\u201411:4\u20136<\/p>\n
In verses 4\u20136, the prophet Zechariah is given a commission; he is given a role to act out as a message to the people. The part he is to play is that of Messiah at His First Coming. Messiah is symbolized as the character of a shepherd, feeding a flock. The flock (verse 4) is symbolic of Israel. The sheep are being destroyed by their owners, symbolic of Rome, and even \u201ctheir own shepherds,\u201d symbolic of the Jewish leaders, \u201chave no pity on them.\u201d In verse 5, the flock, the people of Israel, have been abandoned by man; but further, in verse 6, they have also been abandoned by God. God states that He will cause each and every man to fall \u201cinto the power of his king.\u201d At first this seems a little confusing since, at the time of the Roman occupation, Israel had no king. However, we read in the Gospels that when Jesus, the True Shepherd, stood at His trial, Pontius Pilate declared to the people, \u201cHere is your king.\u201d But the Pharisees rejected Jesus and cried out, \u201cWe have no king but Caesar\u201d (John 19:15). Since Messiah was rejected as king, and only Caesar was recognized as king, it was to that king that God handed them over for judgment. In the war with the Romans in 70 A.D., a total of 1,100,000 Jews were killed and 97,000 taken into slavery.<\/p>\n
The Carrying out of the Commission\u201411:7\u201311<\/p>\n
In verses 7\u201311, Zechariah carries out his commission. In verse 7, he feeds the flock doomed to slaughter, but especially \u201cthe poor\u201d of the flock or \u201cthe afflicted,\u201d according to some translations. \u201cThe poor and the needy\u201d is a common phrase in the Prophets and is always a reference to the righteous Remnant of Israel. While at many times in their history Israel as a whole is rebellious and unrighteous, there has always remained within Israel a small group of righteous, believing people, termed \u201cthe Remnant of Israel.\u201d
\nWhile Messiah will come to minister to the whole of Israel, there will be a special emphasis in His ministry towards the believing Remnant within Israel. The fulfillment of this is seen in Matthew 9:35\u201336. Zechariah employs two staffs in this work. One is given the name \u201cFavor\u201d and the other is given the name \u201cUnion.\u201d The staff called Favor was for the protection of the flock; the staff called Union was to keep the flock together and preserve its unity.
\nIn verse 8, Zechariah faces the opposition of three other shepherds. In the context of the ministry of Jesus, these three shepherds are symbolic of the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Scribes, the key sections of Jewish leadership during the period of the First Coming. One of the results of Jesus\u2019 ministry was the destruction of these three groups. The reason for their destruction is the mutual antagonism described in verse 8. The fulfillment of this is seen first of all in Jesus\u2019 denunciation of the religious leaders of Israel, described in Matthew 23:1\u201337.
\nSecond, the hostility of the leaders toward Jesus is seen in their plotting His execution and bribing Judas Iscariot to betray Him.
\nAlthough verse 7 described the faithful shepherding of the flock, in verse 9 there is an abrupt cessation in the feeding of the flock. In the ministry of Jesus, this part of the prophecy was fulfilled in the events of Matthew chapter 12:22\u201345. This chapter describes the crucial, pivotal point in Jesus\u2019 ministry: the rejection of His Messiahship on the grounds of demon possession. Prior to His rejection, Jesus openly declared His claim to be Messiah. After His rejection, Jesus made no further claims and forbade anyone\u2014His disciples and those individuals whom He healed\u2014to disclose His Messiahship. Prior to His rejection, Jesus openly performed many signs and miracles. After His rejection, He performed no signs\u2014except the \u201csign of Jonah.\u201d Prior to the rejection, Jesus healed all who came to Him, these healings being evidence of His claim to be Messiah. After the rejection, healing was refused if requested on the basis of His Messiahship and granted only in cases of personal need, on the basis of personal faith. Prior to the rejection, Jesus taught the people\u2014fed the flock\u2014openly and clearly as in the Sermon on the Mount. After the rejection, Jesus suddenly and immediately changed to the exclusive use of parables in order to hide the truth from the masses. The accusation of demon possession constituted the \u201cunpardonable sin\u201d and from that moment on the judgment of 70 A.D. was inevitable. Note that the unpardonable sin and the judgment of it relate exclusively to \u201cthis generation\u201d\u2014the Jewish people of that time only (Matthew 12:39, 41, 42, 45; 23:36). With the committing of the unpardonable sin, Jesus stops feeding the flock as a whole and deals only with individuals within the nation.
\nIn verse 10, with the cessation of feeding, Zechariah takes the staff named Favor and breaks it. This symbolizes God\u2019s removal of Israel\u2019s protection and the inevitability of the 70 A.D. judgment; the fulfillment of this is seen in Luke 19:41\u201344 and 21:24. Note that \u201cpeoples\u201d is in the plural, meaning \u201cGentile nations\u201d; Israel is now vulnerable to Gentile attacks, and in 70 A.D. the attack of the Romans was to be devastating indeed.
\nIn verse 11, the \u201cafflicted of the flock,\u201d that is, the believing Remnant, see the breaking of the staff Favor as the word of God and understand the significance of it. During the ministry of Jesus, the Jewish believers did indeed understand that judgment was coming, that it was from the hand of the Lord and it was inevitable. In Luke 21, Jesus had instructed them to flee from Jerusalem when the time of her destruction came.<\/p>\n
20 \u201cBut when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is at hand. 21 \u201cThen let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are in the midst of the city depart, and let not those who are in the country enter the city; 22 because these are days of vengeance, in order that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 \u201cWoe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land, and wrath to this people, 24 and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.<\/p>\n
Luke 21:20\u201324 (NASB)<\/p>\n
In 66 A.D., when the Romans besieged Jerusalem, the believers within the city realized that the time of judgment had arrived and that they were not to join the fight but should leave for the mountains. Later in that year, the siege was temporarily lifted and the entire Jewish Christian community from Jerusalem and the whole Land of Israel (some 100,000 people) left Israel and found refuge in Pella, east of the Jordan river. In 68 A.D. the siege was reimposed and in 70 A.D. the final destruction came. The main point here is that the \u201cafflicted of the flock,\u201d the ones who had been given special emphasis in the ministry of Messiah, understood that God\u2019s protection had been lifted, that the nation was under judgment, and so they acted in accordance with Jesus\u2019 words in Luke 21. Because of their faithful obedience to the words of their Messiah, not one Jewish believer lost his life; not one Jewish believer was taken into slavery.<\/p>\n
The Price of the Good Shepherd\u201411:12\u201314<\/p>\n
Verses 12\u201314 describe the value placed upon the work of the good shepherd. In verse 12, the good shepherd approaches the leadership of Israel and asks for his wages, to be paid according to what they think he is worth. He is paid thirty pieces of silver. While today that may sound like a reasonable amount, it was, in fact, a display of contempt. Under the Mosaic Law thirty pieces of silver was the compensation value for a dead slave (Exodus 21:32). The work of the good shepherd is therefore judged to be equivalent to that of a dead slave. Being paid thirty pieces of silver was more insulting than being paid nothing at all.
\nThe words of verse 13 are extremely important here. It is Zechariah who has been paid the thirty pieces of silver, but who is it that is really being insulted? \u201cThen the Lord said to me, \u2018throw it to the potter, that magnificent price [sarcasm] at which I was valued by them.\u2019 \u201d It is the Lord who is the Good Shepherd. It is the Lord whose work is so despised as to be valued at only the thirty pieces of silver. Thus it becomes very clear that Zechariah is merely an actor playing out a prophetic role, a common means of giving prophecies in the Scriptures, and that this role is to be fulfilled by Jehovah Himself, when He becomes a man, as spelled out in previous prophecies.
\nZechariah is then told to take the thirty pieces of silver and throw them away by throwing them into the potter\u2019s area of the Temple Compound. These words found their fulfillment when Judas Iscariot was paid thirty pieces of silver by the Jewish leaders to betray Jesus. Afterwards, Judas did what Zechariah did and threw the coins into the potter\u2019s section of the Temple Compound. All of this is described in Matthew 26:14\u201316 and 27:3\u201310 (see Appendix 8). It should be noted that the thirty pieces of silver were paid to Judas by the chief priests, who would have taken the money from the Temple treasury. This money was intended for the specific purpose of purchasing sacrifices. Although they did not realize it, that is exactly what the priests did. They purchased a sacrifice; Jesus was to be the final sacrifice for sin (see Appendix 3).
\nThe response to the contempt of verse 13 is in verse 14. Zechariah takes the second staff, called Union, and breaks it. This again is a prophetic act, this time signifying that the flock is to be scattered and the unity of Israel destroyed. During the war against the Romans from 66\u201370 A.D., various factions developed amongst the Zealots and they began fighting amongst themselves, destroying each other\u2019s food stocks and killing each other. Ultimately, it was the civil strife within Jerusalem which caused it to fall easily to Rome. The destruction of unity therefore led to the scattering of the flock; the great dispersion of Jewry did indeed begin in 70 A.D.<\/p>\n
The Foolish Shepherd\u201411:15\u201317<\/p>\n
While the leadership rejects the Good Shepherd of verses 4\u201314, in the next passage, verses 15\u201317, they accept a foolish, or unrighteous, shepherd instead.
\nIn verse 15, Zechariah is told to play a second role, not of a good shepherd as before, but this time that of a foolish shepherd who will bring only harm to the flock.
\nIn the year 132 A.D., Simon bar Cochba led the second Jewish revolt against Rome. He was supported in this by many of the rabbis but most significantly, midway through the revolt, the chief rabbi, Rabbi Akiba, declared Bar Cochba to be the Messiah. At the start of the revolt, the Messianic Jews had taken up swords and joined in what was, initially, the defense of the Land. With Rabbi Akiba\u2019s declaration, however, the revolt became a messianic movement, and the believing Jews were forced to withdraw from the battle, unable to support Bar Cochba as Messiah. As a result of this, Rabbi Akiba together with the various Jewish councils, passed a long list of laws prohibiting any kind of association with the Jewish believers in the Land. Eventually, the Romans returned after their defeat by Bar Cochba, and began a scorched earth policy throughout the Land of Israel. By the time Bar Cochba made his last stand in 135 A.D., virtually the entire Land had been burned; hardly anything was left growing and the people were starving en masse. The destruction of Zechariah 11:1\u20133 was therefore fulfilled to a further degree than in the year 70 A.D.<\/p>\n
Zechariah 11:1\u201317
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah\u2019s First Coming would be rejected, especially by the Jewish leaders.
\nY While the nation as a whole would reject Messiah, there would be a small Remnant of believing people who would accept Him.
\nY The leadership of Israel would sell Him out for thirty pieces of silver.
\nY The results of this rejection were to be twofold. First, protection would be removed, leaving Israel vulnerable to Gentile attack\u2014in 70 A.D. Second, unity would be removed and Israel would be scattered.
\nY Because they turned away from the true Messiah, they would foolishly accept a false messiah. This led to the second devastation of the land in A.D. 135.
\nY If the destruction described in Zechariah 11:1\u20133 was fulfilled in 70 A.D., then Messiah must have come before 70 A.D.
\nY Messiah is the Good Shepherd\u2014John 10:11\u201318.<\/p>\n
Zechariah 12:10
\nThe Final Recognition of Messiah<\/p>\n
12:10 \u201cAnd I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born. (NASB)
\n12:10 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05e4\u05b7\u05db\u05b0\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05d1\u05b5\u05bc\u05d9\u05ea \u05d3\u05b8\u05bc\u05d5\u05b4\u05d9\u05d3 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e2\u05b7\u05dc \u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05e9\u05b5\u05c1\u05d1 \u05d9\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05dc\u05b7\u05dd \u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05d7\u05b7 \u05d7\u05b5\u05df \u05d5\u05b0\u05ea\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b4\u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05d8\u05d5\u05bc \u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05b7\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b5\u05ea \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8\u05be\u05d3\u05b8\u05bc\u05e7\u05b8\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b0\u05e1\u05b8\u05e4\u05b0\u05d3\u05d5\u05bc \u05e2\u05b8\u05dc\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05de\u05b4\u05e1\u05b0\u05e4\u05b5\u05bc\u05d3 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05d4\u05b7\u05d9\u05b8\u05bc\u05d7\u05b4\u05d9\u05d3 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b8\u05de\u05b5\u05e8 \u05e2\u05b8\u05dc\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05d4\u05b8\u05de\u05b5\u05e8 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05d4\u05b7\u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05db\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05c3<\/p>\n
THE whole of Zechariah 12 deals with events in the Second Coming of Messiah and specifically with the Campaign of Armageddon. (This is obviously outside the scope of this study but is dealt with in The Footsteps Of The Messiah, pages 214, 233\u2013235.) Verse 10 is of relevance to our study of First Coming prophecies, however. The Messiah was rejected by the Jewish leadership at His First Coming and it is an absolute prerequisite of His Second Coming that Jewish leaders should repent of their original rejection and ask God for His return. Zechariah 12:10 describes the grief which will one day be experienced by Jewish leaders over the death of Messiah at His First Coming.
\nIn the context of our present study, there are three points made here:<\/p>\n
1. Another confirmation that Messiah will be rejected by the Jewish leaders.<\/p>\n
2. We have already been told by Isaiah that Messiah will die, but now we are told that His will be a violent death by means of piercing.<\/p>\n
3. It is the Lord who is speaking and He says that \u201cthey will look on me whom they pierced\u201d\u2014it is Jehovah who was pierced. Again we are told that Messiah will be God Himself. The word for \u201cpierced\u201d means \u201cto thrust through.\u201d This was fulfilled during Jesus\u2019 crucifixion when a Roman soldier thrust a spear into His side, as recorded in John 19:31\u201337.<\/p>\n
That some rabbis took this passage as messianic is clear from the Talmud in Succah 52a:<\/p>\n
Why is this mourning in Messianic times? There is a difference in interpretation between Rabbi Dosa and the Rabanan [sages]. One opinion is that they mourn for Messiah Ben Joseph who is killed, and another explanation is that they mourn for the slaying of the evil inclination. It is well according to him who explains that the cause is the slaying of the Messiah since that well agrees with this verse. If it refers to the slaying of the evil inclination, it must be asked, is this an occasion for mourning? Is it not rather an occasion for rejoicing? Why then should they weep?<\/p>\n
Zechariah 12:10
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah\u2019s First Coming would be rejected by the leaders of Israel.
\nY Messiah would die a violent death by means of piercing.
\nY Messiah would be both God and Man.<\/p>\n
Zechariah 13:7
\nThe Good Shepherd<\/p>\n
13:7 \u201cAwake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the man, My Associate,\u201d Declares the LORD of hosts. \u201cStrike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones. (NASB)
\n13:7 \u05d7\u05b6\u05e8\u05b6\u05d1 \u05e2\u05d5\u05bc\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05e8\u05b9\u05e2\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05d2\u05b6\u05bc\u05d1\u05b6\u05e8 \u05e2\u05b2\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9 \u05e0\u05b0\u05d0\u05bb\u05dd \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e6\u05b0\u05d1\u05b8\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05da\u05b0 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05d4\u05b8\u05e8\u05b9\u05e2\u05b6\u05d4 \u05d5\u05bc\u05ea\u05b0\u05e4\u05d5\u05bc\u05e6\u05b6\u05d9\u05df\u05b8 \u05d4\u05b7\u05e6\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05df \u05d5\u05b7\u05d4\u05b2\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d1\u05b9\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b8\u05d3\u05b4\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05d4\u05b7\u05e6\u05b9\u05bc\u05e2\u05b2\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd\u05c3<\/p>\n
ZECHARIAH 13:7 is a one verse summary of the whole of Zechariah chapter 11. The Shepherd of verse 13:7 is the Good Shepherd of 11:4\u201314. This verse again states that Messiah will be a God-Man. The humanity of Messiah is obvious: \u201c\u2026 and against the man \u2026\u201d The words which follow are never adequately translated into English and so the divinity of Messiah is not made obvious. What is translated as \u201cmy associate\u201d is, in the Hebrew, \u201cmy equal.\u201d The verse should really read, \u201cand against the man, my equal,\u201d and of course in order to be equal with God, Messiah must actually be God. This may not be obvious in English translations, but is very clear in the original Hebrew.
\nThis verse also emphasizes the violent nature of Messiah\u2019s death and again states that His death will be the cause of the dispersion of Israel. The shepherd was struck in 30 A.D. when Jesus was crucified, and the sheep were scattered in 70 A.D. when Israel was dispersed. These words are applied to Jesus\u2019 disciples in Matthew 26:31\u201332 but the primary reference here is to the dispersion of 70 A.D. In verse 7b, even the little ones, the innocent common people, are to suffer because of the rejection of Messiah, the Good Shepherd, by the leaders of Israel.<\/p>\n
Zechariah 13:7
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah would be a God-Man.
\nY Messiah\u2019s death would be violent.
\nY Messiah\u2019s death would cause the dispersion of Israel.<\/p>\n
Malachi 3:1
\nThe Messenger of the King<\/p>\n
3:1 \u201cBehold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,\u201d says the LORD of hosts. (NASB)
\n3:1 \u05d4\u05b4\u05e0\u05b0\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05e9\u05b9\u05c1\u05dc\u05b5\u05d7\u05b7 \u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05d0\u05b8\u05db\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d5\u05bc\u05e4\u05b4\u05e0\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4\u05be\u05d3\u05b6\u05e8\u05b6\u05da\u05b0 \u05dc\u05b0\u05e4\u05b8\u05e0\u05b8\u05d9 \u05d5\u05bc\u05e4\u05b4\u05ea\u05b0\u05d0\u05b9\u05dd \u05d9\u05b8\u05d1\u05d5\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc\u05be\u05d4\u05b5\u05d9\u05db\u05b8\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b8\u05d3\u05d5\u05b9\u05df \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8\u05be\u05d0\u05b7\u05ea\u05b6\u05bc\u05dd \u05de\u05b0\u05d1\u05b7\u05e7\u05b0\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05d0\u05b7\u05da\u05b0 \u05d4\u05b7\u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05ea \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8\u05be\u05d0\u05b7\u05ea\u05b6\u05bc\u05dd \u05d7\u05b2\u05e4\u05b5\u05e6\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05b4\u05e0\u05b5\u05bc\u05d4\u05be\u05d1\u05b8\u05d0 \u05d0\u05b8\u05de\u05b7\u05e8 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e6\u05b0\u05d1\u05b8\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea\u05c3<\/p>\n
ONLY two prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures deal with the forerunner of the Messiah. The first is in Isaiah 40:3\u20135, and the second is here in Malachi 3:1. The forerunner of Messiah\u2019s Second Coming is clearly identified in Malachi 4:5\u20136 as the Prophet Elijah. The forerunner of Messiah\u2019s First Coming, however, is never named, neither here nor in Isaiah. Only in the New Testament is he revealed as John the Baptist.<\/p>\n
11:7 And as these were going away, Jesus began to speak to the multitudes about John, \u2026 10 \u201cThis is the one about whom it is written, \u2018BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER BEFORE YOUR FACE, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.\u2019 11 \u201cTruly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.<\/p>\n
Matthew 11:7a, 10, 11 (NASB)<\/p>\n
Malachi is the last of the Old Testament prophets. His prophecy is the last revelation of God for 400 years. His name in Hebrew means \u201cmy messenger\u201d or \u201cmy angel.\u201d The Hebrew word for \u201cmy messenger\u201d in verse 3:1 is in fact malachi (\u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05d0\u05b8\u05db\u05b4\u05d9). The next prophetic voice to be heard in Israel, 400 years after Malachi, will be the voice of malachi, \u201cMy messenger\u201d\u2014John the Baptist.
\nThe rest of verse 1 talks about the First Coming of Messiah. It says that Messiah will suddenly come to His Temple. This is the Second Temple, rebuilt by Zerubabel and remodeled by Herod the Great. It was to this Temple that Jesus came, on two separate occasions, in order to cleanse it of money-changers (John 2:13\u201322; Matthew 21:12\u201313). The text specifically says \u201chis temple.\u201d This Temple belongs to Messiah. He has full rights to the Temple and can do with it as He pleases. When Jesus cleansed it He was exercising His lordship, His authority, His ownership. Verses 2\u20135 of this passage go on to talk about Messiah\u2019s cleansing of the people at His Second Coming.<\/p>\n
Malachi 3:1
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah\u2019s First Coming would be preceded by a herald.<\/p>\n
The Writings<\/p>\n
1 Chronicles 17:10b\u201314
\nThe Davidic Covenant<\/p>\n
17:10b Moreover, I tell you that the LORD will build a house for you. 11 \u201cAnd it shall come about when your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up one of your descendants after you, who shall be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12 \u201cHe shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 \u201cI will be his father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My lovingkindness away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. 14 \u201cBut I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.\u201d (NASB)
\n17:10b: \u05d5\u05b8\u05d0\u05b7\u05d2\u05b4\u05bc\u05d3 \u05dc\u05b8\u05da\u05b0 \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05ea \u05d9\u05b4\u05d1\u05b0\u05e0\u05b6\u05d4\u05be\u05dc\u05b0\u05bc\u05da\u05b8 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 11 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b8\u05d9\u05b8\u05d4 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05be\u05de\u05b8\u05dc\u05b0\u05d0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d9\u05b8\u05de\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05dc\u05b8\u05dc\u05b6\u05db\u05b6\u05ea \u05e2\u05b4\u05dd\u05be\u05d0\u05b2\u05d1\u05b9\u05ea\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d4\u05b2\u05e7\u05b4\u05d9\u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05d6\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05e2\u05b2\u05da\u05b8 \u05d0\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05e8\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05d9\u05b4\u05d4\u05b0\u05d9\u05b6\u05d4 \u05de\u05b4\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e0\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d4\u05b2\u05db\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05d5\u05bc\u05ea\u05d5\u05b9\u05c3 12 \u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b4\u05d1\u05b0\u05e0\u05b6\u05d4\u05be\u05dc\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05d9\u05b4\u05ea \u05d5\u05b0\u05db\u05b9\u05e0\u05b7\u05e0\u05b0\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05e1\u05b0\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9 \u05e2\u05b7\u05d3\u05be\u05e2\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b8\u05dd\u05c3 13 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b6\u05d4\u05b0\u05d9\u05b6\u05d4\u05be\u05dc\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05dc\u05b0\u05d0\u05b8\u05d1 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b4\u05d4\u05b0\u05d9\u05b6\u05d4\u05be\u05dc\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b0\u05d1\u05b5\u05df \u05d5\u05b0\u05d7\u05b7\u05e1\u05b0\u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be\u05d0\u05b8\u05e1\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8 \u05de\u05b5\u05e2\u05b4\u05de\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05db\u05b7\u05bc\u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05d4\u05b2\u05e1\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9 \u05de\u05b5\u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05d4\u05b8\u05d9\u05b8\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b0\u05e4\u05b8\u05e0\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8\u05c3 14 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05de\u05b7\u05d3\u05b0\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d1\u05b5\u05d9\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b0\u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05d5\u05bc\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b7\u05d3\u05be\u05d4\u05b8\u05e2\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b8\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05db\u05b4\u05e1\u05b0\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d9\u05b4\u05d4\u05b0\u05d9\u05b6\u05d4 \u05e0\u05b8\u05db\u05d5\u05b9\u05df \u05e2\u05b7\u05d3\u05be\u05e2\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b8\u05dd\u05c3<\/p>\n
SO FAR in our study, we have already encountered the Adamic Covenant, in Genesis 3:15, and the Abrahamic Covenant, in Genesis 22:18. Another of the eight covenants in Scripture which is crucial to Messianic Christology is the Davidic Covenant. This is found in two segments of Scripture. The first concentrates on David\u2019s immediate son, Solomon, and the second deals with David\u2019s distant son, Messiah.<\/p>\n
2 Samuel 7:11b\u201316<\/p>\n
The first passage is in the scroll of the Prophets, in 2 Samuel 7:11b\u201316:<\/p>\n
7:11b The LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you. 12 \u201cWhen your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 \u201cHe shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 \u201cI will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, 15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 \u201cAnd your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.\u201d \u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
(NASB)<\/p>\n
This passage deals with a son who will proceed from the loins of David himself, a son who will be David\u2019s immediate successor. In verse 16 God promises David three things as part of the covenant:<\/p>\n
1. An eternal house or dynasty
\n2. An eternal kingdom
\n3. An eternal throne<\/p>\n
As immediate proof of God\u2019s faithfulness to this covenant, David\u2019s line will be maintained by a son who will build the Temple which David was not permitted to build. This, of course, will be Solomon\u2019s temple. When this son sins, as Solomon indeed did by falling into idolatry, he will be disciplined, but God\u2019s covenant love will remain with him.<\/p>\n
1 Chronicles 17:14<\/p>\n
The parallel passage in 1 Chronicles 17:10b\u201314 is very similar, yet there are significant differences. In II Samuel the son is immediate; in I Chronicles he is distant. In II Samuel the son is a sinner; in I Chronicles there is no mention of sin. In II Samuel the reference is to Solomon; in I Chronicles the reference is to Messiah.
\nThe three promises of II Samuel are repeated here, but a fourth is also added: an eternal son. \u201cI will settle him in my house forever.\u201d David\u2019s line will eventually culminate in the birth of an eternal Person whose eternality will guarantee David\u2019s dynasty, kingdom and throne forever.
\nPreviously \u201cthe seed\u201d was to be born of a woman, Abraham, Jacob and Judah. Now we are told which family within the tribe of Judah\u2014the family of David; Messiah is to be a son of David. This automatically requires that Messiah come prior to 70 A.D. since, in that year, all of Israel\u2019s genealogical records were destroyed along with the Temple by the Romans. Within a few decades of 70 A.D., it was impossible to prove who was a son of David and who was not.
\nThere is one further limitation placed upon the descent of Messiah. We are told that He will come from one of David\u2019s sons, but in Jeremiah 22:24\u201330 we are told of one family, cursed by the prophet, which was excluded. This is the family of Coniah, also known as Jeconiah or Jehoiachin. Because of the kind of man that he was in the days of Jeremiah, God pronounced a curse on him. The curse, given in Jeremiah 22:30, is that no descendant of Jeconiah will ever have the right to sit on the Throne of David. Messiah therefore had to be born a son of David but apart from Jeconiah.
\nWe are told in Matthew\u2019s Gospel that Joseph, husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a son of David via Solomon and Jeconiah. He and his children were therefore under God\u2019s curse and would never fall heir to the Throne of David. Luke\u2019s Gospel clearly gives Jesus\u2019 lineage as being via Mary back to Nathan and David and, therefore, proves the legitimacy of Jesus\u2019 claim to be Messiah. (This is discussed more fully in Appendix 4.)<\/p>\n
1 Chronicles 17:10b\u201314
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah would be a son of David, but descended through a line other than Jechoniah.
\nY Since all tribal and genealogical records were destroyed with the temple in 70 A.D., Messiah must have come before that time.
\nY Messiah would live eternally.
\nY Messiah would be a king.<\/p>\n
Psalm 2:7\u201312
\nThe Son of God<\/p>\n
2:7 \u201cI will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, \u2018Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee. 8 \u2018Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Thine inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Thy possession. 9 \u2018Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, Thou shalt shatter them like earthenware.\u2019 \u201d 10 Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. 11 Worship the LORD with reverence, And rejoice with trembling. 12 Do homage to the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! (NASB)
\n2:7 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e1\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc \u05d7\u05b9\u05e7 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b8\u05de\u05b7\u05e8 \u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05b7\u05d9 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b7\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05d9\u05b0\u05dc\u05b4\u05d3\u05b0\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05da\u05b8\u05c3 8 \u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05d0\u05b7\u05dc \u05de\u05b4\u05de\u05b6\u05bc\u05e0\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d2\u05d5\u05b9\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05e0\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05dc\u05b8\u05ea\u05b6\u05da\u05b8 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d0\u05b2\u05d7\u05bb\u05d6\u05b8\u05bc\u05ea\u05b0\u05da\u05b8 \u05d0\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05e1\u05b5\u05d9\u05be\u05d0\u05b8\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5\u05c3 9 \u05ea\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05b9\u05e2\u05b5\u05dd \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e9\u05b5\u05c1\u05d1\u05b6\u05d8 \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05e8\u05b0\u05d6\u05b6\u05dc \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05db\u05b0\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05e6\u05b5\u05e8 \u05ea\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05bc\u05e6\u05b5\u05dd\u05c3 10 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e2\u05b7\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05de\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05db\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc \u05d4\u05b4\u05d5\u05b8\u05bc\u05e1\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc \u05e9\u05b9\u05c1\u05e4\u05b0\u05d8\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b8\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5\u05c3 11 \u05e2\u05b4\u05d1\u05b0\u05d3\u05d5\u05bc \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d9\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d2\u05b4\u05d9\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc \u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05e8\u05b0\u05e2\u05b8\u05d3\u05b8\u05d4\u05c3 12 \u05e0\u05b7\u05e9\u05b0\u05bc\u05c1\u05e7\u05d5\u05bc\u05be\u05d1\u05b7\u05e8 \u05e4\u05b6\u05bc\u05df\u05be\u05d9\u05b6\u05d0\u05b1\u05e0\u05b7\u05e3 \u05d5\u05b0\u05ea\u05b9\u05d0\u05d1\u05b0\u05d3\u05d5\u05bc \u05d3\u05b6\u05e8\u05b6\u05da\u05b0 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05be\u05d9\u05b4\u05d1\u05b0\u05e2\u05b7\u05e8 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05de\u05b0\u05e2\u05b7\u05d8 \u05d0\u05b7\u05e4\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d0\u05b7\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05e8\u05b5\u05d9 \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05be \u05d7\u05d5\u05b9\u05e1\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d1\u05d5\u05b9\u05c3<\/p>\n
THE Book of Psalms could be summarized in a single sentence as follows: \u201cThe Psalms are the poetic versions of the messages of the Law and the Prophets.\u201d The Book of Psalms is often regarded as purely devotional reading. While it is certainly very useful as such, it would be wrong to limit it to only that. The whole Book of Psalms is full of profound doctrine and deep spiritual truths couched in poetic terms.
\nThe whole of Psalm 2 deals with the Second Coming; the events before, during and after it, and in particular the Campaign of Armageddon. (This is discussed in The Footsteps Of The Messiah, pages 219, 245 and 276.) There are, however, some elements which are relevant to the First Coming, particularly in verses 7\u201312.
\nIt should be stated, first of all, that these verses cannot possibly be applied to David. While David was a great king, God never gave him authority over all the nations (verse 8), nor did he ever rule the uttermost ends of the earth. These verses speak of Messiah who, as the psalmist would have heard from the prophets, will rule over the entire world. Even Rashi admits, \u201cOur rabbis expound it as relating to King Messiah.\u201d
\nAmong the titles given to Messiah is the term \u201cSon of God.\u201d This is applied to Messiah twice in Psalm 2, in verses 7 and 12. This Messiah, who is to be king in Jerusalem and over the whole world is also, uniquely, the Son of God.
\nAs is explained in Appendix 1, the phrase \u201csons of God,\u201d in the plural, throughout the Hebrew Scriptures always applies to angels, either fallen or unfallen. The phrase \u201cSon of God,\u201d in the singular, is always and only applied to the Messiah.<\/p>\n
Psalm 2:7\u201312
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah would be the Son of God.
\nY Messiah will be a king in Jerusalem.
\nY Messiah will also rule over the Gentiles.<\/p>\n
Psalm 16:1\u201311
\nThe Death of Messiah<\/p>\n
A Mikhtam of David.
\n16:1 Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in Thee. 2 I said to the LORD, \u201cThou art my Lord; I have no good besides Thee.\u201d 3 As for the saints who are in the earth, They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight. 4 The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their libations of blood, Nor shall I take their names upon my lips. 5 The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; Thou dost support my lot. 6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. 7 I will bless the LORD who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. 8 I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. 10 For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt Thou allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay. 11 Thou wilt make known to me the path of life; In Thy presence is fulness of joy; In Thy right hand there are pleasures forever. (NASB)
\n16:1 \u05de\u05b4\u05db\u05b0\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05dd \u05dc\u05b0\u05d3\u05b8\u05d5\u05b4\u05d3 \u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05de\u05b0\u05e8\u05b5\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05be\u05d7\u05b8\u05e1\u05b4\u05d9\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d1\u05b8\u05da\u05b0\u05c3 2 \u05d0\u05b8\u05de\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05ea\u05b0\u05bc \u05dc\u05b7\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b2\u05d3\u05b9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b8\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05d8\u05d5\u05b9\u05d1\u05b8\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05dc\u05be\u05e2\u05b8\u05dc\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8\u05c3 3 \u05dc\u05b4\u05e7\u05b0\u05d3\u05d5\u05b9\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8\u05be\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05d0\u05b8\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5 \u05d4\u05b5\u05de\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b7\u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05e8\u05b5\u05d9 \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05be \u05d7\u05b6\u05e4\u05b0\u05e6\u05b4\u05d9\u05be\u05d1\u05b8\u05dd\u05c3 4 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05d1\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc \u05e2\u05b7\u05e6\u05b0\u05bc\u05d1\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea\u05b8\u05dd \u05d0\u05b7\u05d7\u05b5\u05e8 \u05de\u05b8\u05d4\u05b8\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05dc\u05be \u05d0\u05b7\u05e1\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05da\u05b0 \u05e0\u05b4\u05e1\u05b0\u05db\u05b5\u05bc\u05d9\u05d4\u05b6\u05dd \u05de\u05b4\u05d3\u05b8\u05bc\u05dd \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05d0\u05b6\u05e9\u05b8\u05bc\u05c2\u05d0 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea\u05b8\u05dd \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e4\u05b8\u05ea\u05b8\u05d9\u05c3 5 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05de\u05b0\u05e0\u05b8\u05ea\u05be\u05d7\u05b6\u05dc\u05b0\u05e7\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05db\u05d5\u05b9\u05e1\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b7\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 \u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05da\u05b0 \u05d2\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05b8\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05c3 6 \u05d7\u05b2\u05d1\u05b8\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05e0\u05b8\u05e4\u05b0\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc\u05be\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05e0\u05b0\u05bc\u05e2\u05b4\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0\u05b7\u05e3\u05be \u05e0\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05dc\u05b8\u05ea \u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05e4\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e2\u05b8\u05dc\u05b8\u05d9\u05c3 7 \u05d0\u05b2\u05d1\u05b8\u05e8\u05b5\u05da\u05b0 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8 \u05d9\u05b0\u05e2\u05b8\u05e6\u05b8\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b7\u05e3\u05be\u05dc\u05b5\u05d9\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05d9\u05b4\u05e1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05db\u05b4\u05dc\u05b0\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea\u05b8\u05d9\u05c3 8 \u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d5\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b0\u05e0\u05b6\u05d2\u05b0\u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05ea\u05b8\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05d3 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05dc\u05be\u05d0\u05b6\u05de\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d8\u05c3 9 \u05dc\u05b8\u05db\u05b5\u05df \u05e9\u05b8\u05c2\u05de\u05b7\u05d7 \u05dc\u05b4\u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b8\u05bc\u05d2\u05b6\u05dc \u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05d1\u05d5\u05b9\u05d3\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b7\u05e3\u05be\u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e9\u05b8\u05c2\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05db\u05b9\u05bc\u05df \u05dc\u05b8\u05d1\u05b6\u05d8\u05b7\u05d7\u05c3 10 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be\u05ea\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05d6\u05b9\u05d1 \u05e0\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be\u05ea\u05b4\u05ea\u05b5\u05bc\u05df \u05d7\u05b2\u05e1\u05b4\u05d9\u05d3\u05b0\u05da\u05b8 \u05dc\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05d7\u05b7\u05ea\u05c3 11 \u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d3\u05b4\u05d9\u05e2\u05b5\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b9\u05e8\u05b7\u05d7 \u05d7\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dd \u05e9\u05c2\u05d1\u05b7\u05e2 \u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05de\u05b8\u05d7\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05be\u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05e0\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05e0\u05b0\u05e2\u05b4\u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05b0\u05da\u05b8 \u05e0\u05b6\u05e6\u05b7\u05d7\u05c3<\/p>\n
THE emphasis of Psalm 16:1\u20132 is that Messiah\u2019s refuge is in God, and in verse 3 that His delight is with the saints, the believing Remnant, echoing the sentiments of Zechariah 11. In verses 4\u20139, the psalmist says that God the Father will be the Messiah\u2019s total trust in life, even to the point of death (verses 10\u201311). Even in death Messiah still trusts in God. The point of the song is that even though God allows Messiah to die, yet \u201cThou wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol; neither wilt thou allow thy Holy One to undergo decay.\u201d Messiah will be resurrected back to life.<\/p>\n
Psalm 16:1\u201311
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah would enjoy a unique relationship with God the Father. This aspect of Messiah\u2019s life is particularly emphasized in the Gospel of John.
\nY Messiah would die.
\nY Messiah would be raised back to life.<\/p>\n
Psalm 22:1\u201331
\nThe Suffering & Exaltation of Messiah<\/p>\n
For the choir director; upon Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David.
\n22:1 \u05dc\u05b7\u05de\u05b0\u05e0\u05b7\u05e6\u05b5\u05bc\u05d7\u05b7 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05d0\u05b7\u05d9\u05b6\u05bc\u05dc\u05b6\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05b7\u05bc\u05c1\u05d7\u05b7\u05e8 \u05de\u05b4\u05d6\u05b0\u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b0\u05d3\u05b8\u05d5\u05b4\u05d3\u05c3<\/p>\n
22:1 My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. 2 O my God, I cry by day, but Thou dost not answer; And by night, but I have no rest. 3 Yet Thou art holy, O Thou who art enthroned upon the praises of Israel. 4 In Thee our fathers trusted; They trusted, and Thou didst deliver them. 5 To Thee they cried out, and were delivered; In Thee they trusted, and were not disappointed. 6 But I am a worm, and not a man, A reproach of men, and despised by the people. 7 All who see me sneer at me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying, 8 \u201cCommit yourself to the LORD; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.\u201d 9 Yet Thou art He who didst bring me forth from the womb; Thou didst make me trust when upon my mother\u2019s breasts. 10 Upon Thee I was cast from birth; Thou hast been my God from my mother\u2019s womb. 11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near; For there is none to help. 12 Many bulls have surrounded me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. 13 They open wide their mouth at me, As a ravening and a roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And Thou dost lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; 18 They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots. 19 But Thou, O LORD, be not far off; O Thou my help, hasten to my assistance. 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, My only life from the power of the dog. 21 Save me from the lion\u2019s mouth; And from the horns of the wild oxen Thou dost answer me.
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\u05db\u05b6\u05bc\u05dc\u05b6\u05d1 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d7\u05b4\u05d9\u05d3\u05b8\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9\u05c3 22 \u05d4\u05d5\u05b9\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9\u05e2\u05b5\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05de\u05b4\u05e4\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05d9\u05b5\u05d4 \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b4\u05e7\u05b7\u05bc\u05e8\u05b0\u05e0\u05b5\u05d9 \u05e8\u05b5\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05e2\u05b2\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9\u05ea\u05b8\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9\u05c3<\/p>\n
22 I will tell of Thy name to my brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise Thee. 23 You who fear the LORD, praise Him; All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel. 24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Neither has He hidden His face from him; But when he cried to Him for help, He heard. 25 From Thee comes my praise in the great assembly; I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him. 26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the LORD. Let your heart live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations will worship before Thee. 28 For the kingdom is the Lord\u2019s, And He rules over the nations. 29 All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship, All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep his soul alive. 30 Posterity will serve Him; It will be told of the LORD to the coming generation. 31 They will come and will declare His righteousness To a people who will be born, that He has performed it. (NASB)
\n23 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e1\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05de\u05b0\u05da\u05b8 \u05dc\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05d7\u05b8\u05d9 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05ea\u05d5\u05b9\u05da\u05b0 \u05e7\u05b8\u05d4\u05b8\u05dc \u05d0\u05b2\u05d4\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05dc\u05b6\u05da\u05b8\u05bc\u05c3 24 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d4\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05be\u05d6\u05b6\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2 \u05d9\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e7\u05b9\u05d1 \u05db\u05b7\u05bc\u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d3\u05d5\u05bc\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b0\u05d2\u05d5\u05bc\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc \u05de\u05b4\u05de\u05b6\u05bc\u05e0\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05be\u05d6\u05b6\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05c3 25 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be\u05d1\u05b8\u05d6\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05e7\u05b7\u05bc\u05e5 \u05e2\u05b1\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc\u05ea \u05e2\u05b8\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0\u05be\u05d4\u05b4\u05e1\u05b0\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05e8 \u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05e0\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05de\u05b4\u05de\u05b6\u05bc\u05e0\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b0\u05e9\u05b7\u05c1\u05d5\u05b0\u05bc\u05e2\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d0\u05b5\u05dc\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05de\u05b5\u05e2\u05b7\u05c3 26 \u05de\u05b5\u05d0\u05b4\u05ea\u05b0\u05bc\u05da\u05b8 \u05ea\u05b0\u05d4\u05b4\u05dc\u05b8\u05bc\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e7\u05b8\u05d4\u05b8\u05dc \u05e8\u05b8\u05d1 \u05d1\u05b0\u05d3\u05b8\u05e8\u05b7\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b7\u05c1\u05dc\u05b5\u05bc\u05dd \u05e0\u05b6\u05d2\u05b6\u05d3 \u05d9\u05b0\u05e8\u05b5\u05d0\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5\u05c3 27 \u05d9\u05b9\u05d0\u05db\u05b0\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc \u05e2\u05b2\u05e0\u05b8\u05d5\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05e2\u05d5\u05bc \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d3\u05b9\u05bc\u05e8\u05b0\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05d9\u05d5 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d7\u05b4\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b0\u05d1\u05b7\u05d1\u05b0\u05db\u05b6\u05dd \u05dc\u05b8\u05e2\u05b7\u05e8\u05c3 28 \u05d9\u05b4\u05d6\u05b0\u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b0\u05d9\u05b8\u05e9\u05bb\u05c1\u05d1\u05d5\u05bc \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc\u05be\u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05be\u05d0\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05e1\u05b5\u05d9\u05be\u05d0\u05b8\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05ea\u05b7\u05bc\u05d4\u05b2\u05d5\u05d5\u05bc \u05dc\u05b0\u05e4\u05b8\u05e0\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05be\u05de\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05e4\u05b0\u05bc\u05d7\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05d2\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd\u05c3 29 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b7\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05b0\u05bc\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc\u05db\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b9\u05e9\u05b5\u05c1\u05dc \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05d2\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd\u05c3 30 \u05d0\u05b8\u05db\u05b0\u05dc\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05ea\u05b7\u05bc\u05d7\u05b2\u05d5\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05be\u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05e0\u05b5\u05d9\u05be\u05d0\u05b6\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5 \u05dc\u05b0\u05e4\u05b8\u05e0\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05d9\u05b4\u05db\u05b0\u05e8\u05b0\u05e2\u05d5\u05bc \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05be \u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05b0\u05d3\u05b5\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b8\u05e4\u05b8\u05e8 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05b9 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d7\u05b4\u05d9\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4\u05c3 31 \u05d6\u05b6\u05e8\u05b7\u05e2 \u05d9\u05b7\u05e2\u05b7\u05d1\u05b0\u05d3\u05b6\u05e0\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc \u05d9\u05b0\u05e1\u05bb\u05e4\u05b7\u05bc\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b7\u05d0\u05d3\u05b9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d9 \u05dc\u05b7\u05d3\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05c3 32 \u05d9\u05b8\u05d1\u05b9\u05d0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b0\u05d9\u05b7\u05d2\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05d3\u05d5\u05bc \u05e6\u05b4\u05d3\u05b0\u05e7\u05b8\u05ea\u05d5\u05b9 \u05dc\u05b0\u05e2\u05b7\u05dd \u05e0\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b8\u05d3 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b8\u05e9\u05b8\u05c2\u05d4\u05c3<\/p>\n
Note that the Hebrew verse numbering is different to the English numbering for this passage.<\/p>\n
PSALM 22 is the most famous of the messianic psalms, the entire psalm being devoted to the events of the First Coming and a few aspects of the Second. The psalm divides into two main parts, the first dealing with the suffering of Messiah, followed by His exaltation in the second. The whole psalm could be viewed as a poetic version of Isaiah 53, although the psalm was in fact written before the prophecy of Isaiah.<\/p>\n
The Sufferings of the Messiah\u201422:1\u201321<\/p>\n
Messiah\u2019s Cry for Help\u201422:1\u20132<\/p>\n
These verses find Messiah crying out in deepest anguish. It is no accident that these are the very words that Jesus cried out while hanging on the cross. He quoted these words after a period of three hours of intense darkness. During those three hours the entire wrath of God, due to the sins of Israel and the world, was poured out upon Him. This is the one and only place in the Gospel accounts that Jesus addresses God as \u201cmy God.\u201d On every other occasion, and there are over 170 references, Jesus says \u201cFather\u201d or \u201cmy Father.\u201d It is made very clear that Jesus enjoyed a very special, unique relationship with God. On the cross, however, Jesus was dying for the sins of the world, and was experiencing a judicial relationship with God, not a paternal one; hence His cry of \u201cmy God, my God\u201d instead of \u201cmy Father, my Father.\u201d<\/p>\n
God\u2019s Past Deliverance\u201422:3\u20135<\/p>\n
These verses recount the past deliverances of God. God is fully able to deliver, yet is choosing not to.<\/p>\n
Messiah Despised\u201422:6\u20138<\/p>\n
These verses describe, in terms similar to Isaiah 53, the taunts and jibes of evil men at the suffering of Messiah. The words used here are indeed very similar to the words of ridicule used by the crowds at the crucifixion of Jesus. He is reproached, scorned, and taunted.<\/p>\n
God is Messiah\u2019s Trust\u201422:9\u201311<\/p>\n
These verses state that Messiah has trusted in God from His birth. There are references here to the mother of Messiah but, as in all other messianic prophecies, there is never any mention of a human father. Messiah would be born of a virgin as prophesied in Isaiah 7:14.<\/p>\n
Description of the Agony\u201422:12\u201318<\/p>\n
These verses describe the suffering of Messiah, and some of these words are almost quoted in the New Testament.<\/p>\n
1. Surrounded and stared at\u201422:12\u201313.<\/p>\n
2. Physical agony\u201422:14\u201317.<\/p>\n
i. I am poured out like water.
\nThis emphasizes excessive sweat.<\/p>\n
ii. All my bones are out of joint.
\nAfter the nailing on the ground, the cross would be raised to the vertical and dropped into a deep slot in the ground. The shock of this action would cause multiple dislocations.<\/p>\n
iii. My heart is like melted wax.
\nA Hebrew phrase meaning \u201ca ruptured heart,\u201d evidenced by the pouring out of blood and water.<\/p>\n
iv. My strength is dried up like a potsherd.
\nHis strength is totally gone.<\/p>\n
v. My tongue cleaves to my jaws.
\nHis tongue cleaves to the roof of His mouth, emphasizing excessive thirst. After six hours on the cross, three of them in total darkness, Jesus said, \u201cI thirst.\u201d This meant more than physical thirst. During those three hours of intense darkness, Jesus suffered the outpouring of God\u2019s wrath, the pangs of Hell itself. Jesus had previously spoken of a rich man who, after only a few moments in Hell had said, \u201cI thirst\u201d (Luke 16). Jesus\u2019 saying these same words reflects the extreme suffering of the pain of Hell which He experienced while hanging on the cross<\/p>\n
vi. They pierced my hands and my feet.
\nThe Hebrew word for piercing used here is not the same as that used in Zechariah 12:10. The word used in Zechariah means \u201cto thrust through\u201d and would be consistent with the Roman spear which pierced Jesus\u2019 side. The word used here in Psalm 22 is the word which would be used, for example, of ear piercing and would be consistent with the nailing of Jesus\u2019 hands and feet to the cross.<\/p>\n
vii. I can count all my bones.
\nHis bones are protruding.<\/p>\n
3. They divide my garments among them\u201422:18.
\nIn verse 18, Messiah\u2019s clothes are divided amongst His tormentors by the casting of lots. Once again, this was quite literally fulfilled at Jesus\u2019 crucifixion (Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24, Luke 23:34, John 19:23\u201324).<\/p>\n
All of the above must refer to Messiah since clearly none of these things ever happened to David.<\/p>\n
Messiah\u2019s Prayer for Help\u201422:19\u201321<\/p>\n
Verses 19\u201321 are again a cry for help from Messiah while still hanging on the cross.<\/p>\n
The Exaltation of the Messiah\u201422:22\u201331<\/p>\n
With His suffering complete, verses 22\u201331 turn and speak of Messiah\u2019s exaltation. In verse 22, Messiah will praise God in the midst of the assembly. But how, if He died in verses 1\u201321, is this possible? Clearly this can only be possible by resurrection. The rest of the psalm goes on to describe what happens after His resurrection, culminating in His Second Coming and the establishment of His kingdom.<\/p>\n
A Note on Verse 16<\/p>\n
Some wish to translate the verse as, \u201clike a lion, my hands and my feet,\u201d instead of, \u201cthey pierced my hands and my feet.\u201d The former is based on the pointing of the Masoretic text and the latter on the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew text that preceded the Masoretic text by over one thousand years, and hence closer to the original writing. While it is true that the writer uses several animal motifs in the context, the psalmist only uses animalistic terms to describe his enemies and not himself. Hence both the context and the antiquity of the Hebrew text behind the Septuagint favor the rendering of \u201cpierce.\u201d<\/p>\n
Psalm 22
\nteaches that:
\nY In extreme agony, Messiah would cry out for God\u2019s help.
\nY Messiah would be a despised and rejected individual.
\nY In the agony of death, Messiah would be stared at and mocked.
\nY The Messiah\u2019s bones would all be pulled out of joint.
\nY The Messiah\u2019s heart would rupture.
\nY The Messiah would suffer an extreme degree of thirst.
\nY Messiah\u2019s hands and feet would be pierced.
\nY Messiah\u2019s clothing would be divided by the casting of lots.
\nY At the point of death, Messiah\u2019s trust would be in God the Father.
\nY Messiah would be resurrected.<\/p>\n
Psalm 80:17
\nThe Man of Thy Right Hand<\/p>\n
80:17 Let Thy hand be upon the man of Thy right hand, Upon the son of man whom Thou didst make strong for Thyself. (NASB)
\n80:18 \u05ea\u05b0\u05bc\u05d4\u05b4\u05d9\u05be\u05d9\u05b8\u05d3\u05b0\u05da\u05b8 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05d0\u05b4\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d9\u05b0\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05b6\u05da\u05b8 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05d1\u05b6\u05bc\u05df\u05be\u05d0\u05b8\u05d3\u05b8\u05dd \u05d0\u05b4\u05de\u05b7\u05bc\u05e6\u05b0\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc \u05dc\u05b8\u05bc\u05da\u05b0\u05c3<\/p>\n
Note that the Hebrew verse numbering is different to the English numbering for this passage.<\/p>\n
THE whole of Psalm 80 deals with the national salvation of Israel just prior to the Second Coming. (See The Footsteps Of The Messiah pages 238\u2013239.) Israel is now pleading for Messiah to return, but within their prayers there is one verse\u2014verse 17\u2014which is relevant to our study of Messiah\u2019s First Coming. Verse 17 is in fact a development of the teaching of Psalm 110:1, which should really be studied first.
\nIsrael is praying to God for deliverance and in verse 17 the One they ask to come and deliver them is the One seated at God\u2019s right hand. We are told in Psalm 110 that this is the Messiah who has ascended to the right hand of God following His rejection. Psalm 110 also states that Messiah will remain there until Israel repents and asks for His return. It is this repentance which is being described in Psalm 80.
\nThe title given to Messiah in verse 17 is \u201cthe Son of Man.\u201d This is a very common messianic title in the New Testament, particularly in the Gospel of Luke.
\nTo repeat the teaching of Psalm 110:1, since the \u201cSon of Man\u201d is sitting at the right hand of God, He must be equal with God; thus we have another verse which affirms that Messiah must be a God-Man.<\/p>\n
Psalm 80:17
\nteaches that:
\nY The Messiah would be seated at the right hand of God the Father.
\nY Messiah must be equal with God to be seated at His right hand; Messiah must therefore be both God and man.<\/p>\n
Psalm 110:1\u20137
\nA Priest after the Order of Melchizedek<\/p>\n
A Psalm of David.
\n110:1 The LORD says to my Lord: \u201cSit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.\u201d 2 The LORD will stretch forth Thy strong scepter from Zion, saying, \u201cRule in the midst of Tine enemies.\u201d 3 Thy people will volunteer freely in the day of Thy power; In holy array, from the womb of the dawn, Thy youth are to Thee as the dew. 4 The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, \u201cThou art a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.\u201d 5 The Lord is at Thy right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath. 6 He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country. 7 He will drink from the brook by the wayside; Therefore He will lift up His head. (NASB)
\n110:1 \u05dc\u05b0\u05d3\u05b8\u05d5\u05b4\u05d3 \u05de\u05b4\u05d6\u05b0\u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8 \u05e0\u05b0\u05d0\u05bb\u05dd \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b7\u05d0\u05d3\u05b9\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05e9\u05b5\u05c1\u05d1 \u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b7\u05d3\u05be\u05d0\u05b8\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9\u05ea \u05d0\u05b9\u05d9\u05b0\u05d1\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05d4\u05b2\u05d3\u05b9\u05dd \u05dc\u05b0\u05e8\u05b7\u05d2\u05b0\u05dc\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8\u05c3 2 \u05de\u05b7\u05d8\u05b6\u05bc\u05d4\u05be\u05e2\u05bb\u05d6\u05b0\u05bc\u05da\u05b8 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05dc\u05b7\u05d7 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05de\u05b4\u05e6\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05df \u05e8\u05b0\u05d3\u05b5\u05d4 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e7\u05b6\u05e8\u05b6\u05d1 \u05d0\u05b9\u05d9\u05b0\u05d1\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8\u05c3 3 \u05e2\u05b7\u05de\u05b0\u05bc\u05da\u05b8 \u05e0\u05b0\u05d3\u05b8\u05d1\u05b9\u05ea \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05d7\u05b5\u05d9\u05dc\u05b6\u05da\u05b8 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d4\u05b7\u05d3\u05b0\u05e8\u05b5\u05d9\u05be\u05e7\u05b9\u05d3\u05b6\u05e9\u05c1 \u05de\u05b5\u05e8\u05b6\u05d7\u05b6\u05dd \u05de\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05d7\u05b8\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b0\u05da\u05b8 \u05d8\u05b7\u05dc \u05d9\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05d3\u05bb\u05ea\u05b6\u05d9\u05da\u05b8\u05c3 4 \u05e0\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05e2 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e0\u05b8\u05bc\u05d7\u05b5\u05dd \u05d0\u05b7\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4\u05be\u05db\u05b9\u05d4\u05b5\u05df \u05dc\u05b0\u05e2\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b8\u05dd \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05d3\u05b4\u05bc\u05d1\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9 \u05de\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05be\u05e6\u05b6\u05d3\u05b6\u05e7\u05c3 5 \u05d0\u05b2\u05d3\u05b9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05d9\u05b0\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05b0\u05da\u05b8 \u05de\u05b8\u05d7\u05b7\u05e5 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd\u05be\u05d0\u05b7\u05e4\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9 \u05de\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05db\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd\u05c3 6 \u05d9\u05b8\u05d3\u05b4\u05d9\u05df \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05d2\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05de\u05b8\u05dc\u05b5\u05d0 \u05d2\u05b0\u05d5\u05b4\u05d9\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea \u05de\u05b8\u05d7\u05b7\u05e5 \u05e8\u05b9\u05d0\u05e9\u05c1 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05d0\u05b6\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5 \u05e8\u05b7\u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4\u05c3 7 \u05de\u05b4\u05e0\u05b7\u05bc\u05d7\u05b7\u05dc \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05d3\u05b6\u05bc\u05e8\u05b6\u05da\u05b0 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05ea\u05b6\u05bc\u05d4 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05db\u05b5\u05bc\u05df \u05d9\u05b8\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05e8\u05b9\u05d0\u05e9\u05c1\u05c3<\/p>\n
PSALM 110 falls into the fourth category of messianic prophecy mentioned in the introduction as it encompasses the entire messianic program. Within its seven short verses, it includes all four periods of the messianic program: the First Coming, the interval, the Second Coming and the Messianic Kingdom. The psalm divides into three sections or stanzas, a stanza usually being referred to as a \u201cstrophe\u201d in Hebrew poetry.<\/p>\n
Strophe One\u2014110:1\u20132<\/p>\n
Verses 1 and 2. We should note first of all that the psalmist here is David. David was king over all the Land of Israel. He established a Jewish empire by subjugating the surrounding nations and collecting tribute from them. David had no human lord; there was no authority over him except Jehovah Himself. Yet, in verse 1 of this psalm, David speaks of two lords: \u201cThe LORD [Jehovah] said to my Lord \u2026\u201d David is speaking of two personalities here\u2014Jehovah and \u201cmy Lord.\u201d But who could \u201cmy Lord\u201d be, since David had no human over-lord? The only way to understand this verse is to see Jehovah as God the Father and \u201cDavid\u2019s Lord\u201d as Messiah. It is Messiah, therefore, who is invited to sit at God\u2019s right hand. What we have here is a prophecy which was fulfilled at Jesus\u2019 ascension from earth to heaven after His resurrection, when He had completed His redemptive work and sat down at His Father\u2019s right hand.
\nImplicit within this prophecy is the concept of the God-Man. We know from 1 Kings 2:19 that anyone who sits at a king\u2019s right hand must be equal with the king. When one king made a visit of state to another king, he would sit at his host\u2019s right hand. Since Messiah is invited to sit at God\u2019s right hand, it follows that Messiah must be equal with God.
\nAs to His humanity, Messiah is to be a descendant of David, and as to His deity, He can sit at the right hand of God. He is to sit there for some period of time, \u201cUntil I make thine enemies a footstool \u2026\u201d This statement presupposes the First Coming and its rejection. The First Coming is to be in hostile circumstances and in verse 2 the enemies of verse 1 are said to be in Zion itself. Because the First Coming is rejected, Messiah is invited to sit at the right hand of God for a period of time, until His enemies subject themselves to Him. This is further developed in Psalm 80.<\/p>\n
Strophe Two\u2014110:3\u20134<\/p>\n
Here we find the change of heart looked for in the enemies of Messiah. When Messiah comes a second time, in His day of power, His people will be willing volunteers.
\nThen, in verse 4, a new and very important statement is introduced concerning Messiah: He will be a priest after the Order of Melchizedek. According to Genesis 14, a priest in the Order of Melchizedek could be both a priest and a king. This was before the time of Moses, since under the Mosaic Law this would no longer be possible. The Law of Moses laid down that all priests had to be of the Tribe of Levi and that kings had to be of the Tribe of Judah. In order for this prophecy to be fufilled, therefore, it is clear that it will be necessary for the Law of Moses and the Levitical Order to be removed.
\nThe New Testament (Hebrews 7:11\u201318) clearly teaches that with the death of Jesus, the Law of Moses was rendered inoperative by His fulfillment of it and was replaced with the Law of Christ. Under the new Law of Christ, the Order of Melchizedek is instituted in place of the Levitical Order; therefore, Messiah is indeed a priest and a king. Verse 4 states that Messiah\u2019s priesthood and kingship will be eternal.<\/p>\n
Strophe Three\u2014110:5\u20137<\/p>\n
These verses deal with the Second Coming and are outside the scope of this study.<\/p>\n
Psalm 110:1\u20137
\nteaches that:
\nY The Messiah would be both a priest and a king, after the Order of Melchizedek.
\nY Messiah would have to be both God and man. To be a priest He would have to be a man, but to sit at God\u2019s right hand He must be equal with God.
\nY Messiah\u2019s First Coming would be rejected.
\nY After His rejection, Messiah would ascend into heaven.
\nY After His ascension, Messiah would sit down at God\u2019s right hand.
\nY Messiah will return when Israel accepts Him.
\nY Messiah will rule over Israel in the Messianic Kingdom.<\/p>\n
Proverbs 30:4
\nThe Name of God\u2019s Son<\/p>\n
30:4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and the name of his son? Tell me if you know! (NIV)
\n30:4 \u05de\u05b0\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b8\u05dc\u05b8\u05d4\u05be\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05de\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b5\u05bc\u05e8\u05b7\u05d3 \u05de\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d0\u05b8\u05e1\u05b7\u05e3\u05be\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05d7\u05b7 \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d7\u05b8\u05e4\u05b0\u05e0\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5 \u05de\u05b4\u05d9 \u05e6\u05b8\u05e8\u05b7\u05e8\u05be\u05de\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd \u05d1\u05b7\u05bc\u05e9\u05b4\u05bc\u05c2\u05de\u05b0\u05dc\u05b8\u05d4 \u05de\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b5\u05e7\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05be\u05d0\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05e1\u05b5\u05d9\u05be\u05d0\u05b8\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5 \u05de\u05b7\u05d4\u05be\u05e9\u05b0\u05bc\u05c1\u05de\u05d5\u05b9 \u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05b7\u05d4\u05be\u05e9\u05b6\u05bc\u05c1\u05dd\u05be\u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9 \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9 \u05ea\u05b5\u05d3\u05b8\u05e2\u05c3<\/p>\n
AMONGST the sayings of Agur in Proverbs 30 is a riddle. The riddle consists of six questions, the first four of which are rhetorical. The answers to these questions are obvious since only God Himself could accomplish these things. The fifth question is also easy since the name of God was revealed to men long before the Book of Proverbs was written. The name of God, YHVH, is often translated Jehovah. With the typographic conventions of modern translations, it is usually rendered as The LORD.
\nIt is the sixth question which is the tricky one: \u201cWhat is the name of his son?\u201d
\nIt has already been shown that the Hebrew Scriptures reveal that God has a son. This was stated twice in Psalm 2. Here it is stated again. What is not revealed, however, is the name of that son, hence the teasing \u201cif you know.\u201d At this stage of progressive revelation, no one could know His name. It is only in the New Testament that His name is revealed as Jesus\u2014\u201cand no other name is given under heaven whereby you can be saved\u201d (Acts 4:12). His name has now been revealed.<\/p>\n
Proverbs 30:4
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah would be, uniquely, the son of God.<\/p>\n
Daniel 9:1\u201327
\nThe Messianic Timetable<\/p>\n
9:1In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans\u20142 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. 3 So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, \u201cAlas, O LORD, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, and rebelled, even turning aside from Thy commandments and ordinances. 6 \u201cMoreover, we have not listened to Thy servants the prophets, who spoke in Thy name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land. 7 \u201cRighteousness belongs to Thee, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day\u2014to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which Thou hast driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against Thee. 8 \u201cOpen shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against Thee. 9 \u201cTo the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him; 10 nor have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets. 11 \u201cIndeed all Israel has transgressed Thy law and turned aside, not obeying Thy voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him. 12 \u201cThus He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem. 13 \u201cAs it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Thy truth. 14 \u201cTherefore, the LORD has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the LORD our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice. 15 \u201cAnd now, O Lord our God, who hast brought Thy people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and hast made a name for Thyself, as it is this day\u2014we have sinned, we have been wicked. 16 \u201cO Lord, in accordance with all Thy righteous acts, let now Thine anger and Thy wrath turn away from Thy city Jerusalem, Thy holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Thy people have become a reproach to all those around us. 17 \u201cSo now, our God, listen to the prayer of Thy servant and to his supplications, and for Thy sake, O Lord, let Thy face shine on Thy desolate sanctuary. 18 \u201cO my God, incline Thine ear and hear! Open Thine eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Thy name; for we are not presenting our supplications before Thee on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Thy great compassion. 19 \u201cO Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Thine own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Thy city and Thy people are called by Thy name.\u201d 20 Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, 21 while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. 22 And he gave me instruction and talked with me, and said, \u201cO Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. 23 \u201cAt the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision. 24 \u201cSeventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place. 25 \u201cSo you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 26 \u201cThen after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 \u201cAnd he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.\u201d (NASB)
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\u05d5\u05b0\u05e2\u05b7\u05d3\u05be\u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05b8\u05d7 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05b6\u05d7\u05b1\u05e8\u05b8\u05e6\u05b8\u05d4 \u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05ea\u05b7\u05bc\u05da\u05b0 \u05e2\u05b7\u05dc\u05be\u05e9\u05b9\u05c1\u05de\u05b5\u05dd\u05c3 \u05e3<\/p>\n
MORE than any other book of the Hebrew Scriptures, the writings of the Prophet Daniel confront us with evidence of the time of Messiah\u2019s coming\u2014evidence that many people would rather not see. But it is there and cannot be ignored. That Daniel was indeed a prophet is well substantiated. He accurately prophesied the rise of the Medo-Persian, Greek and Roman empires, even at a time when the Babylonian Empire, which preceded them all, was at its height. He accurately predicted the fortunes, conflicts, wars, and conspiracies of the two kingdoms of Syria and Egypt between the fracturing of the Greek Empire and the conquest by Rome. He prophesied the role of the Maccabees during this period. It is Daniel\u2019s detailed accuracy in his prophecies that has caused many critics to try to give a late date to the Book of Daniel, although no evidence has been discovered that would negate the book\u2019s composition at the time that it claims to have been written. At the very latest, the book was completed around 530 B.C.
\nThe key prophecies which are of interest in our present study are contained in verses 24\u201327 of Daniel Nine. However, it will be wise to survey the entire chapter in order to see what engendered the prophecy of when Messiah would come.<\/p>\n
The Background\u20149:1\u20132<\/p>\n
The date for Daniel\u2019s prophecy is \u201cthe first year of Darius,\u201d which means that it occurred in the year 539 B.C., about 66 or 67 years after the Jews initially went into exile to Babylonia.
\nIt was on this occasion, Daniel stated, that he was studying the Scriptures, and from these Scriptures he came to understand that the number of years for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem was almost over, since the duration was to be 70 years. Daniel mentioned that he was studying \u201cbooks,\u201d and one of them was the writings of Jeremiah; the lives of Jeremiah and Daniel did overlap to some extent. On two occasions (25:10\u201314, 29:10\u201314) Jeremiah predicted that the captivity and desolation of Jerusalem would last 70 years. What other books Daniel may have been studying we cannot know with certainty. But there are some strong possibilities that he also studied the Book of Isaiah, because Isaiah actually named Cyrus as the one who would permit the Jews to return (Isaiah 44:28\u201345:1). Furthermore, there are other writings in Moses and the Prophets that spelled out some specific conditions for the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom, and Daniel may have looked at some of these as well (Leviticus 26:40\u201343; 1 Kings 8:46\u201353; Jeremiah 3:12\u201318; Hosea 5:15\u20136:3). These passages emphasize that Israel as a nation must repent and confess sin prior to the establishment of any Kingdom of the Messiah.
\nReckoning the 70 years from the year 605 B.C., when the first of three deportations went into exile, would bring the end of the 70 years to 536 B.C. Daniel realized that the captivity had only about three years to go. The city and Temple were not destroyed until 586 B.C., and if the 70 years began then, it would mean the 70 years would not end until 515 B.C. But Daniel\u2019s calculation began with 605 B.C., the first deportation\u2014not 597 B.C., the second deportation, or 586 B.C., the destruction and final deportation.
\nDaniel not only expected the captivity to end after 70 years, he also expected a final termination of any possibility of future desolations for Jerusalem; he acts as if the Messianic Kingdom was about to occur. As the Word of God was to be established on the basis of prayer, he prayed; and realizing that the prerequisite was the confession of national sin, he confessed the sins of Israel.<\/p>\n
Daniel\u2019s Prayer\u20149:3\u201319<\/p>\n
Daniel\u2019s detailed prayer can be divided into two portions. The first (verses 3\u201314) is the confession of sin. Daniel acknowledged both sin and guilt which had been incurred in two ways: first by disobedience to the Law of Moses, and second by disobedience to the prophets who came after Moses. Daniel neither denied the sin of his nation nor his own sin; by the use of the pronoun \u201cwe,\u201d Daniel fully identified with all Jewish people in their sins. He did not see sin as merely a bad habit, but as something ingrained in the people that had brought on divine judgment. This disobedience to both the Law and the Prophets caused Israel, literally, \u201cconfusion of face,\u201d an idiom meaning a sense of shame. It also resulted in the need for forgiveness. Here Daniel confessed that to God belong forgiveness and mercy, and that forgiveness was needed. Daniel concluded the first part of his prayer by describing the punishment for sin and guilt. That punishment, captivity in Babylon, confirmed the words of the prophets who had predicted it and confirmed the Law of Moses which taught that divine judgment would come as a result of disobedience.
\nThe second part of the prayer (verses 15\u201319) is a plea for mercy. Daniel made his plea on the basis of righteousness\u2014not Israel\u2019s, but God\u2019s righteousness. He also pleaded for mercy on the basis of God\u2019s grace, for Israel did not merit mercy; but the grace of God was, and is, able to extend it anyway. Furthermore, the righteousness of God required Him to fulfill His promises, and therefore He should do so at the end of the 70-year period. The conclusion of Daniel\u2019s prayer is very dramatic: \u201cO Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Thine own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Thy city and Thy people are called by Thy name.\u201d When Daniel asks God to \u201cnot delay,\u201d he is asking God to count the 70 years from 605 B.C. and not 597 B.C. or 586 B.C.<\/p>\n
The Arrival of Gabriel\u20149:20\u201323<\/p>\n
Then, while Daniel was presenting his supplications, he was interrupted; he apparently had intended to say more when Gabriel arrived. The interruption came \u201cabout the time of the evening offering.\u201d This refers to the daily, regular evening sacrifice that was offered while the Temple stood. Although it had not been practiced for seven decades, Daniel showed his longing for the return from captivity and for the rebuilding of the Temple by remembering the sacrifice.
\nGabriel told Daniel that the purpose of his visit was: first, to correct Daniel\u2019s misunderstanding concerning when the Messianic Kingdom would be set up; and second, to present God\u2019s revelation which contained a timetable for Messiah\u2019s First Coming.<\/p>\n
The Decree of the Seventy-Sevens\u20149:24a<\/p>\n
Gabriel\u2019s prophecy to Daniel began with the words: \u201cSeventy sevens have been decreed for your people and your holy city \u2026\u201d
\nMany English versions have translated the phrase to read seventy \u201cweeks.\u201d But this translation is not totally accurate and has caused some confusion about the meaning of the passage. Most Jews know the Hebrew for \u201cweeks\u201d because of the observance of the Feast of Weeks, and that Hebrew word is shavuot. However, the word that appears here in the Hebrew text is shavuim, which means \u201csevens.\u201d This word refers to a \u201cseven\u201d of anything with the context determining the content of the \u201cseven.\u201d It is similar to the English word \u201cdozen,\u201d which means twelve of anything based upon context.
\nIt is obvious here that Daniel had been thinking in terms of years\u2014specifically the 70 years of captivity. He had assumed that both the captivity would end after 70 years and that the kingdom would be established after those 70 years. But here Gabriel was using a play upon words in the Hebrew text, pointing out that, insofar as Messiah\u2019s Kingdom was concerned, it was not 70 \u201cyears,\u201d but 70 \u201csevens\u201d of years, or a total of 490 years (70 \u00d7 7).
\nThis period of 490 years had been \u201cdecreed\u201d for the Jewish people and for the holy city of Jerusalem. The Hebrew word translated \u201cdecreed\u201d literally means \u201cto cut off\u201d or \u201cto determine.\u201d In chapters 2, 7 and 8, God revealed to Daniel the course of future world history in which Gentiles would have a dominant role over the Jewish people. This lengthy period began with the Babylonian Empire and was to continue until the establishment of Messiah\u2019s Kingdom. For that reason, it is often referred to as the Times of the Gentiles. Now the prophet was told that a total of 490 years was to be \u201ccut out\u201d of the Times of the Gentiles. This 490-year period had been \u201cdetermined\u201d or \u201cdecreed\u201d for the accomplishment of the final restoration of Israel and the establishment of Messiah\u2019s Kingdom.
\nThe focus of the program of the Seventy Sevens was \u201cyour people and your holy city.\u201d The \u201cpeople\u201d were Daniel\u2019s people, the Jewish people; and \u201cthe city\u201d was Daniel\u2019s city, Jerusalem. Although he had spent the vast majority of his life in the city of Babylon, Jerusalem was still Daniel\u2019s city. For Jews, whether they are in the Land or outside the Land, their city is always Jerusalem\u2014not any other. It is important to note that the program of the Seventy Sevens does not concern the Gentiles or the Church; it concerns the Jewish people and the city of Jerusalem. The program of the Seventy Sevens concerns both the First Coming and the Second Coming of the Messiah, but it is primarily the First Coming that will be our concern here.<\/p>\n
The Purpose of the Seventy Sevens\u20149:24b<\/p>\n
Next, Daniel was told by Gabriel that the Seventy Sevens are to accomplish six purposes. The first three are negative and undesirable elements which will be removed. The second three are positive and desirable elements to be effected.
\nThe first purpose is \u201cto finish the transgression.\u201d The Hebrew word translated \u201cto finish\u201d means \u201cto restrain firmly,\u201d \u201cto restrain completely\u201d or \u201cto bring to completion.\u201d The Hebrew word translated \u201ctransgression\u201d is a very strong word for sin and more literally means \u201cto rebel.\u201d The Hebrew text uses this word with the definite article, so it is, literally, \u201cthe transgression,\u201d or \u201cthe rebellion.\u201d The point is that some specific act of rebellion is finally going to be completely restrained and brought to an end. This act of rebellion or transgression is to come under complete control so that it will no longer flourish. Israel\u2019s apostasy is now to be firmly restrained in keeping with a similar prediction in Isaiah 59:20. Specifically, this is the rejection of the Messiah as dealt with in Isaiah 52:13\u201353:12.
\nThe second purpose of the Seventy Sevens is \u201cto make an end of sin.\u201d The Hebrew word translated \u201cto make an end\u201d literally means \u201cto seal up\u201d or \u201cto shut up in prison.\u201d It means \u201cto be securely kept, locked up, not allowed to roam at random.\u201d The Hebrew word translated as \u201csin\u201d literally means \u201cto miss the mark.\u201d It refers to sins of daily life, rather than to any specific sin. Even these sins are to be put to an end and taken away. This, too, is quite in keeping with predictions by the Prophets who proclaim that in the Messianic Kingdom, sinning would cease from Israel (Isaiah 27:9; Ezekiel 36:25\u201327; 37:23; Jeremiah 31:31\u201334).
\nThe third purpose is \u201cto make atonement for iniquity.\u201d The Hebrew word translated \u201cto make atonement\u201d is kaphar, which has the same root meaning as the word kippur, as in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The third purpose, then, is to make atonement in some way for iniquity. In fact, it is by means of this atonement that the first two purposes will also be accomplished: that of finishing the transgression and making an end of sin. The word translated \u201ciniquity\u201d refers to inward sin. This has sometimes been referred to as the sin nature, or perhaps a more common term among Jewish people would be yetzer hara, \u201cthe evil inclination.\u201d
\nThe fourth purpose of the Seventy Sevens is \u201cto bring in everlasting righteousness.\u201d This could be more literally translated \u201cto bring in an age of righteousness\u201d since the Hebrew olam is better translated as \u201cage\u201d rather than as \u201ceverlasting.\u201d This age of righteousness is to be the Messianic Kingdom spoken of in the Prophets (Isaiah 1:26; 11:2\u20135; 32:17; Jeremiah 23:5\u20136; 33:15\u201318). It is this very age that Daniel had been expecting to see established after the 70 years of captivity, but now he is told that that will only be after the 490-year period of the Seventy Sevens.
\nThe fifth purpose is \u201cto seal up vision and prophecy.\u201d Here, Daniel used a word which means \u201cto shut up.\u201d \u201cTo seal up\u201d means \u201cto cause a cessation\u201d or \u201cto completely fulfill.\u201d Thus, vision and prophecy are to be completely fulfilled. \u201cVision\u201d is a reference to oral prophecy, while \u201cprophecy\u201d refers to written prophecy. Both oral and written prophecy will cease with the final fulfillment of all revelations.
\nThe final purpose of the Seventy Sevens is \u201cto anoint the most holy place.\u201d This is a reference to the Jewish Temple which is to be rebuilt when Messiah comes. It refers to the same Temple that Daniel\u2019s contemporary, Ezekiel, described in great detail (Ezekiel 40\u201348).<\/p>\n
The Start of the Seventy Sevens\u20149:25a<\/p>\n
Daniel was clearly told when the Seventy Sevens would begin their countdown. Gabriel said, \u201cknow and discern, that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem \u2026\u201d Thus the Seventy Sevens would begin with a decree involving the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem. Not everything in Persian chronology is as clear as we would like to have it, and there are still some gaps in our knowledge of history. But from what biblical and historical records we do have, there are four possible answers to the question of which decree the passage refers to.
\nOne is the Decree of Cyrus, issued somewhere between 538\u2013536 B.C., which concerned the rebuilding of the Temple (2 Chronicles 36:22\u201323; Ezra 1:1\u20134; 6:1\u20135) and of the city of Jerusalem (Isaiah 44:28; 45:13). Another option is the Decree of Darius Hystaspes (Ezra 6:6\u201312), issued in the year 521 B.C., which was a reaffirmation of the Decree of Cyrus. A third possibility is the Decree of Artaxerxes to Ezra (Ezra 7:11\u201326), issued in 458 B.C., which contained permission to proceed with the Temple service. The last option is the Decree of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:1\u20138), issued in the year 444 B.C. This decree specifically concerned the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem. Of these four possibilities, only the first and fourth decrees have any real validity in fulfilling the wording that Gabriel gave to Daniel. It is not necessary for our purpose here to deal with the various arguments of either option, but one thing is certain: by the year 444 B.C., the countdown of the Seventy Sevens had begun. (For those who are interested, the author\u2019s opinion can be found in Appendix 5.)<\/p>\n
The First Sixty-Nine Sevens\u20149:25b<\/p>\n
The Seventy Sevens are divided into three separate units: Seven Sevens, Sixty-two Sevens and One Seven. During the first time period of Seven Sevens, or 49 years, Jerusalem would be \u201cbuilt again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.\u201d The second block of time, Sixty-two Sevens, or a total of 434 years, immediately followed the first for a total of Sixty-nine Sevens, or 483 years. There is no implication of a gap of time between the first and second subdivision of the Seventy Sevens.
\nIt is at this point that we are told that the ending point of the Sixty-nine Sevens is to be \u201cuntil Messiah the Prince.\u201d As clearly as Daniel could have stated it, he taught that 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem had been issued, Messiah would be here on earth.
\nThe obvious conclusion is this: If Messiah was not on earth 483 years after a decree was issued to rebuild Jerusalem, then Daniel was a false prophet and his book has no business being in the Hebrew Scriptures; but if Daniel was correct and his prophecy was fulfilled, then who was the Messiah of whom he spoke?<\/p>\n
The Events Between the Sixty-Ninth and the Seventieth Seven\u20149:26<\/p>\n
Whereas the second subdivision of the Seventy Sevens was immediately to follow the first, the third subdivision was not immediately to follow the second. Daniel pointed out in verse 26 that three things would occur after this second subdivision ends and before the third one begins.
\nStepping back in time and looking ahead from Daniel\u2019s perspective in verse 26, we see first, that \u201cthe Messiah will be cut off and have nothing.\u201d The Hebrew word translated \u201ccut off\u201d is the common word used in the Mosaic Law and simply means \u201cto be killed.\u201d The implication of the term is that the Messiah would not only be killed, but also that He would die a penal death by execution. The Hebrew expression translated \u201cand have nothing\u201d has two possible meanings. It may mean \u201cnothingness,\u201d emphasizing Messiah\u2019s state at death. It can also be translated \u201cbut not for himself,\u201d and the meaning would then be that \u201cHe died for others rather than for Himself\u2014a substitutionary death.\u201d The latter meaning would be much more consistent with what the Prophets had to say about the reason for Messiah\u2019s death (e.g. Isaiah 53:1\u201312). The first three purposes of the Seventy Sevens\u2014to finish the transgression; to make an end of sin; to make atonement for iniquity\u2014have all to be accomplished by some means of atonement. The Law of Moses decreed that atonement is made by blood (Leviticus 17:11). It appears that Messiah\u2019s death, \u201cnot for himself\u201d but for others, would be the means by which Israel\u2019s transgression, sin and iniquity would be atoned for. The point of this phrase is that between the end of the second subdivision, the Sixty-ninth Seven, and before the start of the Seventieth Seven, Messiah would be killed and would die a penal, substitutionary death.
\nSecond, during this interim period it would also happen that \u201cthe people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood \u2026\u201d The city and the Temple which were to be rebuilt because of the decree by which the Seventy Sevens began, would now be destroyed; some time after the Messiah was cut off, Jerusalem and the Temple would suffer another destruction. Our knowledge of history during this period is extremely clear: the people responsible for this deed were the Romans; Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed in the year 70 A.D. Based upon this verse, it is also clear that the Messiah should have both come and died prior to the year 70 A.D. If such an event did not take place, then Daniel was a false prophet. If such an event did occur, then the question must be answered, Who was that Messiah who was killed before 70 A.D.?
\nThe third thing to take note of would be, \u201ceven to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.\u201d For the remainder of the interval between the Sixty-ninth Seven and the Seventieth Seven, the Land would be characterized by war, and its resulting condition would be desolation. All this would set the stage for the final, or Seventieth, Seven.<\/p>\n
The Seventieth Seven\u20149:27<\/p>\n
From where we stand in time today, the last 7 years of Daniel\u2019s prophecy are still future, but it is with their conclusion that all six purposes of verse 24 will reach their fulfillment. The main points of the verse are as follows: first, the Seventieth Seven will begin only with the signing of a 7-year covenant or treaty between Israel and a major Gentile political leader. The pronoun \u201che\u201d in verse 27 goes back to its nearest antecedent in verse 26, which is not the Messiah but \u201cthe prince who is to come.\u201d This \u201cprince\u201d has been a topic of Daniel\u2019s earlier prophecies in chapters 7\u20138. This political leader is better known to Christians as the Antichrist. Second, in the middle of the Seventieth Seven, that is, after 3\u00bd years, this Gentile leader will break his treaty with Israel and cause a cessation of the sacrificial system. The implication here is that by this time, a Temple in Jerusalem will have been rebuilt; the sacrificial system of Moses will have been re-instituted, then be stopped by force. Third, the result of the breaking of this covenant is that that Temple will now be abominated. The \u201cabomination\u201d refers to an image or an idol. Just as it was in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes, so it will be again in the future when a Gentile ruler will abominate the Temple by means of idolatry. Fourth, the \u201cabomination\u201d is to be followed by wrath and desolation, persecution and warfare, for the remaining half of the Seventieth Seven, or the final 3\u00bd years. This is similar to the trials and tribulations the rabbis spoke of as preparation for the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom. These terrible days were referred to as \u201cthe footsteps of the Messiah,\u201d and also as \u201cthe birth-pangs of the Messiah.\u201d Once those days have run their course, the last three things predicted in verse 24 will occur. The age of righteousness will be brought in; the most holy place will be anointed; and every vision and prophecy will be fulfilled. At this point the Messianic Kingdom for which the prophet Daniel yearned will be set up.
\nObviously, the Messianic Kingdom requires the Messiah to rule as king. This means the Messiah will come after the Seventieth Seven. Yet earlier, Daniel stated that the Messiah would come and be killed after the Sixty-ninth Seven. This would appear to be a contradiction unless Daniel was speaking of two comings of the Messiah. The first time was to be after the Sixty-ninth Seven, when He would die a penal, substitutionary death for the sins of Israel and accomplish the first three purposes listed in verse 24. The second time, still future, was to be after the Seventieth Seven, when He will establish the Messianic Kingdom and accomplish the last three things of verse 24. There is also an important implication here that should not be missed: the Messiah would be killed after His First Coming, yet he would be alive at His Second Coming. The implication is that the Messiah would be resurrected from the dead after He was killed.<\/p>\n
Conclusions<\/p>\n
This dramatic prophecy features certain things in very clear and unmistakable terms. First, the Messiah was to be on earth 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. Second, after His appearance on earth, He was to be killed\u2014not for His own sins, but rather for those of others\u2014and the death He would die was to be the death of the penalty of the Law. Third, the death of the Messiah had to come sometime before Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed again; this occurred in the year 70 A.D. Fourth, some time after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, and following a long period of warfare, the Seventieth Seven will commence. Once that has run its course, Messiah\u2019s Kingdom and age of righteousness will be established. For that to occur, the implication is that the Messiah who was killed would return again.
\nBut who is this Messiah? Only one man fulfills all that is required in this passage: Jesus of Nazareth. He was born into the Jewish world and proclaimed His messiahship 483 years after the decree to rebuild and restore Jerusalem was issued. In the year 30 A.D., Jesus was executed by crucifixion. Daniel indicated that He would be cut off\u2014not for Himself, but rather for others. Isaiah 53 also prophesied the death of the Messiah, pointing out that He would die a substitutionary death on behalf of His people Israel. The teaching of the New Testament is that Jesus died a penal death by taking upon Himself the penalty of the Law as a substitute for His people. In keeping with Daniel 9:24, He died for the purpose of making an atonement for sins. Three days after His death, He was resurrected. Finally, the New Testament proclaims the fact that He will someday return to set up His kingdom and the age of righteousness.
\nIf Daniel was right, then Messiah came and died prior to the year 70 A.D. If Daniel was right, then there are no other options for who the Messiah is: Jesus of Nazareth. If Daniel was right, this Jesus is destined to return and to set up the Messianic Kingdom. (There is a further discussion of this prophecy in Appendix 6.)<\/p>\n
Daniel 9:24\u201327
\nteaches that:
\nY Messiah would be present 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem.
\nY Messiah would be legally executed.
\nY Messiah\u2019s death would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.
\nY Messiah\u2019s birth and death, therefore, must both have happened prior to 70 A.D.<\/p>\n
Other Lines of Evidence<\/p>\n
Introduction<\/p>\n
The previous three sections of this study have dealt with the prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures in relation to the First Coming of Messiah. It has been shown that Jesus is the only person who could possibly fulfill all of these prophecies. Associated with a Christian interpretation of these Scriptures are certain doctrines which are consistently regarded under Judaism as being contrary to Hebrew Scripture and therefore wholly unacceptable to any Jew. These are:<\/p>\n
1. The belief that Messiah is God.
\n2. The belief in God as a Triune Being.<\/p>\n
These two doctrines are obviously closely related. It is only possible to believe that Messiah is God if He is considered to be one member of the Godhead. It is commonly stated that these beliefs are thoroughly un-Jewish, being the invention of Christianity and originating in the New Testament.
\nIt should be pointed out first of all that the New Testament is just as Jewish as the Old Testament, having been written entirely by Jewish men. One of the chief writers of the New Testament was Rabbi Saul, also known as the Apostle Paul, who studied under Rabban Gamaliel (Philippians 3:5\u20136, Acts 22:3).
\nAlthough it is commonly stated that any concept of plurality in the Godhead is totally alien to Judaism, there is at least one place in Jewish literature where this is not the case. The author of the Zohar sensed plurality in the Tetragrammaton, the personal name of God, and wrote:<\/p>\n
\u201cCome and see the mystery of the word YHVH: there are three steps, each existing by itself: nevertheless they are One, and so united that one cannot be separated from the other. The Ancient Holy One is revealed with three heads, which are united into one, and that head is three exalted. The Ancient One is described as being three: because the other lights emanating from him are included in the three. But how can three names be one? How three can be one can only be known through the revelation of the Holy Spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n
(Zohar Vol. III, 288; Vol. II, 43, Hebrew editions. See also Soncino Press edition, Vol. III, 134.)<\/p>\n
Of greater importance, however, is the teaching of the Hebrew Scriptures themselves. A number of messianic prophecies have already been studied which clearly teach that Messiah would be both God and man. There are several other lines of evidence which can be explored to justify the belief in God as a triune Being. It can be shown that the doctrine of the Trinity actually originates in the Hebrew Scriptures and is merely developed and clarified in the New Testament.<\/p>\n
The Plurality of the Godhead<\/p>\n
The Plural Noun Elohim<\/p>\n
The word for \u201cGod\u201d most commonly used in Hebrew Scripture is Elohim. It is generally agreed that Elohim is a plural noun having the masculine plural ending \u201cim.\u201d The very word Elohim, used of the one true God in Genesis 1:1, is also used of false gods in Exodus 20:3 and Deuteronomy 13:2.<\/p>\n
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (NASB)<\/p>\n
Exo 20:3 \u201cYou shall have no other gods before Me. (NASB)<\/p>\n
Deu 13:2 and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, \u2018Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,\u2019 (NASB)<\/p>\n
While the use of the plural Elohim does not prove a triunity, it certainly opens the door to a doctrine of plurality in the Godhead since it is the same word that is used for the one true God as for the many false gods. This causes something of a problem for rabbis. In the siddur, the Sabbath prayer book compiled by Rabbi Hertz, it says concerning Genesis 1:1, \u201cThe plural is to denote the plentitude of might; God comprehends and unifies all the ends of eternity and infinity.\u201d The fact remains, however, that although the word does not of itself prove a plurality within the Godhead, it certainly does open the door to it.
\nIt is sometimes said that this one word had to be used in both contexts since there is no alternative in Hebrew. This is not true however; the singular form of Elohim is Eloah and is used in passages such as Deuteronomy 32:15\u201317 and Habbakuk 3:3.<\/p>\n
Deu 32:15 \u201cBut Jeshurun grew fat and kicked\u2014You are grown fat, thick, and sleek\u2014Then he forsook God who made him, And scorned the Rock of his salvation. 16 \u201cThey made Him jealous with strange gods; With abominations they provoked Him to anger. 17 \u201cThey sacrificed to demons who were not God, To gods whom they have not known, New gods who came lately, Whom your fathers did not dread. (NASB)<\/p>\n
Hab 3:3 God comes from Teman, And the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendor covers the heavens, And the earth is full of His praise. (NASB)<\/p>\n
This singular form could have been used consistently, but it is found in only 250 places, as compared to the 2,500 instances of the plural form. The far greater use of the plural form tends to turn the argument in favor of plurality in the Godhead rather than against it.<\/p>\n
Plural Verbs Used with Elohim<\/p>\n
It is also said that while Elohim is plural, the verbs used with it are always singular when applied to the true God, and plural for false gods. The rules of Hebrew grammar require that verbs agree with the associated nouns in both gender and number. When Elohim is used for pagan gods, these rules are always followed and a plural verb is always used. When Elohim is used of the one true God, however, these rules are normally broken\u2014the plural noun Elohim is usually followed by a singular verb. While it is true that this is most often the case, it is not always the case. There are several places in the Hebrew text where Elohim, speaking of the God of Israel, is followed by a plural verb. Four examples of this are:<\/p>\n
1. Genesis 20:13
\n20:13 and it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father\u2019s house, that I said to her, \u2018This is the kindness which you will show to me: everywhere we go, say of me, \u201cHe is my brother.\u201d \u2019 \u201d (NASB)<\/p>\n
These are the words of Abraham, a worshipper of the one true God. It literally says, \u201c\u2026 God (Elohim) they caused me to wander \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
2. Genesis 35:7
\n35:7 And he built an altar there, and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed Himself to him, when he fled from his brother. (NASB)<\/p>\n
These are the words of Jacob, who also worships the one true God. It literally reads, \u201c\u2026 the Gods (Elohim) revealed themselves \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
3. 2 Samuel 7:23
\n7:23 \u201cAnd what one nation on the earth is like Thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for Thee and awesome things for Thy land, before Thy people whom Thou hast redeemed for Thyself from Egypt, from nations and their gods? (NASB)<\/p>\n
Literally, \u201c\u2026 whom God (Elohim) they went to redeem for themselves \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
4. Psalm 58:11
\n58:11 And men will say, \u201cSurely there is a reward for the righteous; Surely there is a God who judges on earth!\u201d (NASB)<\/p>\n
Literally, \u201c\u2026 the Gods (Elohim) they judge on earth!\u201d<\/p>\n
These verses are just four examples of many and, again, the use of plural verbs in reference to the one true God supports the idea of plurality in the Godhead.<\/p>\n
The Word Elohim Applied to Two Divine Personalities<\/p>\n
As if to make the case for plurality even stronger, there are situations in the Hebrew Scriptures where the term Elohim is applied to two personalities in the same verse. One example is Psalm 45:6\u20137:<\/p>\n
45:6 Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. 7 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee With the oil of joy above Thy fellows. (NASB)<\/p>\n
It should be noted that the first Elohim is being addressed and the second Elohim is the God of the first Elohim. There are two quite distinct personalities here; it is Elohim\u2019s Elohim who has set Elohim above His companions and anointed Him with the oil of joy.
\nA second example is Hosea 1:7:<\/p>\n
1:2 When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, \u201cGo, take to yourself a wife of harlotry, and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the LORD.\u201d \u2026 1:7 \u201cBut I will have compassion on the house of Judah and deliver them by the LORD their God, and will not deliver them by bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen.\u201d (NASB)<\/p>\n
The speaker is Elohim who says that He will have mercy on the House of Judah and will save them by the instrumentality of Jehovah, their Elohim. Elohim number 1 is promising to save Israel by means of Elohim number 2. Again we see the word Elohim used of two distinct personalities within the same passage.<\/p>\n
The Name YHVH Applied to Two Divine Personalities<\/p>\n
Not only is Elohim applied to two personalities in the same verse, but so is the very name of God, Jehovah (YHVH). One example of this is Genesis 19:24:<\/p>\n
19:24 Then Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven. (ASV)<\/p>\n
The first YHVH is on earth and is said to be raining down sulfur from a second YHVH who is in heaven. Two distinct persons are called YHVH in the same text.
\nA second example is Zechariah 2:8\u20139:<\/p>\n
2:8 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: After glory hath he sent me unto the nations which plundered you; for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. 9 For, behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall be a spoil to those that served them; and ye shall know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me. (ASV)<\/p>\n
Again we have one YHVH, the speaker in these verses having been sent by another YHVH to perform a specific task.<\/p>\n
The Plural Noun Adonai<\/p>\n
Another word for God in Hebrew is Adonai, translated as \u201cLord\u201d in, for example, Psalm 110:1\u2014\u201cJehovah said to my Lord \u2026\u201d Whenever this word is used of God it is consistently in the plural, never in the singular.<\/p>\n
Plural Pronouns<\/p>\n
Another case in point regarding Hebrew grammar is God\u2019s use of plural pronouns when speaking of Himself. Mostly in Scripture God uses singular pronouns, but there are several instances of God speaking in the plural:<\/p>\n
1. Genesis 1:26
\n1:26 Then God said, \u201cLet Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.\u201d (NASB)<\/p>\n
The plurality of the Godhead is very clear here: \u201c\u2026 let us make \u2026 in our image \u2026 our likeness \u2026\u201d Jewish theology teaches that the phrase \u201clet us make\u201d in this passage refers to angels, but this cannot be the case. God alone did the work of creation and angels are not mentioned anywhere in the context. God could not have been consulting with angels or the passage would have said so, as it does in 1 Kings 22:19\u201323, where we do find God consulting the heavenly court about doing something. That is not the picture presented here. Furthermore, the phrase \u201cin our image\u201d could hardly have made reference to angels, since man was created in the image of God and not of angels.<\/p>\n
Rashi said:<\/p>\n
\u201cMan was created in the image of angels. Although angels did not help God create, he said \u2018us\u2019 to teach good manners and humility in that the greater person should also ask permission of the smaller.\u201d<\/p>\n
This quotation shows the enormous lengths that rabbis have to go to in order to avoid the concept of plurality in the Godhead.<\/p>\n
The Midrash Rabbah (8:8) on Genesis recognizes the strength of this passage and comments as follows:<\/p>\n
\u201cRabbi Samuel Bar Hanman in the name of Rabbi Jonathan said, that at the time when Moses wrote the Torah, writing a portion of it daily, when he came to the verse which says \u201cAnd Elohim said let us make man in our image, after our likeness,\u201d Moses said, \u201cMaster of the universe, why do you give herewith an excuse to the sectarians [who believe in the triunity of God].\u201d God answered Moses, \u201cYou write and whoever wants to err, let him err.\u201d
\n(Midrash Rabbah on Genesis 1:26 (New York: NOP Press, n.d.)<\/p>\n
The \u201csectarians,\u201d or heretics, mentioned here are Jewish Christians. It is obvious that the Midrash Rabbah is simply trying to get around the problem and fails to adequately explain why God refers to Himself in the plural.<\/p>\n
The Midrash Rabbah 9:9 says:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe heretics asked Rabbi Simlai how many deities created the world. He replied, \u2018If you must, enquire of the first day, as it is written \u201cFor ask now of the first days [Deuteronomy 4:32] not since the day God created (baru).\u201d What is written here but \u201cGod created (bara).\u201d \u2019 Then they asked him a second time, \u2018Why is it written in the beginning elohim created.\u2019 He answered, \u201c \u2018In the beginning baru elohim\u201d it is not written here but \u201cbara elohim the heavens and the earth.\u201d \u2019 Rabbi Simlai said, \u2018Wherever you find a point supporting the heretics you find the refutation at its side.\u2019 They asked him again what is meant by \u201cAnd God said let us make man.\u201d He replied, \u2018Read what follows. Not \u201cAnd gods created (vayir baru) man\u201d is it written here but \u201cAnd God created (vayir bara).\u201d \u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
This deals with a discussion between Jewish Christians and a rabbi. The Jewish believers are asking the rabbi, \u201cWhy do you have these plural pronouns and nouns?\u201d The rabbi responds that it does not prove plurality because the verb that follows is always singular and not plural.<\/p>\n
In The Torah Anthology by Rabbi Yaacov Culi (Maznaim, New York, 1977) on pages 107 and 108, it says:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis must be explained since the wording is very surprising. Nonbelievers argue that there is a multiple Godhead attempting to use this verse as a proof text for their contention, since it says \u201cLet us make man\u201d in the plural. Why then did the Torah use the plural expression \u201cLet us make man\u201d? Some say that man resembles the angels so they wished to see him created right away. God announced to them and said \u201cLet us make man. Come and rejoice for I am about to create man.\u201d [it then goes on to quote Rashi as already given above.]\u201d<\/p>\n
Finally, on this critical verse, Rabbi Nachmanides said that the plural denotes both God and the earth; the body came from the earth and the spirit or soul came from God.<\/p>\n
2. Genesis 3:22
\n3:22 And Jehovah God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever. (ASV)<\/p>\n
3. Genesis 11:6
\n11:6 And Jehovah said, Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language. And this is what they begin to do. And now nothing will be withholden from them, which they purpose to do. 7 Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another\u2019s speech. (ASV)<\/p>\n
4. Isaiah 6:8
\n6:8 And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said, Here am I; send me. (ASV)<\/p>\n
This last passage would appear contradictory with the singular \u201cI\u201d and the plural \u201cus\u201d except as viewed as a plurality (us) in a unity (I).<\/p>\n
Plural Descriptions<\/p>\n
Another point that comes out of the Hebrew is the fact that often nouns and their adjectives used in speaking of God are plural. Usually, when speaking of the one God these adjectives are singular. Sometimes, however, they are found in the plural form. Although in the Hebrew these appear as adjectives, they do not translate that way into English. Some examples of them being in the plural are as follows:<\/p>\n
1. Joshua 24:19
\n24:19 Then Joshua said to the people, \u201cYou will not be able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins. (NASB)<\/p>\n
In the Hebrew the word for \u201choly\u201d is a plural adjective; literally it reads \u201choly Gods.\u201d<\/p>\n
2. Psalm 149:2
\n149:2 Let Israel be glad in his Maker; Let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King. (NASB)<\/p>\n
In the Hebrew the word for \u201cmaker\u201d is plural; literally it reads, \u201clet Israel be glad in his makers.\u201d In English the word \u201cmaker\u201d is a noun, but in Hebrew it is an adjective.<\/p>\n
3. Ecclesiastes 12:1
\n12:1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, \u201cI have no delight in them\u201d; (NASB)<\/p>\n
Again, this would literally read \u201cremember also your Creators,\u201d a plural adjective.<\/p>\n
4. Isaiah 54:5
\n54:5 For thy Maker is thy husband; Jehovah of hosts is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is thy Redeemer; the God of the whole earth shall he be called. (ASV)<\/p>\n
In this verse, the words for \u201cmaker\u201d and \u201chusband\u201d are both plural adjectives in the Hebrew text; literally, \u201cfor thy makers is thy husbands; Jehovah of hosts is his name.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Unity of the Godhead<\/p>\n
The Shema\u2014Deuteronomy 6:4<\/p>\n
Everything which has been said so far rests firmly on the Hebrew language of the Scriptures. If we are to base our doctrine on the Scriptures alone, we have to say that on the one hand they affirm God\u2019s unity, while at the same time they tend towards the concept of a compound unity allowing for a plurality in the Godhead.
\nThis idea of plurality within the Godhead is consistently rejected by Judaism despite all of the evidence discussed so far, and invariably the argument returns to Deuteronomy 6:4 as final evidence of the singular nature of God.<\/p>\n
\u201cShema Yisroel Adomi Elohenu Adonai Echad.\u201d
\n6:4 \u201cHear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! (NASB)
\nDeuteronomy 6:4, known as the Shema, has always been Israel\u2019s great confession. It is this verse more than any other which is used to affirm the fact that God is one and to contradict the concept of plurality in the Godhead. But is it a valid use of this verse?
\nIt should be pointed out, first of all, that the very words \u201cour God\u201d are actually in the plural in Hebrew\u2014literally \u201cour Gods.\u201d The main argument, however, lies in the word \u201cone,\u201d which is the Hebrew word echad. A quick glance through the verses in the Hebrew text where this word is used will show that the word echad does not mean an \u201cabsolute one,\u201d but a \u201ccompound one.\u201d
\nFor example, in Genesis 1:5, the combination of evening and morning comprise one [echad] day. In Genesis 2:24, a man and a woman come together in marriage \u201cand the two shall become one [echad] flesh.\u201d In Ezra 2:64, we are told that the whole assembly was as one [echad], though of course, it was composed of numerous people. Ezekiel 37:17 provides a rather striking example where two sticks are combined to become one [echad]. Thus, use of the word echad in Scripture shows it to be a compound unity, not an absolute unity.
\nThere is a Hebrew word which does mean an absolute unity and that is the word yachid. This word is used in numerous places with the emphasis being on the meaning of \u201conly one.\u201d If Moses had intended to teach God\u2019s absolute oneness as opposed to His compound oneness, this would have been a far more appropriate word to have used. In fact, Maimonides noted the strength of yachid and chose to use it in his \u201cThirteen Articles of Faith\u201d in place of echad. However, Deuteronomy 6:4, the Shema, does not use yachid in reference to God.<\/p>\n
The Triunity of the Godhead<\/p>\n
How Many Persons Are There?<\/p>\n
So far we have seen from the use of various plural words that there is plurality in the nature of the one true God. We have also looked at several passages where the names of God are applied to two quite distinct divine personalities.
\nThe question that therefore arises is: How many personalities exist in the Godhead? A reading of the Hebrew Scriptures shows that three, and only three, distinct personalities are ever considered divine. They are:<\/p>\n
1. The Lord YHVH
\n2. The Angel of YHVH
\n3. The Spirit of God<\/p>\n
We will now consider each of these in turn.<\/p>\n
The Lord YHVH<\/p>\n
There are numerous places in Scripture where there is reference to the first of the three divine personalities. The usage of \u201cthe Lord YHVH\u201d is so frequent that there is no need to devote further space to it; a great many of the messianic prophecies already discussed serve as examples of this.<\/p>\n
The Angel of Jehovah<\/p>\n
The Expression Malach YHVH<\/p>\n
The second divine personality is the Angel of Jehovah\u2014but who is He? The Angel of Jehovah is not to be taken as a title, but, following Hebrew grammar, it always functions as a proper name. This individual is always considered distinct from all other angels and is unique. It never appears in the plural. Nowhere in Scripture are the phrases \u201cthe angels of Jehovah\u201d or \u201cthe angels of the God,\u201d but rather there are three, and only three, different expressions which are used:<\/p>\n
1. the Angel of Jehovah\u2014Malach YHVH, always singular.
\n2. the Angel of the God\u2014Malach Ha-Elohim, always singular with the definite article.
\n3. the angels of God\u2014Malachei Elohim, plural, and is never used with a definite article.<\/p>\n
The third of these expressions is used in general terms of ordinary angels. The first two expressions are both used to describe a very special and distinct individual\u2014the Angel of Jehovah. We can see this in Judges 6:20\u201321, where the same Person is described first, in verse 20, as \u201cthe Angel of the God\u201d and then, in verse 21, as \u201cthe Angel of Jehovah.\u201d This is also brought out in Judges chapter 13; in verse 3, there is a reference to \u201cthe Angel of Jehovah\u201d and later, in verse 9, this same individual is called \u201cthe Angel of the God.\u201d
\nConsistently, throughout the Hebrew text, there is a distinction made between ordinary angels and this unique Person referred to as both \u201cthe Angel of YHVH\u201d and \u201cthe Angel of the God.\u201d The Angel of Jehovah is clearly revealed as being different in stature, nature, person and essence from ordinary angels.<\/p>\n
The Angel of Jehovah is Jehovah<\/p>\n
What the Hebrew grammar is trying to show is that this unique individual is in fact God Himself. In virtually every context in which He appears, He is referred to as both the Angel of Jehovah and Jehovah Himself. There are many examples which show this:<\/p>\n
1. Genesis 16:7\u201314
\n16:7 And the angel of Jehovah found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai\u2019s handmaid, whence camest thou? And whither goest thou? And she said, I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai. 9 And the angel of Jehovah said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. 10 And the angel of Jehovah said unto her, I will greatly multiply thy seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. 11 And the angel of Jehovah said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son. And thou shalt call his name Ishmael, because Jehovah hath heard thy affliction. 12 And he shall be (as) a wild ass among men. His hand (shall be) against every man, and every man\u2019s hand against him. And he shall dwell over against all his brethren. 13 And she called the name of Jehovah that spake unto her, Thou art a God that seeth. For she said, Have I even here looked after him that seeth me? 14 Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. (ASV)<\/p>\n
There are four references here to the Angel of Jehovah, in verses 7, 9, 10 and 11, but then in verse 13 the reference is to Jehovah Himself, and so she names the place \u201cYou are a God that sees.\u201d<\/p>\n
2. Genesis 22:9\u201316
\n22:9 And they came to the place which God had told him of. And Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of Jehovah called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham. And he said, Here I am. 12 And he said, Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him. For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me. 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, behind (him) a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh. As it is said to this day, In the mount of Jehovah it shall be provided. 15 And the angel of Jehovah called unto Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said, By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, \u2026 (ASV)<\/p>\n
Twice here He is called the Angel of Jehovah (verses 11 and 15), but in verse 12 He is referred to as God and in verse 16 He is called Jehovah.<\/p>\n
3. Genesis 31:11\u201313
\n31:11 And the angel of God said unto me in the dream, Jacob: and I said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the he-goats which leap upon the flock are ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. 13 I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst a pillar, where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy nativity. (ASV)<\/p>\n
In verse 11, the reference is literally to \u201cthe Angel of the God,\u201d but when He speaks in verse 13, He says, \u201cI am the God of Bethel.\u201d<\/p>\n
4. Genesis 32:24\u201330
\n32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob\u2019s thigh was strained, as he wrestled with him. 26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for thou hast striven with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. 30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for, (said he), I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. (ASV)<\/p>\n
This is the very famous passage which describes Jacob wrestling with the Angel of Jehovah. But with whom is he really wrestling? In verse 28 it states, \u201c\u2026 for thou hast striven with God \u2026\u201d After this, in verse 30, Jacob declares, \u201cI have seen God face to face.\u201d The angel that he wrestled with is recognized to be God Himself.<\/p>\n
5. Exodus 3:1\u20135
\n3:1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God, unto Horeb. 2 And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4 And when Jehovah saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. (ASV)<\/p>\n
In verse 2, it is the Angel of Jehovah who is in the burning bush, but verse 4 says that, \u201cGod called unto him out of the midst of the bush.\u201d<\/p>\n
6. Judges 2:1
\n2:1 And the angel of Jehovah came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you \u2026 (ASV)<\/p>\n
In this verse the Angel of Jehovah claims to be responsible for the Exodus and for making the covenant with Israel. A comparison with Exodus 19:4 clearly shows that it was God Himself who was responsible for both these things; the two are synonymous.<\/p>\n
7. Judges 6:11\u201324
\n6:11 And the angel of Jehovah came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto him, and said unto him, Jehovah is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. 13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh, my lord, if Jehovah is with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not Jehovah bring us up from Egypt? but now Jehovah hath cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian. 14 And Jehovah looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian: have not I sent thee? 15 And he said unto him, Oh, Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father\u2019s house. 16 And Jehovah said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. 17 And he said unto him, If now I have found favor in thy sight, then show me a sign that it is thou that talkest with me. 18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and lay it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again. 19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it. 20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. 21 Then the angel of Jehovah put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there went up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of Jehovah departed out of his sight. 22 And Gideon saw that he was the angel of Jehovah; and Gideon said, Alas, O Lord Jehovah! forasmuch as I have seen the angel of Jehovah face to face. 23 And Jehovah said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. 24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto Jehovah, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. (ASV)<\/p>\n
Four times in this passage He is the Angel of Jehovah (verses 11, 12, 20, 21) and four times He is Jehovah Himself (verses 14, 16, 22, 23).<\/p>\n
8. Judges 13:2\u201324
\n13:2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. 3 And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not; but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. 4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: 5 for, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come upon his head; for the child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. 6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of the angel of God, very terrible; and I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name: 7 but he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing; for the child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb to the day of his death. 8 Then Manoah entreated Jehovah, and said, Oh, Lord, I pray thee, let the man of God whom thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. 9 And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her. 10 And the woman made haste, and ran, and told her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the (other) day. 11 And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am. 12 And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass: what shall be the ordering of the child, and (how) shall we do unto him? 13 And the angel of Jehovah said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware. 14 She may not eat of anything that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; all that I commanded her let her observe. 15 And Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, I pray thee, let us detain thee, that we may make ready a kid for thee. 16 And the angel of Jehovah said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; and if thou wilt make ready a burnt-offering, thou must offer it unto Jehovah. For Manoah knew not that he was the angel of Jehovah. 17 And Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, What is thy name, that, when thy words come to pass, we may do thee honor? 18 And the angel of Jehovah said unto him, Wherefore askest thou after my name, seeing it is wonderful? 19 So Manoah took the kid with the meal-offering, and offered it upon the rock unto Jehovah: and (the angel) did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on. 20 For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of Jehovah ascended in the flame of the altar: and Manoah and his wife looked on; and they fell on their faces to the ground. 21 But the angel of Jehovah did no more appear to Manoah or to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of Jehovah. 22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. 23 But his wife said unto him, If Jehovah were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meal-offering at our hand, neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would at this time have told such things as these. 24 And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and Jehovah blessed him. (ASV)<\/p>\n
Nine times in this passage He is referred to as the Angel of Jehovah: in verses 3, 9, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21. But then, in verse 22, He is said to be God Himself. Note also in verse 18 that this Angel\u2019s name is \u201cWonderful.\u201d In our study of Isaiah 9:6, it was pointed out that pele, the Hebrew word for \u201cwonderful,\u201d is only used of God, never of man, or an angel. The very fact that He claims this name for Himself shows that He is not a common angel, but God Himself.<\/p>\n
Beyond the Book of Judges, the Angel of Jehovah virtually disappears from Jewish history. He only appears twice more in the Scriptures. In Isaiah 37:36, He slaughters the Assyrian army, and in the first six chapters of Zechariah, He is the One who gives Zechariah his eight visions.<\/p>\n
The Uniqueness of His Person<\/p>\n
In Isaiah 42:8, God says of Himself, \u201cI Am Jehovah; that is my name, my glory I will not give to another \u2026\u201d When we compare this statement with Exodus 23:21 we are better able to understand the unique nature of the Angel of Jehovah. In Exodus 23:20\u201323, it is God who is speaking, and He says:<\/p>\n
23:20 Behold, I send an angel before thee, to keep thee by the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. 21 Take ye heed before him, and hearken unto his voice; provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgression: for my name is in him. 22 But if thou shalt indeed hearken unto his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. 23 For mine angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: and I will cut them off. (ASV)<\/p>\n
In Exodus 23:20, God says that this Angel will lead the people of Israel throughout the Exodus until they come into the Land. This is consistent with Judges 2:1, which we have already looked at.
\nIn verse 21, several commands are given. Israel is commanded to be obedient to this Angel and not to provoke Him to anger. This Angel commands the people\u2019s absolute obedience. Why? Because \u201cmy Name is in him.\u201d
\nThis Angel is very special for several reasons:<\/p>\n
1. he will not pardon your transgression (verse 21)
\nHe has the power to forgive sins; a prerogative that only God has.<\/p>\n
2. my name is in him (verse 21)
\nThe name is Jehovah, a name given only to members of the Godhead; this Angel has that name.<\/p>\n
3. There are blessings for obeying Him (verse 22)<\/p>\n
4. He is the Angel of the Exodus (verse 23)<\/p>\n
Later, in Exodus 32:34\u201335 we read that despite the warnings, the people did indeed rebel against this Angel and were punished for it.
\nHosea 12:3\u20135 also says that this Angel has the very name of God in Him. The fact that He has all four letters of God\u2019s name within His Name indicates that He is actually God Himself.
\nWhen Isaiah 63:7\u201314 describes Him as the Angel of God\u2019s presence, He is in fact the second Person of the Trinity.<\/p>\n
The Spirit of God<\/p>\n
The third major personality who is evident in the Hebrew Scriptures is the Spirit of God, often referred to simply as the Ruach Ha-Kodesh. There are many references to the Spirit of God, among which are:<\/p>\n
1. Genesis 1:2
\n1:2 And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. (NASB)<\/p>\n
2. Genesis 6:3
\n6:3 Then the LORD said, \u201cMy Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.\u201d (NASB)<\/p>\n
3. Job 33:4
\n33:4 \u201cThe Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life. (NASB)<\/p>\n
4. Psalm 51:11
\n51:11 Do not cast me away from Thy presence, And do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. (NASB)<\/p>\n
5. Psalm 139:7
\n139:7 Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence? (NASB)<\/p>\n
6. Isaiah 11:2
\n11:2 And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD \u2026 (NASB)<\/p>\n
7. Isaiah 63:10
\n63:10 But they rebelled And grieved His Holy Spirit; Therefore, He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them. (NASB)<\/p>\n
8. Isaiah 63:14
\n63:14 As the cattle which go down into the valley, The Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. So didst Thou lead Thy people, To make for Thyself a glorious name. (NASB)<\/p>\n
The Holy Spirit cannot be a mere emanation because, as can be seen in these quotations, He has all the characteristics of personality\u2014intellect, emotion and will\u2014and is considered divine.<\/p>\n
The Three Personalities in the Same Passage<\/p>\n
So then, from various sections of the Hebrew Scriptures there is a clear demonstration that three personalities are referred to as divine and as being God: the Lord YHVH, the Angel of YHVH, and the Spirit of God.
\nFurthermore, there are places in the Hebrew Scriptures where all three personalities of the Godhead are referred to in a single passage. This can be seen in Isaiah 42:1 and 61:1, but the two clearest examples are Isaiah 48:12\u201316 and Isaiah 63:7\u201314.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 48:12\u201316<\/p>\n
48:12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob, and Israel my called: I am he; I am the first, I also am the last. 13 Yea, my hand hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spread out the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together. 14 Assemble yourselves, all ye, and hear; who among them hath declared these things? He whom Jehovah loveth shall perform his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm (shall be on) the Chaldeans. 15 I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him; I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous. 16 Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; from the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord Jehovah hath sent me, and his Spirit. (ASV)<\/p>\n
In verse 12 it is God, the Creator of the earth, who is speaking. It is still God, the \u201cI Am,\u201d who is speaking in verse 16 where He says that He has been sent by another Person, Jehovah, together with a third Person\u2014the Spirit of Jehovah.
\nHere is the Triunity of God as clearly defined as the Hebrew Scriptures can make it.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 63:7\u201314<\/p>\n
63:7 I will make mention of the lovingkindness of Jehovah, (and) the praises of Jehovah, according to all that Jehovah hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindness. 8 For he said, Surely, they are my people, children that will not deal falsely: so he was their Saviour. 9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. 10 But they rebelled, and grieved his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, (and) himself fought against them. 11 Then he remembered the days of old, Moses (and) his people, (saying), Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit in the midst of them? 12 that caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses? that divided the waters before them, to make himself an everlasting name? 13 that led them through the depths, as a horse in the wilderness, so that they stumbled not? 14 As the cattle that go down into the valley, the Spirit of Jehovah caused them to rest; so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name. (ASV)<\/p>\n
In this passage Isaiah is recounting the experiences of Israel in the Exodus and the Wilderness Wanderings. In the course of these seven verses, Isaiah mentions three distinct divine personalities. These are as follows:<\/p>\n
1. In verse 7 he mentions the Lord Jehovah\u2014the first Person.
\n2. In verse 9 he mentions the Angel of His presence\u2014the second Person.
\n3. The third Person is the Holy Spirit, mentioned three times, in verses 10, 11, and 14.<\/p>\n
While often throughout the Hebrew Scriptures God refers to Himself as being the One solely responsible for Israel\u2019s redemption from Egypt, in this passage three personalities are given credit for it. There is, however, no contradiction seen here since all three comprise the unity of the one Godhead.<\/p>\n
Conclusions<\/p>\n
The Teaching of the Hebrew Scriptures<\/p>\n
The teaching of the Hebrew Scriptures, then, is that there is a plurality of the Godhead. The first Person is consistently called YHVH, while the second Person is given the names of YHVH, the Angel of YHVH and the Servant of YHVH. Consistently and without fail, the second Person is sent by the first Person. The third Person is referred to as the Spirit of YHVH or the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit. He, too, is sent by the first Person but is continually related to the ministry of the second Person.
\nIf the concept of the Triunity of God is not Jewish, then neither are the Hebrew Scriptures. Jewish believers cannot be accused of having slipped into paganism when they hold to the fact that Jesus is the divine Son of God. He is the same One of whom Moses wrote when the Lord said:<\/p>\n
23:20 Behold, I send an angel before thee, to keep thee by the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. 21 Take ye heed before him, and hearken unto his voice; provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgression: for my name is in him. 22 But if thou shalt indeed hearken unto his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. 23 For mine angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: and I will cut them off. (ASV)<\/p>\n
New Testament Light<\/p>\n
In keeping with the teaching of the Hebrew Scriptures, the New Testament clearly recognizes that there are three Persons in the Godhead, although it becomes quite a bit more specific. The first Person is called the Father while the second is called the Son. The New Testament answers the question of Proverbs 30:4: \u201cwhat is his name, and what is his son\u2019s name, if you know?\u201d His son\u2019s name is Yeshua, Jesus. In accordance with the Hebrew Scriptures, He is sent by God to be the Messiah, but this time as a man, not as an angel. Furthermore, He is sent for a specific purpose: to die for our sins. In essence, what happened was that God became a man\u2014not that man became God\u2014in order to accomplish the work of atonement.
\nThe New Testament calls the third Person of the Godhead the Holy Spirit. Throughout the New Testament He is related to the work of the second Person, in keeping with the teaching of the Hebrew Scriptures. We see, then, that there is a continuous body of teaching in both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament relating to the Triunity of God.<\/p>\n
Appendices<\/p>\n
Appendix 1<\/p>\n
The Sons of God<\/p>\n
In discussing Genesis 6:1\u20134, one of the early echoes of the promise of Genesis 3:15, it has been stated that these verses describe the intermarriage of fallen angels with human women. Because this view is contested by some, it will be necessary to study these verses in some detail and provide a justification of the interpretation which has been given.<\/p>\n
The Multiplication of Humanity\u2014Genesis 6:1<\/p>\n
6:1 Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, \u2026 (NASB)<\/p>\n
Verse 1 emphasizes the multiplication of humanity before the Flood. The Hebrew word for \u201cmen\u201d used here is generic and refers to humanity in general, including male and female. The word, as such, cannot be limited to the sons of Cain. It included both Sethites and Cainites, and both of these groups died in the Flood.
\nAnother key word found in verse 1 is \u201cdaughter,\u201d a Hebrew word that means \u201cfemales.\u201d The emphasis in the second part of verse 1, \u201cdaughters were born unto them,\u201d is on the female portion of humanity. Again, the expression cannot be limited to the female descendents of Cain, as some teach. It simply is a word that means \u201cthe female portion of the population.\u201d Verse 1 can read: \u201cMan [humanity] multiplied and daughters [females] were born unto them.\u201d The distinction in verse 1 is not between male Sethites and female Cainites, but the emphasis is on the female portion of humanity in general which would include both Cainites and Sethites.<\/p>\n
The Intermarriage\u2014Genesis 6:2<\/p>\n
\u2026 2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. (NASB)<\/p>\n
Verse 2 describes an intermarriage. The first key phrase is, \u201csons of God.\u201d The term \u201csons of God\u201d is a general term which means \u201cto be brought into existence by God\u2019s creative act.\u201d Because the term carries this meaning, it is used very selectively. Throughout the Old Testament the term \u201csons of God\u201d is always used of angels. This is very clear when the usages of the term are compared in the Old Testament. Elsewhere, the term is used in Job 1:6; 2:1, and 38:7. No one debates that the other places where \u201csons of God\u201d is found in the Old Testament clearly refer to angels. But some want to make Genesis 6:1\u20134 the one exception, and there is simply no warrant for making an exception here.
\nIn the New Testament the term \u201csons of God\u201d is expanded. Adam is called the son of God (Luke 3:38) because he was brought into existence by creation. Believers are called sons of God (John 1:12) because believers are considered to be a new creation (Galatians 6:15). But in Genesis, the text is dealing with a specific Hebrew expression, benei elohim, and, as it is used in the Hebrew Old Testament, it is a term that is always used of angels. The distinction in this passage, then, is not between Sethites and Cainites, but between humanity and angels. The word men here emphasizes humanity. The term \u201csons of God\u201d emphasizes angels.
\nThe second key expression in verse 2 is \u201cdaughters of men.\u201d This is a generic term for women, which includes females of both Sethites and Cainites. What the verse is saying is, \u201cthe sons of God saw the daughters of men.\u201d There is no justification for this verse to be interpreted to mean \u201cgodly males\u201d intermarried with \u201cungodly females.\u201d Would truly godly men marry ungodly females? The \u201cdaughters of men\u201d simply means womankind, and the \u201csons of God\u201d refers to angels. If the meaning is kept consistent with its usage elsewhere in the Old Testament, the passage is clearly speaking of fallen angels intermarrying with human women. This is obvious in two ways.
\nFirst, it is always a one-way intermarriage; it is always \u201csons of God\u201d marrying \u201cdaughters of men.\u201d There is no record of \u201cdaughters of God\u201d marrying \u201csons of men.\u201d If the distinction was between Sethites and Cainites, it simply would not happen this way. In human society, intermarriage occurs both ways. Today, saved males sometimes marry unsaved females, and sometimes saved females marry unsaved males. If the other claim was true, it would mean that male Sethites married female Cainites, but male Cainites never married female Sethites, which is entirely unlikely. Intermarriage would thus be confined to godly men with ungodly women, but not godly women with ungodly men. But in Genesis 6 there is only a one-way intermarriage, the \u201csons of God\u201d intermarrying with the \u201cdaughters of men.\u201d
\nSecond, the context clearly speaks of a cohabitation that is unusual and unnatural and causes the worldwide Flood. Verses 1\u20134 deal with the angelic cause of the worldwide Flood, while verses 5\u20136 deal with the human cause. Cohabitation between Sethites and Cainites would not be unusual or unnatural, while cohabitation between angels and humans would be.
\nThose who do not like this teaching object to it by quoting Matthew 22:30, claiming that this verse clearly teaches that angels are sexless:<\/p>\n
22:30 \u201cFor in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.\u201d (NASB)<\/p>\n
What Jesus said is that human beings \u201cin the resurrection\u201d and \u201cin heaven\u201d do not \u201cmarry, nor are [they] given in marriage.\u201d The angels that Jesus was speaking of are \u201cangels in heaven.\u201d The comparison is not with angels in general, but with angels \u201cin heaven.\u201d The emphasis is that in heaven, good angels neither marry nor are given in marriage. Matthew 22:30 makes the same point about human beings. Humans in heaven do not marry, nor are they given in marriage. What about humans here on earth? Humans on earth certainly do marry and are given in marriage. This is a contrast between what happens in heaven as compared to what happens here on earth. Genesis 6, however, is speaking of angels on earth. So in heaven, angels do not marry, nor are they given in marriage, and humans in heaven will not marry nor be given in marriage. But Genesis 6 discusses things happening on earth. Angels are never declared to be sexless. In fact, the male gender is always used. Matthew 22:30 teaches that angels do not procreate after their kind, meaning that angels do not give birth to other angels. But angels are always described in the masculine gender, not in the feminine, nor in the neuter. They are always masculine gender in both the Old and New Testaments. Whenever angels became visible, they always appeared as young men. Anytime an angel appeared to a person he always appeared as a young man and never a woman (Genesis 18:1\u201319:22; Mark 16:5\u20137; Luke 24:4\u20137; Acts 1:10\u201311). Matthew 22:30 cannot be used as an argument against the angelic interpretation of Genesis 6:1\u20134, because it is dealing with a situation on earth, not in heaven; nor does Matthew 22:30 teach that angels are sexless.
\nAnother question is: Why did Satan have some of his fallen angels intermarry with human women? Why bother? The reason for this can be understood by investigating the greater context of Genesis. Three chapters earlier (Genesis 3:15), the first messianic prophecy is recorded. This prophecy declared that the Messiah would be the Seed of the Woman, and this Seed would crush the head of Satan. What is happening in Genesis 6:1\u20134 is a Satanic attempt to corrupt the Seed of the Woman by having some of his angels take on human form\u2014angels always appear as young males when they take on human form\u2014and intermarry with humankind to try to corrupt the seed. Therefore, the events of Genesis 6:1\u20134 were a Satanic attempt to cancel out the prophecy of Genesis 3:15.<\/p>\n
The Result of the Intermarriage\u2014Genesis 6:3<\/p>\n
The result of this intermarriage was the judgment of God:<\/p>\n
3 Then the LORD said, \u201cMy Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.\u201d (NASB)<\/p>\n
In verse 3 God pronounced the judgment: the Holy Spirit would not continue to strive with this kind of evil forever, and God decreed the destruction of humanity to be fulfilled 120 years later. The means of the destruction would be the Flood. The purpose of the Flood was to destroy the product of the union of angels and women, discussed in the next verse.<\/p>\n
The Product of the Intermarriage\u2014Genesis 6:4<\/p>\n
4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. (NASB)<\/p>\n
To get a clearer concept of what this verse is saying as a whole, individual parts need to be discussed first.
\nFirst is the name Nephilim. In some translations the word Nephilim has been translated by the word \u201cgiant.\u201d People reading it picture huge human beings. But the word does not mean \u201cgiants\u201d; rather, it means \u201cfallen ones.\u201d The word does not refer to giants in the sense of huge beings, but to a race of fallen ones. The reason it was translated as \u201cgiant\u201d is because in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament made around 250 B.C., the Jewish scholars translated verse 4 by the Greek word gigentes which means \u201cTitan.\u201d Our English word \u201cgiant\u201d comes from this Greek word gigentes. But what were the Titans in Greek mythology? They were part man and part god, because they were products of gods and men. When the Jewish scholars in 250 B.C. translated the word Nephilim to Greek, they used the Greek word for Titans because they recognized this to be a union not of two types of human beings, but of angels and humans which produced a being that was neither angelic nor human. So at least the Jewish scholars of 250 B.C., who lived much closer to the time when Moses originally wrote this passage, clearly understood this to be an intermarriage between angels and human women. As a result of this union, a new race of beings called the Nephilim, a race of fallen ones, came into being. They were gigentes, they were superhuman, but not in size. They had human characteristics but were, at the same time, superhuman. They had extra capacities, both mentally and physically, though they may not have been any larger than normal human beings. It is from the events of Genesis 6:1\u20134 that the source of Greek and Roman mythologies were derived. These mythologies record how gods from Mount Olympus intermarried with human beings on earth and produced children who had superhuman characteristics, who were greater than men but less than the gods. The book of Genesis gives the true history of what really happened, while Greek and Roman mythologies give the corrupted account. In Greek and Roman mythologies the human perspective is given, and what happened is elevated to something special and glorified, but God called it sin.
\nThe second word to note in this verse is giborim, which is translated as \u201cthe mighty men \u2026 the men of renown.\u201d Again, because this was a product of fallen angels and human women, they were unique. They were the giborim. Notice that there is no mention of mighty women, which would be strange if this were a product of a normal union. After all, a normal union produces both males and females. If this were a natural union, then the product should have been mighty men and mighty women. But there are only mighty men because this is a new race of beings that is neither human nor angelic. The only way to explain the origin of the giborim is that they were the product of this union, the point of verse 4.
\nOnly by the angelic explanation of chapter 6 do other areas of biblical teaching make sense. It provides the only adequate explanation for certain statements in II Peter and Jude which will be studied next. It is a peculiar sin, it is connected to the flood, and it is different from the original fall of the angels; otherwise, all fallen angels would be permanently confined.<\/p>\n
2 Peter 2:4\u20135<\/p>\n
2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; \u2026 (NASB)<\/p>\n
Verse 4 gives the location of the permanently confined demons. The temporarily confined demons are found in the Abyss, but the permanently confined demons are elsewhere. The Greek word translated in this passage as \u201chell\u201d is tartarus. Tartarus is a section of Sheol or Hades where the permanently confined demons are located. Both the Abyss and Tartarus are sections of Sheol or Hades. The Abyss is for demons that are temporarily confined, but Tartarus is for demons who are permanently confined. Tartarus is referred to as \u201cpits of darkness\u201d and these angels are reserved there unto the \u201cjudgment.\u201d This will be the Great White Throne Judgment, the final judgment. This means that at no time will these angels ever be released. When the time comes, they will go directly from Tartarus to stand before the Great White Throne Judgment and then be cast into the Lake of Fire. There will never be a time when they will be free to roam\u2014they are permanently confined.
\nVerse 5 reveals the timing of their confinement: it was in conjunction with the Flood. This agrees well with the events of Genesis 6:1\u20134 which are also connected with the Flood. The purpose of the Flood was to destroy this product of fallen angels and human women. So by comparing the II Peter passage with the Genesis passage, there is good evidence to show that Genesis is not speaking about Sethites intermarrying with Cainites, but fallen angels intermarrying with human women. This is a valid conclusion just from a study of the Old Testament passages themselves. However, the New Testament also supports this particular interpretation.<\/p>\n
Jude 6\u20137<\/p>\n
6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. 7 Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example, in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. (NASB)<\/p>\n
Verse 6 emphasized the fall of a select group of angels and described their fall in four statements. First, \u201cthey kept not their own principality.\u201d The word \u201cprincipality\u201d is frequently used of the angelic realm and is one of the various ranks within the angelic realm. It means that they did not remain in their position and place of rank within the Satanic cosmos. Second, they \u201cleft their proper habitation.\u201d They left the demonic-angelic sphere of operation and entered into the human sphere by taking on the form of young men and intermarrying with human women. Third, they are now \u201ckept in everlasting bonds under darkness.\u201d Here Jude mentioned the same thing as Peter, that these angels are now permanently confined. Peter also revealed the place of their confinement: Tartarus. Fourth, they are to be kept there until \u201cthe judgment of that great day.\u201d Again, Jude reaffirms Peter\u2019s statement that they are being kept in bondage until the judgment of that great day. This is the Great White Throne Judgment. Once again, it is reaffirmed that these demons will never be free to roam around but are permanently confined in Tartarus. When the time comes, they will be taken out of Tartarus to stand before the Great White Throne Judgment, and then be cast into the Lake of Fire.
\nVerse 7 deals with the nature of their sin. The key phrase is \u201cin like manner.\u201d In like manner, as Sodom and Gomorrah, they went after \u201cstrange flesh.\u201d The sin that these angels committed is similar to the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, the sexual sin of going after strange flesh. \u201cStrange flesh\u201d means sexual union that is unnatural; it goes contrary to nature. In the case of Sodom and Gomorrah, the strange flesh was homosexuality; in the case of these angels, the strange flesh was female flesh. Instead of remaining in their usual state of residence, they invaded a new state of residence, one of alien flesh, to commit gross sexual immorality. Sodom and Gomorrah and these angels have one thing in common: they are guilty of sexual sins. In the case of Sodom and Gomorrah it was homosexuality; in the case of these angels, it was intermarrying into the human sphere.
\nBy comparing the Genesis passage with the passages in II Peter and Jude, it is clear that these are angels who intermarried with human women, and not simply Sethites who intermarried with Cainites.<\/p>\n
Appendix 2<\/p>\n
Rabbinic Views of Messiah and Isaiah 53<\/p>\n
The Paradox<\/p>\n
Anyone who sets himself to the task of seeking to know what the Old Testament has to say about the coming of the Messiah soon finds himself involved with a seeming paradox. At times one even seems to be faced with an outright contradiction, for the Jewish prophets gave a twofold picture of the Messiah who was to come.
\nOn the one hand, the inquirer will find numerous predictions regarding the Messiah which portray Him as One who is going to suffer humiliation, physical harm, and finally death in a violent manner. This death was stated by the Jewish prophets to be a substitutionary death for the sins of the Jewish people. On the other hand, he will find that the Jewish prophets also spoke of the Messiah coming as a conquering king who will destroy the enemies of Israel and set up the Messianic Kingdom of peace and prosperity.
\nThis is the twofold picture the Jewish prophets gave of the Messiah. For centuries past, during the formulation of the Talmud, our rabbis made serious studies of messianic prophecies. They came up with this conclusion: The prophets spoke of two different Messiahs.
\nThe Messiah who was to come, suffer and die was termed Messiah, the Son of Joseph, Mashiach ben Yoseph. The second Messiah, who would then come following the first, was termed Messiah, the Son of David, Mashiach ben David. This one would raise the first Messiah back to life, and establish the Messianic Kingdom of peace on earth. That the Old Testament presents these two lines of messianic prophecy was something all the early rabbis recognized. The Old Testament never clearly states that there will be two Messiahs. In fact, many of the paradoxical descriptions are found side by side in the same passages in which, it seems, that only one person is meant. But for the early rabbis the two\u2014Messiahs theory seemed to be the best answer.
\nFor centuries Orthodox Judaism held the concept of two Messiahs. Since the Talmudic period, however, in the history of the Jewish people, the Son of David alone was played up in the imaginations of Jewish hearts and minds. The other messianic figure, Messiah, the Son of Joseph, the suffering one, was ignored. He was there in Jewish theology when needed to explain the suffering Messiah passages contained in the Old Testament. His existence provided an escape clause when thorny questions were raised. Otherwise, this messianic figure was largely ignored. Today, few Jews have heard of Him or know of His existence in Jewish theology of days gone by. The One that Jews today know of is the One who is to conquer: Messiah, the Son of David.<\/p>\n
The Source of the Paradox<\/p>\n
One of the major sources from which the rabbis developed their concept of the suffering Messiah, the Son of Joseph, was Isaiah 53. The present-day bone of contention regarding what the Old Testament says about the Messiah centers on this chapter. The passage speaks of a servant, the Servant of Jehovah. This Servant undergoes a great deal of suffering, ending in death. The chapter goes on to state that this suffering is a vicarious suffering, that the death is a substitutionary death for sin; He is suffering and dying for the sins of others. The passage goes on to indicate that this Servant is resurrected. The bone of contention is not so much over what the passage says, but of whom it speaks.
\nThe question today concerns of whom Isaiah was speaking. Did he prophesy concerning the Messiah here? Rabbis say that this is the Christian interpretation of this passage and not the Jewish one. The Jewish interpretation, they would say, is that Isaiah is speaking about the people of Israel, the Jewish people suffering in the Gentile world. This is the Jewish interpretation, the rabbis would say\u2014and it does not speak of the Messiah at all.
\nBut to make the passage speak of the collective body of Israel seems almost to force an interpretation. Taken by itself, the passage seems to have only one individual in mind.<\/p>\n
Rabbinic Interpretations of Isaiah 53<\/p>\n
But is this conflict merely between the Jewish interpretation and the Christian one? The history of Judaism shows otherwise. The interpretation that Isaiah 53 is referring to the Jewish people is really a recent one. The original interpretation of Isaiah 53 by Jewish rabbis has been that it is speaking of an individual\u2014the Messiah Himself. In fact, the concept of Messiah, the Son of Joseph, comes from this passage. But for a clearer idea of what the old Jewish view of Isaiah 53 was, it would be good to turn to history.
\nAmong the earliest Targums are those of Jonathan ben Uzziel dating from the first century A.D. His Targums on this passage of Isaiah begin with these words: \u201cBehold my servant Messiah shall prosper \u2026\u201d The Targums of Jonathan ben Uzziel were heavily quoted by the early rabbis and he was certainly considered an authority on the Jewish view of Scripture. He definitely considered the Isaiah passage to speak of Messiah. Jonathan ben Uzziel could hardly be accused of adopting the Christian interpretation. That Jonathan ben Uzziel was not alone in this interpretation becomes clear from a quotation from Rabbi Don Yitzchak Abarbanel from about 1500. While he himself did not accept the view that the Isaiah passage referred to the Messiah, he makes a dramatic admission:<\/p>\n
The first question is to ascertain to whom (this Scripture) refers: for the learned among the Nazarenes expound it of the man who was crucified in Jerusalem at the end of the second Temple and who, according to them, was the Son of God and took flesh in the virgin\u2019s womb, as is stated in their writings. But Yonathan ben Uzziel interprets it in the Thargum of the future Messiah; and this is also the opinion of our own learned men in the majority of their Midrashim \u2026 (italics added).<\/p>\n
In spite of Abarbanel\u2019s personal view regarding this passage, he freely admits that the majority of the rabbis of the Midrashim took the passage to speak of the Messiah. He thus points out that Jonathan ben Uzziel was not alone in his opinion, but rather this was the Jewish view of the period of the Targumim and the Midrashim.
\nThe Zohar, thought to have been written either by Simon bar Yochai in the second century or by a Spanish rabbi in the thirteenth century, makes certain statements which have obvious references to the Isaiah passage:<\/p>\n
There is in the garden of Eden a palace called the Palace of the sons of sickness: this palace the Messiah then enters, and summons every sickness, every pain, and every chastisement of Israel; they all come and rest upon him. And were it not that he had thus lightened them off Israel and taken them upon himself, there had been no man able to bear Israel\u2019s chastisements for transgression of the law: and this is that which is written, \u201cSurely our sicknesses he hath carried.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Zohar in this quotation quotes from Isaiah 53:4 and referred the passage to the Messiah Himself. The passage further makes Israel distinct from the One referred to in the Isaiah passage. Furthermore, the Zohar recognizes the vicariousness and substitutional element in the passage\u2014the Messiah is taking upon Himself the suffering due to Israel for their sins.
\nMore evidence from within the same period is provided by the Babylonian Talmud: \u201cThe Messiah\u2014what is his name?\u2026 those of the house of Rabbi Yuda the Saint say, \u2018The sick one,\u2019 as it is said, \u2018Surely he hath borne our sicknesses\u2019 \u201d (Sanhedrin 98b).
\nLike the Zohar, the Babylonian Talmud also took the Isaiah passage to refer to the Messiah. Verse 4 is specifically applied to the person of the Messiah Himself.
\nIn Midrash Thanhumi we find:<\/p>\n
Rabbi Nahman says, The word \u201cman\u201d in the passage \u2026 refers to the Messiah, the son of David, as it is written, \u201cBehold the man whose name is Zemah\u201d; where Yonathan interprets, Behold the man Messiah; and so it is said, \u201cA man of pains and known to sickness.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sepher Ha-Gilgalim sees Isaiah 52:13 as referring to \u201cKing Messiah\u201d and says of Him:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe shall be high and exalted etc.,\u201d or, as our Rabbis say, \u201cHe shall be higher than Abraham, exceedingly above Adam!\u201d<\/p>\n
The Midrash Cohen, when dealing with Isaiah 53:5, puts the following words in the mouth of Elijah the prophet. Elijah says to Messiah:<\/p>\n
\u201cBear thou the sufferings and wounds wherewith the Almighty doth chastise thee for Israel\u2019s sin;\u201d and so it is written, \u2018He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities\u2019 until the time when the end should come.<\/p>\n
Another Midrash on this same passage states: \u201cAll the sufferings are divided into three parts. One part goes to David and the Patriarchs, another to the generation of the rebellion [rebellious Israel] and the third to King Messiah.\u201d
\nAnother volume that takes the Isaiah passage to refer to the Messiah is the Mahsor or the Prayer Book for the Day of Atonement. One of the many prayers found in this volume is called the Musaf Prayer. It was written by Rabbi Eliezer Kalir around the seventh century A.D. Part of the prayer reads as follows:<\/p>\n
Messiah our righteousness is departed from us: horror hath seized us, and we have none to justify us. He hath borne the yoke of our iniquities, and our transgression, and is wounded because of our transgression. He beareth our sins on his shoulder, that he may find pardon for our iniquities. We shall be healed by his wound, at the time that the Eternal will create him (the Messiah) as a new creature. O bring him up from the circle of the earth. Raise him up from Seir, to assemble us the second time on Mount Lebanon, by the hand of Yinnon.<\/p>\n
The more this Yom Kippur prayer is studied, the more interesting it becomes. The prayer voices fear that the Messiah has departed from the people, which assumes that Messiah had already come to them and has left them. Furthermore, the Messiah who has departed has suffered vicariously for the people, the sins of the people having been placed on this Messiah. Now, after suffering, the Messiah has departed from them; this is the cause of their consternation. Now, the people pray for the Messiah to come back a second time. Much of this prayer is a direct quotation from the Isaiah passage. This shows, therefore, that even as late as the seventh century, the Jewish view was still that this passage had reference to the Messiah.
\nThat this view was still the dominant one among Jewry in the tenth century is seen from the commentary of Yepheth ben \u2019Ali:<\/p>\n
As to myself, I am inclined, with Benjamin of Nehawend, to regard it as alluding to the Messiah \u2026 He (the prophet) thus gives us to understand two things: In the first instance, that the Messiah will only reach his highest degree of honor after long and severe trials; and secondly, that these trials will be sent upon him as a kind of sign, so that, if he finds himself under the yoke of misfortunes while remaining pious in his actions, he may know that he is the designated one.\u2026 The expression \u201cmy servant\u201d is applied to the Messiah as it is applied to his ancestor in the verse, \u201cI have sworn to David my servant.\u201d<\/p>\n
This rabbi, too, recognized the passage to be in reference to the Messiah. He makes the point in accordance with the passage that the Messiah will reach His high state of glory by means of suffering.
\nJews in the eleventh century also considered the passage to speak of the Messiah. The Bereshith Rabbah of Rabbi Moshe Hadarshan states that the Holy One gave Messiah the opportunity to save souls, but to be severely chastised. We then find these words:<\/p>\n
\u2026 and forthwith the Messiah accepted the chastisements of love, as it is written, \u201cHe was oppressed, and he was afflicted.\u201d \u2026 And when Israel is sinful, the Messiah seeks for mercy upon them, as it is written, \u201cBy his stripes we were healed,\u201d and, \u201cHe carried the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.\u201d<\/p>\n
By quoting from Isaiah 53, verses 7, 5, and 12 respectively, the Bereshith Rabbah draws certain conclusions. One is that the Messiah will save many, but that this salvation of the many is accomplished by means of His suffering. Second, the Messiah\u2019s sufferings are viewed to be vicarious in nature, for He is seen as suffering for the sins of Israel.
\nAnother rabbi from the eleventh century, Rabbi Tobiyyah ben Eliezer, in his Lechah Tova has this to say about Isaiah 52:13: \u201cAnd let his kingdom be exalted,\u201d in the days of the Messiah, of whom it is said, \u201cBehold my servant shall prosper; he will be high and exalted, and lofty exceedingly.\u201d
\nAmong the most famous rabbis of this period was Moses ben Maimon, better known as Maimonides or the Rambam. In his writings he, too, makes the Isaiah passage refer to the Messiah:<\/p>\n
What is to be the manner of Messiah\u2019s advent, \u2026 there shall rise up one of whom none have known before, and the signs and wonders which they shall see performed by him will be the proofs of his true origin.\u2026 And Isaiah speaks \u2026 of the time when he will appear, without his father or mother or family being known \u201cHe came up as a sucker before him, and as a root out of the dry earth, etc.\u201d But the unique phenomenon attending his manifestation is, that all the kings of the earth will be thrown into terror at the fame of him \u2026 that they will lay their hands upon their mouth; in the words of Isaiah, when describing the manner in which the kings will hearken to him, \u201cAt him kings will shut their mouth; for that which had not been told them have they seen, and that which they had not heard they have perceived.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Rambam quotes from Isaiah 53:2 and 52:15 respectively, and refers these passages to the Messiah\u2019s person. This is his view regarding the entire passage.
\nAlso from the eleventh century, an ancient Jewish writing states concerning the Messiah:<\/p>\n
\u2026 and Messiah, the son of Ephraim, will die there, and Israel will mourn for him. And afterwards the Holy One will reveal to them Messiah, the son of David, whom Israel will desire to stone, saying, Thou speakest falsely; already is the Messiah slain \u2026 and so they will despise him, as it is written, \u201cDespised and forlorn of men \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
The writer presents the Two Messiahs view which was the common Jewish view of his day. One Messiah, the Son of Ephraim or Joseph, will die. After his death will come the Messiah, the Son of David whom, the rabbi says, Israel will reject. He quotes from Isaiah 53:3 to prove his point.
\nDuring this time, we have for the first time in the history of Jewish theology, the idea that this passage was not in reference to the Messiah but in reference to the people of Israel. It was first propounded by Rabbi Shlomo Yizchaki, better known as Rashi. But since he went contrary to the traditional Jewish view concerning this passage, there was an immediate reaction by other Jewish authorities.
\nOne rabbi who reacted against the new view propounded by Rashi was Rabbi Moshe Kohen Ibn Crispin of Cordova and Toledo in Spain at about 1350:<\/p>\n
\u2026 I am pleased to interpret it, in accordance with the teaching of our Rabbis, of the King Messiah, and will be careful, so far as I am able, to adhere to the literal sense: thus, possibly, I shall be free from the forced and far-fetched interpretations of which others have been guilty.
\n\u2026 This prophecy was delivered by Isaiah at the divine command for the purpose of making known to us something about the nature of the future Messiah, who is to come and deliver Israel, and his life for the day when he arrives at discretion until his advent as a redeemer, in order that if any one should arise claiming to be himself the Messiah, we may reflect, and look to see whether we can observe in him any resemblance to the traits described here: if there is any such resemblance, then we may believe that he is the Messiah our righteousness; but if not, we cannot do so.<\/p>\n
The \u201cforced and far-fetched\u201d interpretation that Rabbi Crispin has reference to is the interpretation of Rashi; that this does not refer to the Messiah but to the people of Israel. This rabbi reacts against this interpretation and insists that this Isaiah passage refers to Messiah; that it was written for the purpose of helping identify the Messiah so that He can be recognized when He comes.
\nIn the sixteenth century we have the words of Rabbi Saadyah Ibn Danan of Grenada, c. 1500:<\/p>\n
One of these, Rabbi Joseph ben Kaspi, was led so far as to say that those who expounded it of the Messiah, who is shortly to be revealed, gave occasion to the heretics to interpret it of Jesus. May God, however, forgive him for not having spoken the truth! Our Rabbis, the doctors of the Thalmud, deliver their opinions by the power of prophecy, possessing a tradition concerning the principles of interpretation \u2026 alludes covertly to the King Messiah.<\/p>\n
This Rabbi also reacts against the interpretation that the Isaiah passage refers to the people of Israel. He demands that Jewish interpreters return to the Talmudic interpretation that this refers to the Messiah. He also helps to shed some light as to the reason why many were switching over to the new view. It was during this period that many debates broke out between rabbis and Christians, and the latter used Isaiah 53 to show that Jesus was the Messiah. Because of the force of their arguments, as a defense rabbis began to refer the passage to Israel.
\nAlso from the second half of the sixteenth century are the writings of Rabbi Moshe Le Sheich, or Al Shech, who was a disciple of Joseph Caro, author of the Shulchan Aruch. He, too, demanded that all Jewish interpreters return to the more traditional interpretation when he wrote: \u201c\u2026 our Rabbis with one voice accept and affirm the opinion that the prophet is speaking of the King Messiah, and we shall ourselves also adhere to the same view \u2026\u201d
\nThe writings of Rabbi Eliyyah de Vidas are from about the same time. He wrote the following c. 1575 concerning Isaiah 53:5:<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities,\u201d the meaning of which is that since the Messiah bears our iniquities which produce the effect of his being bruised, it follows that whoso will not admit that the Messiah thus suffers for our iniquities, must endure and suffer for them himself.<\/p>\n
This rabbi, too, refers the passage to the Messiah and states that the Messiah will suffer vicariously, for He suffers for the sins of the people. The Rabbi goes on to say that those who refuse to believe and accept the vicarious suffering for sin which the Messiah bore are doomed, according to the passage, to suffer for their own sins.
\nEven in the seventeenth century there was still reaction against Rashi\u2019s interpretation of the Isaiah passage, as the writing of Rabbi Naphtali ben Asher Altschuler (c. 1650) shows: \u201cI will now proceed to explain these verses of our own Messiah, who, God willing, will come speedily in our days! I am surprised that Rashi and Rabbi David Kimchi have not, with the Targum, applied them to the Messiah likewise.\u201d
\nBy the nineteenth century, the new view propounded by Rashi and followed by Rabbi David Kimchi had pretty well won over the older view of the rabbis. But the victory was not total, for there was still a reaction against it. Herz Homburg, in his Korem, written in 1818, wrote: \u201cThe fact is, that it refers to the King Messiah, who will come in the latter days, when it will be the Lord\u2019s good pleasure to redeem Israel from among the different nations of the earth.\u201d
\nTo interpret Isaiah 53 as speaking of Messiah is not non-Jewish. In fact, if we are to speak of the traditional Jewish interpretation, it would be that the passage speaks of the Messiah. The first one to expound the view that this referred to Israel rather than the Messiah was Shlomo Yizchaki, better known as Rashi (c. 1040\u20131105). He was followed by David Kimchi (1160\u20131235). But this was to go contrary to all rabbinic teaching of that day and of the preceding one thousand years. Today, Rashi\u2019s view has become dominant in Jewish and rabbinic theology. But that is not the Jewish view. Nor is it the traditional Jewish view. Those closer to the time of the original writings, and who had less contact with the Christian apologists, interpreted it as speaking of the Messiah.<\/p>\n
Appendix 3<\/p>\n
Why Did Messiah Have to Die?<\/p>\n
Since the whole concept of a dying Messiah is so foreign to modern Judaism, although it was once part of Judaism, there is a question that must be answered: Why did the Messiah have to die? In the course of answering this question, a second one arises: What is the means of redemption?
\nIf there is one theme that seems to go throughout the entire Scriptures, it is the theme of redemption by blood.<\/p>\n
According to the Old Testament<\/p>\n
Redemption became necessary when sin entered the human sphere and separated man from God. When Adam and Eve committed that first act of disobedience, sin entered and separated them from God. From that point on, the means of bridging the separation of man from God was the means of blood. This bridging of the gap is called redemption. In the history of God\u2019s dealing with His people, the means of redemption was always by blood.
\nThe redemptive element of blood begins to come into the theme of Scripture at the same time that sin does, for until sin came, no blood was necessary. We read that just as soon as man is expelled from the Garden of Eden: \u201cJehovah God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skins, and clothed them\u201d (Genesis 3:21).
\nThe skins were animal skins. The nakedness, that the element of sin now revealed, needed to be covered. But the covering required the death of several animals and so, for the first time in history, blood was shed. This provides the root meaning of the Hebrew word for atonement, which is \u201ca covering.\u201d
\nThe necessity of blood was a lesson soon learned by the sons of the first human couple. The time came for both Abel and Cain to bring their sacrifices before God. Cain offered for sacrifice the fruit of his labors in the field. The offering was vegetable, and it was bloodless. Abel brought a blood offering taken from his flock. When God passed judgment on the two types of offerings, that of Cain was rejected and that of Abel was accepted. So a lesson was taught: One cannot approach God by whatever means one chooses. It is man who sinned and offended the holy God; it is God who must do the forgiving. Therefore, it is not for man to choose the means of forgiveness but for God, and God has chosen the means to be blood. Cain had chosen to approach God in his own way, but he was rejected. Abel chose the way God demanded, and was accepted.
\nAs biblical history develops in the Book of Genesis, we find that all those with whom God was pleased came to Him by means of blood. Noah immediately offered up blood sacrifices when he left the ark. He was followed by other great men in Jewish history\u2014Abraham, Isaac, Jacob\u2014all of whom were careful to approach God by means of blood.
\nWhen Moses received the Law at Mount Sinai, the redemptive element of blood ran through the entire Law with its 613 commandments. A great summary statement for the entire Law was to be found in the third book of Moses, Leviticus 17:11:<\/p>\n
17:11 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 maketh atonement by reason of the life. (ASV)<\/p>\n
It can easily be said that all of the Law revolves around this one statement. There are commandments which God gave in the Law that were to be obeyed. Disobedience was sin. If disobedience did take place, the means of atonement for the sin was blood. The Book of Leviticus opens by giving great detail to the different types of blood sacrifices. All these different sacrifices had the same purpose: that the Jew might be rightly related to God. All seven feasts of Israel\u2014Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles\u2014required the shedding of blood. The Yom Kippur ceremony was greatly detailed in Leviticus 16, where careful instructions were given for the shedding of blood to atone for the sins of the Jewish nation. The tabernacle and the Temple both were built to expedite and to make efficient the required shedding of blood for the atonement of the people\u2019s sins. The Holy of Holies, which contained the Shechinah Glory, the visible manifestation of the presence of God, could only be entered once a year, by only one man, the high priest. In order for him to enter, he had to have the blood of the Yom Kippur sacrifice with him, and this blood had to be sprinkled on the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the Tablets of the Law itself:<\/p>\n
15 Then shall he kill the goat of the sin\u2014offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy\u2014seat, and before the mercy\u2014seat: 16 and he shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleannesses of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, even all their sins: and so shall he do for the tent of meeting, that dwelleth with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. 17 And there shall be no man in the tent of meeting when he goeth in to make atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel.<\/p>\n
Leviticus 16:15\u201317 (ASV)<\/p>\n
The principle stood throughout the remainder of Old Testament history, but it was a burden to the individual. These blood sacrifices had to be repeated year in, and year out, and they had to be done in the Temple at Jerusalem. For the Jews living elsewhere in the country, miles from Jerusalem, it was a burden to come regularly\u2014a minimum of three times a year\u2014to offer their sacrifices to the Lord for the atonement of their sins. Only the faithful few, those whom the prophets referred to as the Remnant, loved God and His Law enough to do so in spite of the burden it created. Others built their own altars on mountains and hills closer to home and offered their sacrifices there. But no atonement was granted at these rival altars, and the prophets of God railed against and condemned this deviation from the Law of God. Many had failed to learn the lesson of Cain\u2014that one cannot come to God for forgiveness in any way one may choose, but one must come in the way God Himself has chosen.
\nIt was Isaiah the Prophet who first provided the hope that the day would come when the burden will be lifted. In Isaiah 53, God declared that the Suffering Servant, the Messiah, would be the sacrifice for sin:<\/p>\n
53:10 Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand. 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.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 53:10\u201311 (ASV)<\/p>\n
The point of Isaiah 53 is basically this: The animal sacrifices under the Mosaic Law were intended to be of temporary duration, a temporary measure only. God\u2019s intent was for there to be one final blood sacrifice, and that would be the sacrifice of the Messiah Himself. That is why Isaiah 53 uses the same type of wording, figures and emphasis found in the Book of Leviticus. For example, the expression, \u201cthou shall make his soul an offering for sin,\u201d is a sacrificial concept. These are words that come out of the Mosaic Law itself. Also, \u201cby the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant justify many; and he shall bear their iniquities.\u201d Not only are these words of sacrifice used generally in the Old Testament Law, but, more specifically, we read of these very terms in Leviticus 16, which is the chapter that expounds and explains all of the details regarding the Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement sacrifice.
\nThis, then, was the reason Messiah had to die: to provide the blood sacrifice for sin once and for all. No longer would the Jews be burdened with the yearly sacrifices. All a person would need to do is to accept the Messiah\u2019s death on his behalf and his sins would be forgiven. Messiah had to die to provide that atonement, for blood was the means of redemption.
\nAnother key issue is found in these two verses from Isaiah 53. There is a statement here that is somewhat confusing. It reads: \u201cby the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant justify many.\u201d A more literal translation from, the Hebrew text would read like this: \u201cby the knowledge of him shall my righteous justify many.\u201d The word for \u201cknowledge\u201d is a Hebrew word that emphasizes experiential knowledge, not mere head knowledge (a knowledge of the heart, a knowledge of faith). Those who have a faith knowledge of this Servant (by the knowledge of Him, not by the knowledge of Himself), that He died for our sins, He, as a result, will justify. Justification means to be declared righteous. We cannot be declared righteous unless our sins have been atoned for. Our sins can only be atoned for by the shedding of blood; the Messiah\u2019s blood would be the final blood that would be sacrificed.<\/p>\n
According to the New Testament<\/p>\n
The Book of Hebrews in the New Testament is the counterpart of the Book of Leviticus in the Old Testament. To understand Hebrews, one must first understand Leviticus. Just as Leviticus had a central verse in 17:11 around which the entire book and the Law revolved, the Book of Hebrews also makes the very same point in its central verse, 9:22:<\/p>\n
9:22 And according to the law, I may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission. (ASV)<\/p>\n
In Leviticus 17:11 the principle was that it was the blood that made \u201catonement for the soul.\u201d In the New Testament, using different words but giving the same message, it says, \u201capart from the shedding of blood there is no remission.\u201d \u201cAll things are cleansed with blood.\u201d
\nThe Book of Hebrews was written by a Messianic Jew to a group of Jewish Messianic assemblies in Israel. It picks up the theme of Leviticus and the prophecy of Isaiah to show the superiority of the sacrifice of the Messiah. A number of passages bring these things out. Notice carefully how the author definitely has two things at the back of his mind:<\/p>\n
1. The Book of Leviticus with animal sacrifices.
\n2. Isaiah 53 with the Messiah being the final sacrifice.<\/p>\n
In Hebrews 2:16\u201318 we read as follows:<\/p>\n
2:16 For verily not to angels doth he give help, but he giveth help to the seed of Abraham. 17 Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted. (ASV)<\/p>\n
This passage makes the point that Messiah came as a Jew and underwent all the problems that a Jew had to go through in order that He might become a merciful and sympathetic high priest. The reason Messiah came as a Jew was so that He, too, would live under the Law and take upon Himself the burden of the Law. He could clearly sympathize with the Jewish state under the Law.
\nAnother central passage is Hebrews 4:14\u201315:<\/p>\n
4:14 Having then a great high priest, who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (ASV)<\/p>\n
This passage develops further the very same point that Jesus is the sympathetic high priest, for He understands what an individual person has to undergo because He Himself underwent all these things.
\nAnother passage is Hebrews 7:22\u201325:<\/p>\n
7:22 By so much also hath Jesus become the surety of a better covenant. 23 And they indeed have been made priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing: 24 but he, because he abideth for ever, hath his priesthood unchangeable. 25 Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (ASV)<\/p>\n
The superiority of the priesthood of Christ is pointed out by the fact of the mortality of all other priests. One high priest would serve, but sooner or later he would die; a new priest would need to be chosen to begin the cycle all over again. The life-and-death cycle proved to be a disadvantage to the old priesthood. The superiority of the priesthood of Christ is shown in that it abides eternally. For Jesus was resurrected, and by virtue of that resurrection, Jesus remains a high priest forever.
\nAnother shortcoming of the Levitical system of priesthood is found in Hebrews 7:26\u201327:<\/p>\n
7:26 For such a high priest became us, holy, guileless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27 who needeth not daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people: for this he did once for all, when he offered up himself. (ASV)<\/p>\n
This passage indicates that the sacrifices had to be repeated day in, and day out, year in, and year out. The Messiah was to be the \u201conce for all\u201d sacrifice for sin. This is what happened when Jesus came and offered up His own blood as the atonement for sin. Also, in the old order of priesthood, the high priest had to sacrifice and shed blood for his own sins first before he could sacrifice and shed blood to make atonement for the sins of the people. Since Jesus was sinless, He did not need to first atone for His own sins, but with His own blood made atonement for all who would accept it. He made atonement for the whole world, of course, but the atonement is only applied to those who would believe.
\nThe first disadvantage in the Levitical priesthood system was that the priests would eventually die. The second disadvantage of the old system is that sacrifices had to be repeated year in and year out. The third disadvantage is that the earthly priest had to atone for his own sins before he could atone for the sins of anyone else.
\nIn dealing with the priesthood we have through Jesus the Messiah, all three of the above disadvantages are rectified. Since Jesus by virtue of His resurrection now lives forever, we never have an interrupted priesthood. Second, since this is Messiah\u2019s blood\u2014innocent blood\u2014this was a one-time shedding. Never again will Jesus have to shed His blood. So another clear advantage over the Mosaic Law is that the sacrifice of the Messiah does not need to be repeated\u2014it was \u201conce and for all.\u201d The third advantage lies in the fact that whereas in the Old Testament system the earthly priest had to atone for his own sins, this was not the case with our Messiah\u2014since our Messiah is a sinless Messiah. There is no need to have Jesus first offer up a sacrifice for His own sins and then offer up a sacrifice for the sins of the others. In other words, our High Priest is a sinless priest, whereas the Levitical priesthood was a sinful priesthood.
\nThe concept of the question of why the Messiah had to die in the Book of Hebrews is kept in strict conformity with what was demanded by the Book of Leviticus and by the hope of Isaiah 53. That which the Old Testament hoped for was found in the New Testament in total fulfillment by the death of the Messiah.
\nThe superiority of Christ over all other sacrifices is pointed out in Hebrews 9:11\u201315:<\/p>\n
9:11 But Christ having come a high priest of the good things to come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, 12 nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling them that have been defiled, sanctify unto the cleanness of the flesh: 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this cause he is the mediator of a new covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. (ASV)<\/p>\n
Unlike the animal sacrifices, the sacrifice of Jesus was to bring eternal redemption rather than temporary atonement. This is the fourth distinction between the two systems. Furthermore, even after the animal sacrifice, the Jew was still conscious of his sins. Faith in the sacrifice of Jesus, however, brings a complete cleansing of the conscience of sins. This is the fifth contrast.
\nAnother passage is found in Hebrews 9:28:<\/p>\n
9:28 So Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for him, unto salvation. (ASV)<\/p>\n
Here the twofold aspect of Messiah\u2019s career is pointed out. Jesus first came to be the sin offering for the people, just as the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 needed to be. Also, just as the Suffering Servant was the One who bore the sins of many, Jesus did so through His death. Now, the verse states that Jesus will come \u201ca second time\u201d for a different purpose. The purpose of the First Coming was to die for sin. The purpose of the Second Coming will be to establish the Messianic Kingdom.
\nOnce again, a contrast is drawn between the animal sacrifices and the blood sacrifice of Jesus in Hebrews 10:1\u20134:<\/p>\n
10:1 For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect them that draw nigh. 2 Else would they not have ceased to be offered? Because the worshippers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. (ASV)<\/p>\n
The animal sacrifices had to be repeated year in and year out. While these sacrifices provided temporary atonement, they never provided permanent forgiveness of sins. Rather, the yearly sacrifices served to remind the Jewish person of his sins; he knew he would have to bring another sacrifice the next year as well. The consciousness of sin was still there. But the sacrifice of Jesus was once and for all and never needed to be repeated. Acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus does not bring temporary atonement but permanent forgiveness. By accepting the substitutionary death of Jesus for his sins, one is not continually reminded of those sins, but one receives a complete cleansing. That is why the sacrifice of Jesus is so superior to the animal sacrifices of the old system.
\nThe last passage is found in Hebrews 10:10\u201314:<\/p>\n
10:10 By which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest indeed standeth day by day ministering and offering often times the same sacrifices, for which can never take away sins: 12 but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 henceforth electing till his enemies be made the footstool of his feet. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (ASV)<\/p>\n
This passage again points out how the high priest had to sacrifice day in and day out, and his work was never done. The high priest is viewed as standing to indicate this unfinished ministry. But Jesus, who offered Himself as a sacrifice \u201conce and for all,\u201d is viewed as sitting at \u201cthe right hand of God,\u201d thus showing that His work is complete. Furthermore, the animal sacrifices provided a yearly atonement but never permanently took away sins. But those who accept the sacrifice of Jesus are perfected forever; their sins are permanently removed.
\nAs to the question, \u201cWhy did the Messiah have to die?\u201d according to the New Testament, the reason is twofold:<\/p>\n
1. To fulfill all Old Testament prophecies and requirements.
\n2. To bring in a permanent atonement rather than a temporary one.<\/p>\n
Conclusion<\/p>\n
The conclusion of both the Old and New Testaments is that the means of redemption was by blood, and the permanent blood sacrifice was to be the Messiah Himself. That is why the Messiah had to die according to the Old Testament. That is why Jesus did die according to the New Testament. Who killed Jesus was never the issue as far as the New Testament was concerned, for the Messiah had to die. It only became an issue years later because of anti-Semites seeking excuses to persecute the Jews. The only issue in the New Testament itself is whether one will accept the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus for himself or not.<\/p>\n
Appendix 4<\/p>\n
Christ\u2019s Right to David\u2019s Throne<\/p>\n
The question is often raised that since Jesus was not the real son of Joseph but only the son of Mary, what right does He have to sit on David\u2019s Throne? Related to the whole issue are the two genealogies found in Matthew 1:1\u201317 and Luke 3:23\u201338. If Jesus was only the son of Mary and not Joseph, why was it necessary to give Joseph\u2019s genealogy? How do we know that Luke\u2019s genealogy is that of Mary\u2019s since she is not named in that genealogy, but Joseph is? These are questions that need to be answered satisfactorily in order to provide a basis for the understanding of why Jesus could claim the Throne of David.
\nAs an introductory statement to the entire theme of this question, we might state that the purpose of Joseph\u2019s genealogy in Matthew is to show that, if Jesus really was the son of Joseph, He could not be king. The purpose of the genealogy of Mary in Luke shows why He could claim the Throne of David.
\nOf the four Gospels only two give a genealogy, the same two that deal with the birth and early life of Jesus. Mark and John do not deal with the birth of Jesus or His early life, but Matthew and Luke do, so it is natural that only these two would bother giving us a genealogy. While both Matthew and Luke give us the story of the birth of Jesus, they tell the story from two different perspectives. Matthew tells the story from Joseph\u2019s perspective, while Luke tells the story from Mary\u2019s perspective. In Matthew, Joseph plays the active role, while Mary plays the passive role. We are told what Joseph is thinking and what is going on in his mind. We are told nothing of what Mary is thinking. We read of how angels appeared to Joseph, but there is no record of angels appearing to Mary. On the other hand, when we go to Luke\u2019s Gospel we see this same story told from Mary\u2019s perspective. In the Gospel of Luke, it is Mary who plays the active role, while Joseph plays the passive role. We find the angels appearing to Mary, but no angels appearing to Joseph. We are told several times what goes on in the mind of Mary, but we are never told anything about what Joseph is thinking. From these two contexts alone, it should be very evident that the genealogy of Matthew is that of Joseph, since he writes from Joseph\u2019s perspective; whereas the genealogy of Luke is that of Mary, since he writes from Mary\u2019s perspective.
\nThe question still arises, why do we need these two genealogies, especially since Jesus was not the real son of Joseph? A very popular and common answer is this: In Matthew\u2019s Gospel we have the royal line; whereas in Luke\u2019s Gospel we have the real line. From that statement another one is developed. Some teachers say that Joseph, according to Matthew 1, was the heir apparent to David\u2019s Throne. Since Jesus was the adopted son of Joseph, He could have claimed the right to sit on David\u2019s Throne because of His adoption by Joseph. On the other hand, in Luke\u2019s Gospel we are given the real line, so that we could know that Jesus Himself was a descendant of David. Through Mary He was a member of the House of David, but He claims the right to sit on David\u2019s Throne through Joseph since he was the heir apparent. We will try to show in this study that, actually, the exact opposite is true.<\/p>\n
Christ\u2019s Genealogy According to Matthew<\/p>\n
1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.<\/p>\n
2 To Abraham was born Isaac; and to Isaac, Jacob; and to Jacob, Judah and his brothers; 3 and to Judah were born Perez and Zerah by Tamar; and to Perez was born Hezron; and to Hezron, Ram; 4 and to Ram was born Amminadab; and to Amminadab, Nahshon; and to Nahshon, Salmon; 5 and to Salmon was born Boaz by Rahab; and to Boaz was born Obed by Ruth; and to Obed, Jesse; 6 and to Jesse was born David the king.<\/p>\n
And to David was born Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah; 7 and to Solomon was born Rehoboam; and to Rehoboam, Abijah; and to Abijah, Asa; 8 and to Asa was born Jehoshaphat; and to Jehoshaphat, Joram; and to Joram, Uzziah; 9 and to Uzziah was born Jotham; and to Jotham, Ahaz; and to Ahaz, Hezekiah; 10 and to Hezekiah was born Manasseh; and to Manasseh, Amon; and to Amon, Josiah; 11 and to Josiah were born Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.<\/p>\n
12 And after the deportation to Babylon, to Jeconiah was born Shealtiel; and to Shealtiel, Zerubbabel; 13 and to Zerubbabel was born Abihud; and to Abihud, Eliakim; and to Eliakim, Azor; 14 and to Azor was born Zadok; and to Zadok, Achim; and to Achim, Eliud; 15 and to Eliud was born Eleazar; and to Eleazar, Matthan; and to Matthan, Jacob; 16 and to Jacob was born Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.<\/p>\n
17 Therefore all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the time of Christ fourteen generations.<\/p>\n
Matthew 1:1\u201317 (NASB)<\/p>\n
Matthew breaks with Jewish tradition in two ways, in that he skips names and mentions the names of women. Matthew mentions four different women in his genealogy: Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Tamar. Why does he mention these four when there are so many other prominent Jewish women he could have mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus? One thing all four women had in common was that they were all Gentile. What Matthew was doing by naming these four women and no others was to point out that one of the purposes of the coming of Jesus was to save the lost sheep of the House of Israel, but Gentiles also benefit from His coming. Three of these women were guilty of specific sexual sins: one was guilty of adultery, one was guilty of prostitution, and one was guilty of incest. Ruth herself was not guilty of any sexual sin, but she did originate from one. Being a Moabitess means she originated from an incestuous relationship between Lot and one of his daughters (Genesis 19:36\u201337). Again, Matthew begins hinting at a point he makes quite clear later, which is that the purpose of the coming of the Messiah was to save sinners. Luke, however, will follow strict Jewish law, procedure, and custom in that he will skip no names nor mention any women\u2019s names.
\nWith this background, why do we have Matthew\u2019s genealogy of Joseph anyway? Everyone agrees that Joseph was not the real father of Jesus. After the division of the kingdom at the death of Solomon, there were two basic requirements for kingship: one was applicable to the Throne of Judah in Jerusalem, while the other was applicable to the Throne of Israel in Samaria. The requirement for the Throne of Judah was that of Davidic descent. No one was allowed to sit on David\u2019s Throne unless he was a member of the House of David. For that reason, any conspiracy to do away with the House of David was doomed to failure (Isaiah 7\u20138). But the requirement to sit upon the Throne of Israel was one of prophetic sanction or divine appointment. No one was able to sit on Samaria\u2019s Throne unless he had divine appointment through prophetic sanction. Anyone who attempted to rule without prophetic sanction was assassinated (1 Kings 11:26\u201339, 15:28\u201330, 16:1\u20134, 11\u201315, 21:21\u201329; 2 Kings 9:6\u201310, 10:29\u201331, 15:8\u201312).
\nWith the background of these two Old Testament requirements for kingship and what is stated in the two genealogies, the question of Christ\u2019s right to the Throne of David can be resolved.
\nMatthew\u2019s genealogy traces the line of Joseph, the step-father of Jesus. The line is traced from Abraham (verse 2) and continues down to where we come to David and Solomon (verse 6) and then to King Jeconiah (verse 11), one of the last kings before the Babylonian Captivity. It is the person of Jeconiah, also called Coniah, or Jehoiachin, that is significant in dealing with the genealogy of Matthew because of the special curse pronounced on this person in Jeremiah 22:24\u201330:<\/p>\n
22:24 \u201cAs I live,\u201d declares the LORD, \u201ceven though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a signet ring on My right hand, yet I would pull you off; 25 and I shall give you over into the hand of those who are seeking your life, yes, into the hand of those whom you dread, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26 \u201cI shall hurl you and your mother who bore you into another country where you were not born, and there you will die. 27 \u201cBut as for the land to which they desire to return, they will not return to it. 28 \u201cIs this man Coniah a despised, shattered jar? Or is he an undesirable vessel? Why have he and his descendants been hurled out And cast into a land that they had not known? 29 \u201cO land, land, land, Hear the word of the LORD! 30 \u201cThus says the LORD, \u2018Write this man down childless, A man who will not prosper in his days; For no man of his descendants will prosper Sitting on the throne of David Or ruling again in Judah.\u201d \u2019<\/p>\n
(NASB)<\/p>\n
Because of the kind of man Jeconiah was, God, through the Prophet Jeremiah, pronounced a curse upon him. The content of this curse was that no descendant of Jeconiah would have any rights to the Throne of David.
\nIn the Matthew genealogy, it should be noted that Joseph was a direct descendant of Jeconiah (verse 16). This means then that Joseph, having the blood of Jeconiah in his veins, was not qualified to sit on David\u2019s Throne. This would also mean that no son of Joseph would have the right to claim the Throne of David. So then, if Jesus was really the son of Joseph, this would have disqualified Him from sitting upon David\u2019s Throne.
\nThe point of Matthew\u2019s genealogy then is to show why Jesus could not be king if He was really Joseph\u2019s son. For this reason, Matthew starts out with the genealogy and then proceeds with the account of the virgin birth, which from Matthew\u2019s viewpoint resolves the Jeconiah problem. So, in essence, Matthew\u2019s point is this: If Jesus was really Joseph\u2019s son, He could not claim to sit on David\u2019s Throne because of the Jeconiah curse. Then Matthew proceeds to show that Jesus was not truly Joseph\u2019s son, for He was born of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18\u201325).<\/p>\n
Christ\u2019s Genealogy According to Luke<\/p>\n
3:23 And when He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being supposedly the son of Joseph, the son of Eli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.<\/p>\n
Luke 3:23\u201338 (NASB)<\/p>\n
If, by Jewish law, you could not mention the name of a woman but you wished to trace a woman\u2019s line, how would you go about doing so? The answer is that you would use the name of her husband. That raises a second question. If you were to use the husband\u2019s name, suppose somebody picked up a genealogy to read, how would he know whether the genealogy is that of the husband or that of the wife since in either case it would be the husband\u2019s name that would be used? The answer to that riddle lies in a problem with the English language that does not exist with the Greek language. In English, it is not good grammar to put the word the before a proper name. We do not use a definite article \u201cthe\u201d before a proper name\u2014the Matthew, the Luke, the Mary, the John, etc. However, it is quite permissible in Greek grammar. In the Greek text of Luke\u2019s genealogy, every single name mentioned has the Greek definite article the, with one exception, and that is the name of Joseph. Joseph\u2019s name does not have the definite article the in front of it, while all the other names do. What that would mean to someone reading the original is this: When he saw the definite article missing from Joseph\u2019s name, while it was present in all the other names, it would then mean that this was not really Joseph\u2019s genealogy but rather it is Mary\u2019s genealogy. But in keeping with Jewish law, it was the husband\u2019s name that was used. We have two examples of this in the Old Testament: Ezra 2:61 and Nehemiah 7:63.
\nLuke\u2019s genealogy traces the line of Mary and portrays how Jesus could claim the Throne of David. Luke begins his genealogy in the reverse order of Matthew, going back from the present into the past. As the line is traced, it returns to the family of David (verses 31\u201332). However, the son of David involved in this genealogy is not Solomon, but Nathan. The important point here is that Mary was a member of the House of David, totally apart from Jeconiah. Since Jesus was Mary\u2019s son, He too was a member of the House of David, totally apart from the curse of Jeconiah.
\nOne Old Testament requirement for kingship was that of being a member of the House of David. In the days of Jeremiah there was that added requirement that one had to be a member of the House of David apart from Jeconiah. Zedekiah, who reigned after Jeconiah, was not the son of Jeconiah. In the case of Jesus, through Mary, He was a member of the House of David, totally apart from Jeconiah. In this manner He fulfilled the first requirement of the Old Testament kingship.
\nHowever, Jesus was not the only member of the House of David apart from Jeconiah. There were a number of other descendants who could claim equality with Jesus to the Throne of David, for they, too, did not have Jeconiah\u2019s blood in their veins. At this point it is important to note the second Old Testament requirement for kingship: divine appointment. Of all the members of the House of David apart from Jeconiah, only one received divine appointment. We read in Luke 1:30\u201333:<\/p>\n
1:30 And the angel said to her, \u201cDo not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 \u201cAnd behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 \u201cHe will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end.\u201d (NASB)<\/p>\n
On what grounds could Jesus claim the Throne of David? First, He was a member of the house of David, apart from Jechoniah; and second, He alone received divine appointment to that throne.
\nWhile Matthew\u2019s genealogy showed why Jesus could not be king if He really was Joseph\u2019s son, Luke\u2019s genealogy shows why Jesus could be king. Luke, in contrast to Matthew, does begin with the account of the virgin birth. Only later does he record the genealogy for he does not need, like Matthew, to get around the Jeconiah problem.
\nThe final question is: On what further grounds can it be said that Luke\u2019s account is actually Mary\u2019s genealogy? While there is much evidence to support this, it will be necessary to limit it to only two lines of argument.
\nFirst, the Talmud itself refers to Mary, using her Jewish name of Miriam, as the daughter of Heli. It is obvious, then, that in longstanding Jewish tradition Mary was recognized to be the daughter of Heli.
\nSecond, most versions translate Luke 3:23 as follows:<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
That same Greek phrase could easily be translated in a different way, however. While all the names in Luke\u2019s genealogy are preceded with the Greek definite article, the name of Joseph is not. Because of this grammatical point that same verse could be translated as follows:<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing the son (as was supposed of Joseph), the son of Heli \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
In other words, the final parenthesis could be expanded so that the verse reads that although Jesus was \u201csupposed\u201d or assumed to be the descendant of Joseph, He was really the descendant of Heli. The absence of Mary\u2019s name is quite in keeping with the Jewish practices on genealogies, and it was not unusual for a son-in-law to be listed in his wife\u2019s genealogy.<\/p>\n
Appendix 5<\/p>\n
The Starting Point of the Seventy Sevens<\/p>\n
Daniel 9 gives the clearest possible prophecy of exactly when Messiah would appear:<\/p>\n
9:24 \u201cSeventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city \u2026 25 \u201cSo you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince \u2026<\/p>\n
Daniel 9:24\u201325 (NASB)<\/p>\n
The starting point of the Seventy Sevens is given in the phrase, \u201cknow and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.\u201d Verse 24 stated that the Seventy Sevens concern not only the Jewish people but the Jewish city of Jerusalem. Now, in verse 25, it is learned that the Seventy Sevens will begin with a decree and this decree involves the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
\nThe question is, which decree is it speaking about? There are four options usually given. First is the decree of Cyrus, which was passed in 538\u2013537 B.C. It is a decree found in 2 Chronicles 36:22\u201323; Ezra 1:1\u20134 and 6:1\u20135. Insofar as these three passages speak of it, it concerns the rebuilding of the Temple, but does not actually mention the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem. The second possibility is the decree of Darius Hystaspus passed in 521 B.C. and spoken of in Ezra 6:6\u201312. This one is a reaffirmation of the Cyrus decree and concerns the Temple rebuilding. The third possibility is the decree of Artaxerxes to Ezra given in 458 B.C. and mentioned in Ezra 7:11\u201326. In this decree there is permission given to proceed with the Temple service and concerns only the Temple service. The fourth possibility is the decree of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah that was passed in 444\u2013443 B.C., spoken of in Nehemiah 2:1\u20138. In its context it is speaking about the rebuilding of the walls.
\nOf these four possibilities, only two are really valid options: the first and the fourth, though all of them in some way or another did contribute to the building of Jerusalem. The first is the decree of Cyrus; the fourth is the decree of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah. Most evangelical scholars today believe that the decree Daniel is speaking of is the decree of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah. This was first popularized by Sir Robert Anderson in his book The Coming Prince. He carefully figured out beginning with the decree of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah by counting off the number of years through a formula and terminating the 483 years to the coming of the Messiah with the Triumphal Entry in the year 32 A.D. According to Sir Robert Anderson, this period began on March 14, 445 B.C. until April 6, 32 A.D. However, Sir Robert Anderson did make a few miscalculations. In light of the time of the Passover occurrences, it was impossible for the crucifixion to have occurred in the year 32 A.D. Insofar as when the Passover occurred, there are only two options in that time span and they are the years 30 and 33 A.D. Dr. Harold Horner wrote a book which corrected Sir Robert Anderson\u2019s miscalculations; he, too, begins with the decree of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah and begins it with March 4, 444 B.C., and terminates in March 29, 33 A.D., also with the Triumphal Entry.
\nThe problem with taking the decree found in Nehemiah to be the starting point is that nothing in the passage in Daniel requires the first Sixty-nine Sevens to end with the Triumphal Entry. It only requires it to end with the coming of the Messiah at the First Coming. It would be preferable to terminate the first Sixty-nine Sevens with the birth of the Messiah rather than the Triumphal Entry. The second problem with the Artaxerxes\/Nehemiah decree is that this is not really a decree. If Nehemiah 2:1\u20138 is read, it becomes clear that there is no decree. Instead, it is only permission to Nehemiah to rebuild the walls. Third, building on the second, rebuilding the wall is not exactly the same as actually rebuilding the city.
\nThis author\u2019s own view is that the decree of which Daniel is speaking is the decree of Cyrus. I believe this for five reasons. First, this is a real decree; it is in the actual form of a decree. Second, this is the one given within a year or so of the vision of the Seventy Sevens. The year Daniel received the Seventy Sevens vision was the same year Cyrus passed his decree. Third, this is the decree that is emphasized in Scripture. It was spoken of prophetically about 150 years before it happened by Isaiah in 44:28 and 45:1, 13. In fact, Isaiah actually named the one who would issue this decree; he named Cyrus, at least 150 years before it ever occurred. What Isaiah prophesied is recorded in fulfillment four times: 2 Chronicles 36:22\u201323; Ezra 1:1\u20134, 6:1\u20135, and 6:6\u201312. This is clearly the decree that is emphasized in Scripture. The fourth reason why I choose the decree of Cyrus is that this decree did include the rebuilding of the city. I realize that the four passages mentioned earlier did not actually mention the rebuilding of the city but only the rebuilding of the Temple. However, if Isaiah\u2019s prophecies are taken literally, it would have included the rebuilding of the city. For example, Isaiah 44:28 and 45:13 clearly mention that Cyrus would not only allow the Temple to be rebuilt, he would also allow the city to be rebuilt. Of course, it is silly to think Cyrus would allow a temple to be rebuilt and then forbid anyone to live anywhere near the Temple by not allowing the city to be rebuilt as well. The fifth reason why I think the Cyrus decree is the one of which it speaks is that it is clear from parallel passages that the Jews did rebuild the city. In fact, they rebuilt the city before Nehemiah ever came to rebuild the walls. In Haggai 1:2\u20134, seventy years before Nehemiah arrived, the Jews were already living in private homes in Jerusalem though the Temple itself had not as yet been rebuilt. Certainly they would not dare to rebuild Jerusalem if they did not have permission to do so. According to Ezra 4:12, the city was being built even in Ezra\u2019s day and Ezra preceded the time of Nehemiah. I do believe the decree of which Daniel speaks is the decree of Cyrus.
\nI realize that when our own system of chronology is compared to the Persian system of chronology, it produces an apparent 52-year gap, but this has been explained by Dr David L. Cooper in his book Messiah: His First Coming Scheduled. The details of the explanation are complex and technical and will, therefore, not be discussed here. It can, be said that the Seventy Sevens began with the issuing of the decree of Cyrus, and the first 483 years, that is the first Sixty-nine Sevens, terminated with the birth of Jesus.<\/p>\n
Appendix 6<\/p>\n
How Did the Wise Men Know?<\/p>\n
There is, in the New Testament, the account of the Wise Men\u2019s visit to the infant Jesus, recorded in the Gospel of Matthew 2:1\u201312:<\/p>\n
2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 \u201cWhere is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him.\u201d 3 And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he began to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 And they said to him, \u201cIn Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet, 6 \u2018AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER, WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.\u2019 \u201d 7 Then Herod secretly called the magi, and ascertained from them the time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, \u201cGo and make careful search for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, that I too may come and worship Him.\u201d 9 And having heard the king, they went their way; and lo, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them, until it came and stood over where the Child was. 10 And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And they came into the house and saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell down and worshiped Him; and opening their treasures they presented to Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their own country by another way.<\/p>\n
Matthew 2:1\u201312 (NASB)<\/p>\n
The Wise Men and the Shepherds<\/p>\n
This passage contains the record of the visit of the Magi from the east who were led there by the visibility of a star. Because of this, even some Christians have stated that there is some validity to astrology, and some have even attempted to develop a doctrine of biblical astrology.
\nAround Christmas time each year, nativity sets are erected. These nativity sets all tend to look alike. There is a baby Jesus in some type of manger, or in the lap of Mary; with Mary stands Joseph; on one side of the family of three we have shepherds, and on the other side we have three kings. Biblically, this scene is completely invalid for four reasons.
\nFirst of all, the story of the shepherds and the story of the Wise Men are separated by approximately two years. The shepherds were there when Jesus was first born. They found Jesus in a stable, lying in a manger. The Wise Men only saw the star when Jesus was first born and it took them some time to get to Jerusalem. The Wise Men and the shepherds never even met. The Matthew account makes it rather clear that Jesus was approximately two years old by the time these Wise Men appear (Matthew 2:7, 16).
\nSecond, when the Wise Men did find Jesus, they found Him in a home, not in a stable.
\nThird, it is commonly said that there were three kings. A famous Christmas song starts out with the words, \u201cWe three kings of orient are.\u201d However, we are not told how many there were. We know there had to be at least two because the word is in the plural. There may have been two or there may have been two thousand; the Bible does not specifically say. There is no clear evidence as to exactly how many there were. The reason why people think that there were three Wise Men is that they gave Jesus three different types of gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. This is no evidence at all. There could have been ten people who gave gold, or twenty who gave frankincense, or thirty who gave myrrh; the number of gifts does not indicate the number of givers.
\nFourth, Matthew never says that these men were kings. While we do not know how many there were, we do know for certain that they were not kings because the specific title they are given in the Greek text is magoy or magi which means \u201cwisemen\u201d or, more specifically, \u201castrologers.\u201d What the Matthew account states is that an unknown number of astrologers from the east arrived in Jerusalem. In the Bible the east is always the area of Mesopotamia, so there are at least two astrologers from Babylonia.
\nSuddenly, astrologers arrive in Jerusalem asking the question, \u201cWhere is he that is born King of the Jews?\u201d Did they gain this knowledge through astrology? This incident raises a number of questions. First of all, how did these men know anything about the birth of a Jewish king? Second, even knowing about the birth of a Jewish king, why would Babylonian astrologers want to come and worship him? After all, Babylonian astrologers did not worship other Jewish kings; why would they want to worship this particular king? These are important questions, and it will be necessary to study the account, together with other passages of Scripture, in order to understand and explain the events which Matthew records.<\/p>\n
The Star<\/p>\n
First of all, we will discuss the issue of the star. The basic rule of interpretation is this:<\/p>\n
When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense. Therefore take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths indicate clearly otherwise. (Dr. David L. Cooper)<\/p>\n
We should take the Bible exactly as it says unless there is some indication in the text and in the context that tells us we cannot take it literally. Five things indicate that this is not a literal star.
\nTo begin with, that this was no ordinary star is evident by the actions that this star took. The star is referred to as \u201cHis\u201d star, the King of the Jews\u2019 star, in a way that the other stars simply cannot be. This star appears and disappears. This star moves from east to west. This star moves from north to south. This star hovers over one single house in Bethlehem and points to where the Messiah is. Any literal star, as we know it, that will hover over just one house in Bethlehem will destroy this entire planet. It is very evident that this cannot be a literal star. Again, there are five things about this star which make it clear that it cannot be a physical star:<\/p>\n
1. It is the personal star of the King of the Jews.
\n2. It appears and disappears.
\n3. It moves from east to west.
\n4. It moves from north to south.
\n5. It literally hovers over one single house in Bethlehem.<\/p>\n
Obviously it must be something different\u2014but what is it?
\nThe root meaning of the Greek word for \u201cstar\u201d simply means \u201cradiance\u201d or \u201cbrilliance.\u201d By this star coming in the form of a light, what we actually have is the appearance of the Shechinah Glory rather than an astrologer\u2019s star. What is the Shechinah Glory? The Shechinah Glory is the visible manifestation of God\u2019s presence. Whenever God became visible in the Old Testament, this is referred to as the Shechinah Glory. In most cases, the Shechinah Glory came in the form of a light, fire, cloud or some combination of these three things. Over in Babylonia a light appeared, a brilliance, a radiance, that may have looked like a star from a distance and yet had actions and did things which no star can do or does do. What these Wise Men actually saw was the Shechinah Glory. When they saw this Shechinah Glory, when they saw this unusual brilliance, they deduced from it that it was a signal that the King of the Jews, the Messiah, had finally been born. (A study of the Shechinah Glory can be found in Appendix 4 of the author\u2019s The Footsteps Of The Messiah.) Keeping in mind that in ancient times the two disciplines of astronomy and astrology were not separate sciences, if anyone would recognize a new light in the heavens, it would be them.<\/p>\n
How Did the Wise Men Know about a Messianic King?<\/p>\n
Having determined that this star was not a literal star but the Shechinah Glory still does not answer all the questions. The question remains, how did the Wise Men know anything about the birth of a Jewish king? How would Gentile, Babylonian astrologers know anything about the birth of a Jewish king? Even if they did know something about births of Jewish kings, why would they want to come and worship this particular one?
\nFrom the New Testament account, all that we can deduce is the fact that Gentile, Babylonian astrologers somehow knew that the birth of the King of the Jews had taken place by means of a star-like, shining brilliance in the heavens that moved from east to west and north to south and hovered over the very house where Jesus was. To explain this, we must look to the Old Testament.
\nTo begin with, we must note that the only place in the entire Old Testament that dates Messiah\u2019s First Coming is the famous \u201cSeventy Sevens of Daniel\u201d found in Daniel 9:24\u201327. (This was studied earlier in the section on \u201cThe Writings.\u201d) Besides this, the Book of Daniel was not written in Israel but in the city of Babylon, with much of it in Aramaic, the language of the Babylonian Empire. So it was that in the city of Babylon a book was written that prophesied when Messiah was to come.
\nBut that is not all. Daniel was always associated with Babylonian astrologers (Daniel 1:19\u201320; 2:12\u201313, 47; 4:7\u20139; 5:11\u201312). Since Nebuchadnezzar did not have much spiritual discernment, he did not realize that the source of Daniel\u2019s ability was not the stars of the heavens but the God of heaven. Nevertheless, Nebuchadnezzar made Daniel the head of all the astrologers of Babylon.
\nA day came when Daniel was able to save the lives of all of the Babylonian astrologers. Nebuchadnezzar had an unusual dream. When the astrologers were unable to interpret his dream, he sentenced every one of them to execution (Daniel 2:12). Among the ones arrested were Daniel and his three friends, because from the viewpoint of the Babylonians, these four Hebrews were part of the Babylonian School of Astrology and, therefore, to be executed. But Daniel requested an audience with the king and he received it. After he received the audience with the king, Daniel did interpret the dream that Nebuchadnezzar had. When he interpreted that dream, he saved the lives of all the other astrologers. In fact, this is the way he became the head of the Babylonian School of Astrology (Daniel 2:48). As a result there is no doubt that many of these astrologers turned away from the worship of the stars and the practice of astrology and began worshipping the God of Israel. It was in this environment and in this company that Daniel penned his book, revealing the time of Messiah\u2019s coming.
\nHence, a line of Babylonian astrologers from generation to generation worshipped the true God, and having Daniel\u2019s prophecy, looked forward to the coming of the King of the Jews. From the Book of Daniel, then, we can conclude that Babylonian astrologers did know at about what time Messiah was to be born. However, the Book of Daniel says nothing about a star that would in some way announce Messiah\u2019s birth. How, then, did the astrologers know anything about a star?
\nFor this question, we must go back even earlier in the Old Testament to the prophecies of Balaam (these were studied earlier, in the section on \u201cThe Law\u201d). Balaam was hired by the king of Moab to curse the Jews. Four times Balaam tried to curse the Jews and each time God took control of his mouth; instead of cursing the Jews, he found himself blessing the Jews. In the course of his blessing of the Jews, he gave four key messianic prophecies. One of these prophecies is found in Numbers 24:17:<\/p>\n
24:17 \u201cI see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, And a scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth. (NASB)<\/p>\n
Balaam, with much reluctance and regret, was forced by God to prophesy of the coming of the Jewish Messiah and he related that to a \u201cstar.\u201d This is not a literal star because it then says concerning this star, \u201cAnd a scepter shall rise from Israel.\u201d The \u201cstar\u201d and the \u201cscepter\u201d are one and the same. Remember, that the term \u201cscepter\u201d is a symbol of royalty, of kingship. This \u201cstar\u201d which would rise out of Jacob, is himself a king.
\nFurthermore, Balaam\u2019s occupation was that of astrology. Even more significant, he came from the city of Pethor, a city on the banks of the Euphrates River in Babylonia (Numbers 22:5; Deuteronomy 23:4).
\nWe have, therefore, a double Babylonian connection: The Book of Daniel, which spelled out how many years would transpire before the birth of the King of the Jews; and the prophecy of Balaam concerning the star and, again, Balaam was part of the Babylonian School of Astrology. Hence, the revelation of a star in relation to Messiah\u2019s birth came by way of a Babylonian astrologer who, no doubt, passed the information down to his colleagues. Centuries later, Daniel was able to expound to the Babylonian astrologers as to the time that \u201cthe star of Jacob\u201d would come.<\/p>\n
Conclusions<\/p>\n
How, then, did the Wise Men know? Not by gazing at the stars in the pseudo-science of astrology, but by the revelation of God as contained in the Scriptures, by means of the prophecies of Balaam and Daniel. The story of the Wise Men gives no validity to astrology whatsoever.
\nThe Wise Men gave to Jesus three types of gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. All of these are full of Old Testament symbolism: gold is the symbol of royalty or kingship, emphasizing that Jesus is a king; frankincense is the symbol of deity because frankincense was part of the special scent burned on the Altar of Incense within the Holy Place and the smoke penetrated into God\u2019s presence in the Holy of Holies itself, thus frankincense emphasizes Jesus is God; myrrh was associated in the Old Testament with death and embalming.
\nWhile the first line of that famous Christmas song \u201cWe three kings of orient are\u201d is not biblically accurate, the last line which says, \u201cGod and king and sacrifice\u201d certainly is. These gifts to the family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus provided them with the income to be able to escape to Egypt, live in Egypt for approximately two years, and then return to Nazareth after the death of Herod the Great.<\/p>\n
Appendix 7<\/p>\n
How the New Testament Quotes the Old Testament<\/p>\n
In reading through the New Testament, it is soon realized that the New Testament frequently quotes the Old Testament and quotes it in various ways. Because sometimes the context of the Old Testament quotation does not seem to fit the New Testament context, some have questioned the validity of the New Testament\u2019s use of the Old Testament. This will be a study to examine exactly how the New Testament does quote the Old Testament.
\nWhen the New Testament quotes the Old Testament, it does so in four different ways. Every Old Testament quotation found within the New Testament will always fit into one of these four categories. There is one example of each of the four ways in Matthew Two, so this will be used as the basis for explaining them.<\/p>\n
Literal Prophecy Plus Literal Fulfillment<\/p>\n
The first category is known as \u201cliteral prophecy plus literal fulfillment.\u201d The example of this first category is found in Matthew 2:5\u20136:<\/p>\n
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written through the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah, art in no wise least among the princes of Judah: For out of thee shall come forth a governor, who shall be shepherd of my people Israel. (ASV)<\/p>\n
This passage in the New Testament quotes Micah 5:2. If we go back to the context of Micah 5:2 to see what the Old Testament context was talking about, we discover that it is dealing with the birth of the Messiah. The point of Micah 5:2 is that when the Messiah is born, He will be born in the town of Bethlehem in the region of Judah and nowhere else; not the Bethlehem of Galilee, and not any other town in Judah. That is the literal meaning, the literal interpretation of Micah 5:2; the Messiah, when He is born, will be born in the town of Bethlehem, within the tribal territory of Judah.
\nIn the New Testament, there is a literal fulfillment of that literal prophecy. Jesus, when He was born as the Messiah, was born in the town of Bethlehem, and no other town in the tribal region of Judah. Furthermore, He was born in Bethlehem of Judah, and not Bethlehem of Galilee. This was a literal fulfillment of Micah 5:2, by which the New Testament quotes the Old\u2014literal prophecy plus literal fulfillment. The prophecy makes only one point. When it is fulfilled in the New Testament in a perfect way, the New Testament quotes the Old.
\nAnother example of this first category is in Matthew 1:22\u201323:<\/p>\n
22 Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, And they shall call his name Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us. (ASV)<\/p>\n
This is a quotation of Isaiah 7:14. The context of Isaiah 7:14 is predicting that when the Messiah is born, He will be born of a virgin. That is the literal meaning of Isaiah 7:14. In the New Testament, there is a literal fulfillment of the literal prophecy, and so the passage is quoted by the New Testament.
\nAnother example of the first category is found in Matthew 3:3, which quotes Isaiah 40:3, and in Mark 1:2, which quotes Malachi 3:1. Both the Isaiah and Malachi passages predict that before the Messiah is made known, He will be preceded by a forerunner. A forerunner will announce the soon coming of the King. This literal prophecy was fulfilled in a literal way by John the Baptist and for that reason the verses in Isaiah and Malachi were quoted by Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
\nAnother example is Luke 4:18\u201319, which quotes Isaiah 61:1\u20132. The context in the Isaiah account is speaking of the kind of ministry the Messiah was to have at His First Coming, the nature and style of His ministry. In Luke, Jesus was literally fulfilling that prophecy, so it is quoted.
\nAnother example is Matthew 4:13\u201316, which quotes Isaiah 8:22\u20139:2. The context of that prophecy is speaking of the ministry of the Messiah, whose major area of ministry will be within the tribal territories of Zebulun and Naphtali, which is the literal prophecy of Isaiah 9:1\u20132. In the New Testament, Jesus ministered primarily in these two tribal territories. Nazareth was within the tribal territory of Zebulun and Capernaum was within the tribal territory of Naphtali. He grew up in the tribal territory of Zebulun and headquartered in the tribal territory of Naphtali. In this way, the prophecy was literally fulfilled.
\nAnother example of this first category is Matthew 21:5, which quotes Zechariah 9:9. The context of Zechariah 9:9 speaks about the Messiah riding into Jerusalem upon a donkey. When Jesus, in His Triumphal Entry, rode into Jerusalem on that type of an animal, then that prophecy was literally fulfilled. Therefore, it is quoted by the New Testament.
\nAnother example is John 12:38, which quotes Isaiah 53:1. Isaiah 53:1 clearly prophesies that when the Messiah comes, He is going to be rejected by His own people. When Jesus was rejected by Israel, that was a literal fulfillment of that particular prophecy. It is quoted again in the first category of a literal prophecy plus a literal fulfillment.
\nAnother example of this first category of prophecy is to be found within the context of the death of the Messiah. In the context of the crucifixion, John 19:24 states:<\/p>\n
24 They said therefore one to another, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my garments among them, And upon my vesture did they cast lots. (ASV)<\/p>\n
John quoted Psalm 22:18, and the context of that verse speaks of the death of the Messiah. Part of the death scene is that His clothing will be taken away from Him and the tormentors will gamble for His clothes. That is the literal meaning of the prophecy of Psalm 22:18. In the New Testament, there is a literal fulfillment of this particular prophecy. When the Roman soldiers gambled for the clothing of Jesus, they fulfilled the prophecy. For that reason, John quoted that prophecy in this particular passage.
\nClosely related is another quotation found in Matthew 27:46:<\/p>\n
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (ASV)<\/p>\n
Here, Matthew quoted Psalm 22:1. The context of Psalm 22:1 is speaking about the sufferings of the Messiah and the death of the Messiah. During His sufferings, He was to cry, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? When Jesus cried this, it was a direct fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy, and for that reason it was quoted in this New Testament passage.
\nThis is the first category of New Testament quotations of the Old Testament: literal prophecy plus literal fulfillment. In these cases, the Old Testament literally speaks of a specific event in the future. When that specific event is literally fulfilled in the context of the New Testament, the New Testament quotes that particular prophecy as a point-by-point fulfillment. Many of the quotations of the Old Testament in the New Testament fall into this category.<\/p>\n
Literal Plus Typical (Typology)<\/p>\n
The second category of quotations can be labeled \u201cliteral plus typical.\u201d An example of this category is found in Matthew 2:15:<\/p>\n
\u2026 15 and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt did I call my son. (ASV)<\/p>\n
If we go back to the context of Hosea 11:1, which is what this passage is quoting, we discover that it is not even a prophecy; it is speaking of a literal historical event, which was the Exodus. The background to Hosea 11:1 is Exodus 4:22\u201323. Israel, as a nation, is the son of God: Israel is my son, my firstborn. When God brought Israel out of Egypt, it is pictured by Hosea 11:1 as God bringing His son out of the land of Egypt. That is the literal meaning of Hosea 11:1. It is an historical verse dealing with an historical event, the Exodus. However, the literal Old Testament event becomes a type of a New Testament event. Now there is a more ideal Son of God, the individual Son of God, the Messianic Son of God, the Messiah Himself. When Jesus as a babe was brought out of the land of Egypt, God was again bringing His Son out of Egypt. This is a type and anti-type. The type was Israel, the national son coming out of Egypt. The anti-type is the Messianic Son of God also coming out of Egypt. This is an example of the second category\u2014literal plus typical.
\nAnother example is Matthew 15:7\u20139:<\/p>\n
7 Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people honoreth me with their lips; But their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain do they worship me, Teaching (as their) doctrines the precepts of men. (ASV)<\/p>\n
Matthew 15:7\u20139 contains a quotation of Isaiah 29:13. The context of Isaiah 29:13 is speaking of an historical event when the people were rejecting the prophetic word of Isaiah the Prophet. The literal meaning of Isaiah 29:13 deals with Israel\u2019s rejection of the Prophet. Israel\u2019s rejection of the prophetic word of the Prophet becomes a type of Israel\u2019s rejection of the prophetic word of the Messiah, and so the Old Testament is quoted.
\nAnother example is John 12:39\u201340:<\/p>\n
39 For this cause they could not believe, for that Isaiah said again, 40 He hath blinded their eyes, and he hardened their heart; Lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, And should turn, And I should heal them. (ASV)<\/p>\n
Here, John quoted Isaiah 6:10, which in context states that the prophetic message of Isaiah the Prophet will be rejected by his own people. And that is the literal meaning of this passage. Again, Israel\u2019s rejection of the prophetic word of Isaiah the Prophet now becomes a type of the rejection of the prophetic word of the Messiah. For that reason, the Old Testament verse is quoted in this particular situation.
\nAnother example in this category is found in Matthew 21:42:<\/p>\n
42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; This was from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes? (ASV)<\/p>\n
This passage quotes Psalm 118:22\u201323. In the context of that Psalm account, the point which is made is that a stone which the builders did not know what to do with was rejected or set aside. Later, when they finished the building, they realized that it was the top stone, the chief stone, that was the head of the corner. That is the literal meaning of Psalm 118:22\u201323. The rejection of the stone and the acceptance of the stone becomes a type of Israel\u2019s rejection of the Messiahship of Jesus and later their acceptance of the Messiahship of Jesus.
\nOne more example of the second category is in John 19:36:<\/p>\n
36 For these things came to pass, that the scripture might be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. (ASV)<\/p>\n
Here, John quoted Exodus 12:46. In the context of Exodus 12:46, Moses was dealing with an historical event that had to do with the Passover lamb that would save the Jews from the last plague. In the process of slaughtering the lamb, then roasting and eating the lamb, the instruction was that not a bone of this Passover lamb was to be broken. That is the literal meaning of this command. The Passover lamb is a type of the Messiah, who is Christ our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7). During the process of His death by means of crucifixion, while the bones of the others were broken, the bones of this One were not broken. This was a fulfillment in a typical sense, not in a literal, prophetic sense.
\nThis is in the second category\u2014literal plus typical. The literal meaning deals with an historical event and not a prophetic event. However, that historical event becomes a type of a New Testament event and, therefore, it is quoted in that way. The Book of Hebrews uses this category frequently (the sin of Kadesh Barnea, the Tabernacle, the sacrificial system, the Aaronic Priesthood, the Melchizedekian priesthood, etc).<\/p>\n
Literal Plus Application<\/p>\n
The third category is \u201cliteral plus application.\u201d The example of this category is in Matthew 2:17\u201318:<\/p>\n
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 18 A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; And she would not be comforted, because they are not. (ASV)<\/p>\n
This time, Matthew quotes Jeremiah 31:15. In the original context, Jeremiah is speaking of an event soon to come as the Babylonian Captivity begins. As the Jewish young men were being taken away into captivity, they went by the town of Ramah. Not too far from Ramah is where Rachel was buried and she was the Old Testament symbol of Jewish motherhood. As the young Jewish men were marched toward Babylon, the Jewish mothers of Ramah came out weeping for the sons they would never see again. Jeremiah pictured this as Rachel weeping for her children; And she would not be comforted, because they are not. Rachel weeping symbolized Jewish mothers weeping. That is the literal meaning of Jeremiah 31:15. In the New Testament, because of one simple point of similarity, that verse is quoted. It is not a literal fulfillment, nor a full-scale typology, but simply an application because of one point of similarity. In the New Testament case, the one point of similarity was: Jewish mothers weeping for sons they will never see again, because Herod had slaughtered all the males of Bethlehem from the age of two years and under. Jewish mothers were again weeping for their sons. Everything else is different. In Jeremiah the event takes place at Ramah, north of Jerusalem; in Matthew it takes place in Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem. In Jeremiah the sons are still alive but are going into captivity; in Matthew the sons are dead. Because of one point of similarity, the New Testament quotes the Old Testament as an application only. Another example of this same type of quotation is found in Acts 2:16\u201321:<\/p>\n
\u2026 16 but this is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel: 17 And it shall be in the last days, saith God, I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all flesh: And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams: 18 Yea and on My servants and on My handmaidens in those days Will I pour forth of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show wonders in the heaven above, And signs on the earth beneath; Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness. And the moon into blood, Before the day of the Lord come, That great and notable (day). 21 And it shall be, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (ASV)<\/p>\n
In this passage, Peter quoted Joel 2:28\u201332. In that context, it is speaking of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the whole nation of Israel, resulting in some supernatural manifestations and causing the whole nation of Israel to be saved in preparation for the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom spoken of in the next chapter, Joel Three. The literal meaning of the Joel passage is in reference to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the whole nation of Israel, resulting in supernatural manifestations. Nothing predicted by Joel Two happened in Acts Two. For example, Joel spoke about the pouring out of the Spirit upon all Jewish flesh, which did not happen in the Book of Acts. In Acts Two, the Spirit was poured out upon twelve, or 120 at the most. Joel spoke about the sons and daughters of Israel prophesying, the young men seeing visions and the old men dreaming. None of that happened in Acts Two. No one did any prophesying, the young men did not see visions, and old men did not dream dreams. None of these are mentioned in the context of Acts Two. Furthermore, the servants of the Jewish people were to experience these same things, and there were no servants involved in the context of Acts Two. Joel spoke of climactic events in the heavens and on earth: blood, fire, pillars of smoke, with the sun turning into darkness, and the moon into blood, yet none of these things happened in Acts Two.
\nNothing predicted by Joel Two happened in Acts Two, and what did happen in Acts Two is not even mentioned in Joel Two. What did happen in Acts Two was a manifestation of the Spirit, resulting in the speaking of tongues. Joel did not mention the gift of tongues at all. Nothing that Joel Two prophesied happened in Acts Two and what did happen in Acts Two was not mentioned in the prophecy of Joel Two. What we have here is the third category of quotation\u2014literal plus application. The literal meaning of the Joel passage speaks of Israel\u2019s national salvation when the Holy Spirit-will be poured out on all Israel, resulting in Israel\u2019s national salvation in preparation for the Messianic Kingdom. Of course, that did not happen in the Book of Acts, but there was one point of similarity. That one point of similarity was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, resulting in a unique manifestation, which, in that case, was speaking in tongues. Because of one point of similarity\u2014the outpouring of the Holy Spirit\u2014the Old Testament was quoted by the New Testament as an application.
\nEnglish idiomatic expressions do the same thing. For example, we sometimes say, \u201cHe met his Waterloo.\u201d What do we mean by that? We do not mean that the man went to Waterloo in Belgium and got defeated in a battle. The expression goes back to an historical event. That historical event had to do with Napoleon, whose imperial ambitions finally collapsed with his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. Because of one point of similarity, defeat of an ambition, we often use that expression of someone whose ambitions are suddenly destroyed by some climactic event in their life. By the same usage, the New Testament, because of one point of similarity, will often quote the Old Testament.<\/p>\n
Summation<\/p>\n
The fourth category is, \u201csummation\u201d or \u201csummary.\u201d An example of the fourth category is found in Matthew 2:23.<\/p>\n
\u2026 22 and being warned of God in a dream, lie withdrew into the parts of Galilee, 23 and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets, that he should be called a Nazarene. (ASV)<\/p>\n
The apparent quotation is, \u201che should be called a Nazarene,\u201d but no such statement is to be found anywhere in the Old Testament. Some have tried to connect this with Isaiah 11:1, but that connection is far-fetched. In verse 23, Matthew uses the plural term \u201cprophets,\u201d so at least two references might be expected, but there is not even one. The fourth category does not have a direct quotation from the Old Testament as with the first three, but only a summary of what the Old Testament taught. The clue is when the word \u201cprophet\u201d is used in the plural, as it is here. In the first three categories, the word \u201cprophet\u201d is, in most cases, used in the singular. In the fourth category, it is used in the plural, \u201cspoken through the prophets.\u201d The author is not quoting, but summarizing what the prophets said. In this case, the prophets said, \u201che should be called a Nazarene.\u201d
\nWhat was a Nazarene? In the first century, Nazarenes were a despised people. The term was used to reproach and to shame. This attitude is reflected in John 1:45\u201346:<\/p>\n
45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. (ASV)<\/p>\n
Nathanael\u2019s question, \u201cCan any good thing come out of Nazareth?\u201d is a reflection of the low opinion people had of Nazarenes. People who were Nazarenes were despised and rejected. And what did the Prophets say about the Messiah? The Prophets did predict that the Messiah would be a despised and rejected individual. The specific term \u201cNazarene\u201d is a convenient way of summarizing this teaching; not a quotation as such, but a Summary.
\nAnother example of this category is Luke 18:31\u201333:<\/p>\n
31 And he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets shall be accomplished unto the Son of man. 32 For he shall be delivered up unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and shamefully treated, and spit upon: 33 and they shall scourge and kill him: and the third day he shall rise again. (ASV)<\/p>\n
Again, note the use of the plural term \u201cprophets.\u201d What the Prophets said about the Messiah included nine things: the Messiah will go up to Jerusalem; He will fall into the hands of priests and scribes; the Jewish people will condemn Him to death; the Jewish people will turn Him over to the Gentiles; the Gentiles will mock Him; the Gentiles will spit on Him; the Gentiles will scourge Him; the Gentiles will kill Him; and, He will be resurrected on the third day. No individual prophet said all of this. No such quotation exists anywhere in the Prophets. However the Prophets, taken together, did say all of these things, so this is not a direct quotation, but a summary.
\nOne more example of this fourth category is Matthew 26:54\u201356:<\/p>\n
54 How then should the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? 55 In that hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a robber with swords and staves to seize me? I sat daily in the temple teaching, and ye took me not. 56 But all this is come to pass, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples left him, and fled. (ASV)<\/p>\n
Although Jesus taught them in clear language, within the Temple Compound, yet they rejected Him. This rejection is now obvious in that they are in the Garden of Gethsemane, ready to arrest Him. He said that all this has come to pass \u201cthat the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.\u201d No single prophet prophesied what was happening there, in the words that Jesus used. But the Prophets together did say that the Messiah would be rejected. He would be arrested and undergo a trial. Just one passage alone, Isaiah 53, is a good example of this. But here, Jesus is not quoting a specific prophecy, but is summarizing what the Prophets did say. In summary, the Prophets certainly did teach what Jesus is saying here. Again, this is the fourth category: summation.
\nAn example of summation in rabbinic literature can be seen in the Midrash Rabbah 63:11 where it reads:<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026 hence it is written as in the verse, \u2018And I will no more make you a reproach of famine among the nations.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
Nowhere in the Old Testament is there any such verse. Nowhere can you find the words, \u201cAnd I will no more make you a reproach of famine among the nations.\u201d What we have here is a summarization of two passages, Joel 2:19 and Ezekiel 36:30.
\nJoel 2:19 says:<\/p>\n
2:19 And Jehovah answered and said unto his people, Behold, I will send you grain, and new wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations \u2026 (ASV)
\nEzekiel 36:30 says:<\/p>\n
36:30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye may receive no more the reproach of famine among the nations. (ASV)<\/p>\n
What the Midrash Rabbah is doing is summarizing the teaching of these two passages.<\/p>\n
Conclusion<\/p>\n
There are four categories by which the New Testament quotes the Old Testament. To determine into which category a quotation falls, the procedure is first to go back to the Old Testament to see the context of the original quotation. Once that is determined, then it can also be determined to which of the four categories the quotation belongs. If it is a point-for-point literal fulfillment, then it is literal prophecy plus literal fulfillment. If it is using an Old Testament historical account as a type, then it is literal plus typical. If there is only one point of similarity between what is happening in the Old Testament context and what is happening in the New Testament context, then it is literal plus application. If there is no direct quotation in the Old Testament, then it can be assumed to be merely a summary. Every quotation of the Old Testament in the New Testament will always fit into one of these four categories. The New Testament is very consistent in the way it quotes the Old.<\/p>\n
Appendix 8<\/p>\n
The Death of Judas Iscariot<\/p>\n
The death of Judas Iscariot is described in two places in the New Testament. The first is Matthew 27:3\u201310:<\/p>\n
27:3 Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood. But they said, What is that to us? see thou (to it). 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. 6 And the chief priests took the pieces of silver, and said, It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is the price of blood. 7 And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter\u2019s field, to bury strangers in. 8 Wherefore that field was called, the field of blood, unto this day. 9 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was priced, whom (certain) of the children of Israel did price; 10 and they gave them for the potter\u2019s field, as the Lord appointed me. (ASV)<\/p>\n
The second is Acts 1:18\u201319:<\/p>\n
1:18 (Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch that in their language that field was called Akeldama, that is, The field of blood.) (ASV)<\/p>\n
Of particular relevance to the subject of Messianic Christology is Matthew 27:9. This creates an apparent problem since the Book of Jeremiah has nothing to say about thirty pieces of silver\u2014this is prophesied in Zechariah 11:1\u201317, a prophecy which has already been studied. This is not the only issue which needs to be explained however; these two passages of Scripture are frequently quoted by critics of the Bible as being contradictory. Both passages will therefore be discussed in full.<\/p>\n
Judas\u2019 Suicide<\/p>\n
In Matthew 27:3, we are told that Judas \u201crepented himself.\u201d The Greek word used in the New Testament for salvation repentance is metanoia. The Greek word used in Matthew 27:3 is metamelomai which means \u201cremorse\u201d or \u201cregret.\u201d Judas is not exercising the metanoia repentance that leads to salvation but metamelomai repentance which is simply remorse. He returns the thirty pieces of silver, which he was paid for betraying Jesus, to the Chief Priests and Elders saying, \u201cI have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood.\u201d The chief priests refuse to take the money back saying, \u201cWhat is that to us? See to that yourself!\u201d Judas then throws the coins into the Temple Sanctuary and leaves.
\nThere now arises an apparent contradiction between Matthew 27:5, \u201cand he went away and hanged himself,\u201d and Acts 1:18, \u201cfalling headlong he burst asunder.\u201d To understand what is happening here we need to go back to matters of Jewish Law which applied in those days. Judas committed suicide at the end of the first night of Passover, before the first day of Passover, when the morning Passover sacrifice would be offered, of which only the Priesthood would partake. According to Jewish law, if there was a dead body in Jerusalem, then the city was to be considered defiled and the morning sacrifice could not be offered. However, Jewish law goes on to say that if the corpse is taken and cast into the Valley of Hinnom, a place of burning\u2014in Hebrew gei hinnom, from which comes the English word \u201cGehenna\u201d\u2014then the city is cleansed and the Passover can be offered up; later they can return and bury the body. With this background it is now possible to combine the Matthew and Acts accounts. When Judas hanged himself within the walls of Jerusalem, he caused the city to become defiled, thus preventing the morning Passover sacrifice from proceeding. In accordance with the law of the time, Judas\u2019 body would have been taken and thrown over the wall into the Valley of Hinnom, thereby cleansing the city. The fall of Judas\u2019 body is what is being described in Acts 1:18. Later the burial detail would have returned, gathered up his remains, and buried him.
\nWhat, then, were the Chief Priests to do with the thirty pieces of silver? Here again we see an example of rabbinic logic. In Matthew 27:6 the leaders recognize that the money was wrongfully gained. It is the \u201cprice of blood\u201d and so, in accordance with Jewish law, it cannot be accepted into the Temple treasury. Money such as this had to be disposed of in one of two ways. Either it was returned to its owner or it was to be used for the public good. In this situation, the first option was impossible since Judas was now dead, so the priests had no choice but to spend it in some way that would benefit the whole community. They purchased a field in the Valley of Hinnom\u2014the same place where Judas had \u201cburst asunder\u201d\u2014for the purpose of burying strangers. The first person to be buried there was Judas himself.
\nThe Matthew account says that the potter\u2019s field was bought by the Chief Priests, but Acts says that \u201cthis man,\u201d meaning Judas, \u201cobtained a field with the reward of his iniquity.\u201d There is no contradiction here. In accordance with the requirements of the law, the field had to be bought posthumously in the name of Judas Iscariot. It is in that sense that Judas \u201cobtained a field.\u201d Legally, the Chief Priests were merely viewed as purchasing agents. Matthew states the actual case while the account in Acts deals with the legal ramifications; the statements of Matthew and Acts are, therefore, both true.<\/p>\n
Jeremiah\u2019s Curse<\/p>\n
Another point of confusion arises in Matthew 27:9. It is this point which is of particular importance to our present study of Messianic Christology. Matthew says:<\/p>\n
9 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was priced, whom (certain) of the children of Israel did price; 10 and they gave them for the potter\u2019s field, as the Lord appointed me. (ASV)<\/p>\n
Matthew seems to ascribe these words to Jeremiah, yet this quotation cannot be found anywhere in Jeremiah, but rather, as has already been seen, it comes from Zechariah 11:13. In what sense, then, do the events surrounding Judas\u2019 death accord with the prophecy of Jeremiah? The standard Conservative response to this is to concede that this might be a scribal error. Others assume that the name \u201cJeremiah\u201d stood for the whole prophetic section, but there is simply no evidence for this. There is, however, a better explanation.
\nTo understand this it is necessary to understand both the history of the Valley of Hinnom and also Matthew\u2019s concern with the divine judgment resulting from the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. The historical background is found in two passages of Jeremiah. The first is Jeremiah 7:31\u201334:<\/p>\n
7:31And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded not, neither came it into my mind. 32 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that it shall no more be called Topheth, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of Slaughter: for they shall bury in Topheth, till there be no place (to bury). 33 And the dead bodies of this people shall be food for the birds of the heavens, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall frighten them away. 34 Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride; for the land shall become a waste.<\/p>\n
(ASV)<\/p>\n
The second is Jeremiah 19:1\u201315:<\/p>\n
19:1Thus said Jehovah, Go, and buy a potter\u2019s earthen bottle, and (take) of the elders of the people, and of the elders of the priests; 2 and go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the gate Harsith, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee; 3 and say, Hear ye the word of Jehovah, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem: thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will bring evil upon thus place, which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle. 4 Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, that they knew not, they and their fathers and the kings of Judah; and have filled this place with the blood of innocents, 5 and have built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons in the fire for burnt-offerings unto Baal; which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind: 6 therefore, behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that this place shall no more be called Topheth, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of Slaughter. 7 And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies will I give to be food for the birds of the heavens, and for the beasts of the earth. 8 And I will make this city an astonishment, and a hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof. 9 And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters; and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend, in the siege and in the distress, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their life, shall distress them. 10 Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee, 11 and shalt say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter\u2019s vessel, that cannot be made whole again; and they shall bury in Topheth, till there be no place to bury. 12 Thus will I do unto this place, saith Jehovah, and to the inhabitants thereof, even making this city as Topheth: 13 and the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, which are defiled, shall be as the place of Topheth, even all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink-offerings unto other gods. 14 Then came Jeremiah from Topheth, whither Jehovah had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of Jehovah\u2019s house, and said to all the people: 15 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all its towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it; because they have made their neck stiff, that they may not hear my words. (ASV)<\/p>\n
In Jeremiah 19:2, the ASV refers to \u201cthe gate Harsith,\u201d while most versions translate this as the \u201cPotsherd Gate.\u201d Today it is known as the Dung Gate. It was through this gate that waste material was taken and dumped outside the city. Included in this waste material was the broken and defiled pottery from the Temple. Items of pottery were required for many ceremonial purposes in the Temple. The use of such items was governed by many laws regarding ceremonial purity. This may be what Paul has in mind when he talks about \u201cvessels of honor\u201d as opposed to \u201cvessels of dishonor\u201d in 2 Timothy 2:20\u201321. All items of pottery required for ritual use were made within the Temple Compound so that they could be kept under scrutiny from the time of manufacture to the time of use. This enabled their purity to be clearly established and avoided contact with anything unclean outside the Temple. Any items of pottery which were imperfect or broken or unacceptable for any ceremonial reason were removed from the Temple and dumped outside, beyond the city walls. The Potsherd Gate is situated on the south wall of Jerusalem and faces into the Valley of Hinnom at the point where it runs into the Kidron Valley. The names of both Topheth in the Jeremiah passage and Akeldema in Acts are associated with the juncture of these two valleys. This is the area where rubbish was dumped.
\nIn the days of Jeremiah, the Valley of Hinnom was used by the Kings of Judah as a place for burning human sacrifices. It is from this that the concept of Gehenna comes, the Lake of Fire, a place for burning humans. Because of the sins of Israel, the Prophet Jeremiah was sent to Topheth, a particular place within the Valley of Hinnom, to pronounce a curse upon it. He declared that this specific location would become a \u201cvalley of slaughter,\u201d and they shall bury and bury \u201cuntil there be no more room for burying.\u201d Centuries later, the leaders of Israel buy a field in the Valley of Hinnom with thirty pieces of silver. They happen to buy the very area of Topheth. When they bought this particular piece of land they also purchased the curse of Jeremiah that came with it.
\nThe curse was finally fulfilled in 70 A.D. with the massive slaughter of the residents of Jerusalem by the Roman armies, who had been waiting for two years to break through the walls of the city. Suddenly the pent-up frustrations of two years were vented upon the city and, as Jeremiah had predicted, they slaughtered and slaughtered and buried and buried until there was no more room in the Valley of Hinnom for any more burials.
\nOf the four Gospel writers, it is Matthew in particular who deals with the impending judgment of 70 A.D. It is in Matthew 12 that we read of the final rejection of Jesus as the Messiah by the religious leaders. In the subsequent chapters of his Gospel, Matthew records the repeated proclamations of judgment by Jesus upon \u201cthis generation\u201d for their rejection of Him. When Matthew 27:9 refers to Jeremiah, it is not by mistake; it is entirely consistent with the recurring theme of coming judgment. What Matthew is doing here is indicating that the Jewish leaders had purchased for themselves and for the people of Jerusalem the curse which Jeremiah had pronounced upon the Valley of Hinnom and the area of Topheth. Zechariah is quoted as the prophecy of the actual purchase price: thirty pieces of silver.<\/p>\n
Appendix 9<\/p>\n
Jewish Objections to Jesus<\/p>\n
The more recent articles written by rabbis stating their objections to Jesus all judge Him on the basis of His conformity, or lack of it, to modern Judaism. Jesus is all too often judged by twentieth-century Judaism rather than first-century Judaism or Biblical Judaism. The question, however, can never be, \u201cIs Jesus the Messiah in accordance with Judaism today?\u201d Judaism today is too fragmented with messianic views ranging from, \u201cHe will come\u201d to \u201cWhat Messiah? There will be no Messiah!\u201d The fact is that most Jews today do not believe in any Messiah at all. The real issue is, \u201cIs Jesus the Messiah of Old Testament Judaism?\u201d
\nJudaism today is very different from the Judaism of the Old Testament or even the Judaism of Jesus\u2019 day. Modern Judaism is certainly not the \u201cfather of Christianity.\u201d At best it is its brother, with Biblical Judaism being the father of both. If one were to read the books of the Old Testament and compare their teachings with the Judaism of today, one could almost conclude that modern Judaism is a completely new religion! Certainly there are similarities between Judaism then and now. Yet similarities exist between various religions and they are, nevertheless, distinct one from another. The real issue is whether Jesus is the Messiah of the Old Testament. The messiahship of Jesus must stand or fall on no other criterion than His fulfillment of the messianic prophecies of the Scriptures.<\/p>\n
What Kind of God Do You Have?<\/p>\n
Some Jewish objections to the Messiahship of Jesus rest on questioning the Virgin Birth and Jesus\u2019 resurrection from the dead. Objections to these two matters are, however, not the real issue in themselves. The real issue is what kind of God one believes in. The question is not, \u201cIs such a thing as the Virgin Birth possible?\u201d Or, \u201cIs such a thing as resurrection from death possible?\u201d From the strictly human viewpoint they are not. The real question is, \u201cCan God do such things?\u201d If He cannot, He is not much of a God. But if God is God, and all that this particular title infers, includes, and indicates, He can do anything He wants to do. The only possible limits to God are the limits He places on Himself.
\nIf God is all powerful, things like the Virgin Birth and the resurrection are easy things for Him to accomplish. It is an amazing inconsistency to allow that God has created the heavens and the earth and then to doubt His ability to bring about a virgin birth. If He can create the wonder and vastness of the universe and all the complexity of the single cell, the Virgin Birth and the resurrection are very simple matters. For a Jew who believes in God, there is no reason to doubt the miracle of the Virgin Birth. The real question is, \u201cDid it happen with the birth of Jesus?\u201d The Old Testament said that it would happen with the Messiah. The New Testament said that it did happen with Jesus.<\/p>\n
Jesus Didn\u2019t Bring Peace, Did He?<\/p>\n
The most common objection one hears to the Messiahship of Jesus is this: He could not be the Messiah since He did not bring peace. Well, since He was not accepted, He could not very well bring peace, could He? Furthermore, the purpose of the Messiah\u2019s First Coming, or as the early rabbis would have it, the purpose of the coming of the first Messiah, Messiah, the Son of Joseph, was not to bring peace but to suffer and die. Peace would come through the coming of the second Messiah, Messiah, the Son of David, or as the New Testament would have it, by the Second Coming of the Messiah. The Messiahship of Jesus must first be judged on whether He did suffer and die for sin, and then on whether those who believed in Him received their justification and forgiveness of sins. That He suffered and died for the sins of Israel is the testimony of the eyewitness accounts we have in the New Testament. That Jews have been receiving and experiencing the forgiveness of their sins through faith in the substitutionary death of Jesus has been testified by many. Both Talmudic Judaism and the New Testament agree that there would be one coming of a Messiah to suffer and die, which would precede the coming of the Messiah to bring peace. The point of difference is the former\u2019s claim of two different Messiahs, and the latter\u2019s claim of one and the same person, Jesus.
\nWhile it is true that Jesus did not bring peace, that was not the purpose of the Messiah\u2019s First Coming. This is not a valid argument against His messiahship. For Jesus will yet come again and will yet bring peace.<\/p>\n
Christians Hate the Jews!<\/p>\n
Another objection to the Messiahship of Jesus is not so much an objection against Jesus Himself as it is against the way His name has been used throughout Jewish history. For have not Christians persecuted and killed Jews for centuries? Has not the cross been a symbol of death to Jews? Has not the church issued discriminatory laws against the Jews? Has not the name of Jesus been used to torch Jewish homes and bodies? Has not baptism been used in forced conversions to Christianity and as an excuse to separate Jewish children from their families? All of this is true and so is a lot more. It may be questioned whether those who perpetrated these atrocities were really Christians, but they certainly called themselves that.
\nBut is all that a valid argument against the messiahship of Jesus Himself? Can Jesus be held responsible for the way in which His name has been used or misused by those who profess to follow Him?
\nIn the post-Maccabean period, a man by the name of John Hyrcanus became the ruler of Israel. Israel at that time was fighting for independence from those who would take it from her, such as the Hellenistic Syrians. Among John Hyrcanus\u2019 many acts of war was forcing people to convert to Judaism\u2014if they did not, they were killed. When he captured the Greek cities, the residents were given the choice of converting to Judaism or dying by the sword. The entire Edomite nation, then known as the Idumeans, were forcefully converted to Judaism; many who refused died by the sword. Many acts of atrocity were thus committed in the name of Judaism.
\nNow suppose that many of those who lost their families and loved ones by these tactics began going on an all out campaign against Moses, whom they would consider the founder of Judaism. Suppose, because of all these acts of forced conversion and death, the Greeks and Edomites rejected all that Moses had to say. Suppose that Judaism would be rejected because of the horrible things perpetrated in its name. This would all be unfair, for just because John Hyrcanus used the name of Moses and killed in the name of Judaism did not mean that Moses or Judaism itself taught that such things ought to be done. Indeed, it would be very unfair to reject Judaism strictly on the grounds of the way some used the name of Judaism to accomplish their own desire.
\nIn more recent history, an Orthodox Jew assassinated Yitzchak Rabin, the Prime Minister of Israel, in the name of Judaism. Is Moses to be rejected because of what a fanatic did in the name of Judaism? Obviously not!
\nBy the same token, it would be very wrong to reject the messiahship of Jesus strictly on the grounds of the way some have used His name. For Jesus and the New Testament do not sanction such acts against the Jews. The New Testament, which taught the Gentiles that \u201csalvation is of the Jews\u201d (John 4:22), forbade the persecution of the Jews. So if some, who erroneously called themselves Christians, used the name of Jesus for their own selfish war against the Jews, it still did not make it a Christ-like action. For if the Jesus of the New Testament is the true Jesus, such actions are as foreign to His character as could be possible. Hence, the messiahship of Jesus must be based on who He claimed to be. Does He fit the mold of the Messiah of the Old Testament? He must be accepted or rejected on this ground alone, not by teachings that were clouded or perverted by those who sought a pretense to persecute the Jews.<\/p>\n
Theological Objections<\/p>\n
Theological objections to Jesus by rabbinic authorities have so repeatedly attacked the same areas as to become stereotyped. These will usually center on the question of the virgin birth, the claim of Jesus to be the Son of God, and the fact that Jews cannot believe that a man can become God. Objections to the Virgin Birth have already been dealt with, in the study of Isaiah 7:14. The kind of God one believes in is still an issue.
\nAs to the claim of Jesus to be the Son of God, one objection reads like this:<\/p>\n
The New Testament knows Jesus as the son of God and as Messiah. Judaism, however, does not acknowledge a son of God who was set apart and elevated above other human beings. The Jewish conviction is that all men are equal before God and no mortal can claim divinity.<\/p>\n
Here is an example of how the Messiahship of Jesus is judged purely on the basis of modern Judaism. Jesus could not be the Messiah, the writer says, since Judaism does not acknowledge a Son of God to begin with. The writer would have been more honest had he said that Judaism, as he knows it\u2014which is only modern Judaism\u2014does not acknowledge a Son of God. In the case of Reform Judaism, there would be no Messiah to begin with. The writer effectively ignores centuries of Jewish theological treatments that certainly do view the Messiah as being a Son of God. Had the writer taken the time to look at the early rabbinic interpretations of Psalm 2, it would have taught him not to make such a rash statement. The Old Testament, which is the basis of Judaism, did teach that God would have a Son. That Son is the Messiah Himself. The issue is not whether or not Judaism acknowledges it. The issue is whether the Bible teaches it, and the Old Testament certainly teaches it loud and clear.
\nAnd of course, Jews cannot believe that any man could become God and that is why Jews cannot accept Jesus. To begin with, the fact that a man cannot become God is very true; no man can claim divinity. This is where modern Judaism has misconstrued the teachings of the New Testament. The New Testament never claimed that Jesus was a man who became God. This is heresy! This goes contrary to Judaism, of any form: biblical, rabbinic or otherwise, and it also goes contrary to the Christian faith. Neither the New Testament nor Jesus ever taught that there was a man who became God.
\nThe New Testament claims the reverse: It was God who became a man in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. If God became a man, this man would certainly be superior to other men. He would now be the God-Man. Certainly Judaism does not dare claim that God cannot become a man if He wanted to. The God of Biblical Judaism is all powerful: God can do anything He wants to. If there is anything God cannot do, He is less than God. So the real question is: \u201cDid God choose to become a man?\u201d Not, \u201cCan He?\u201d The claim is that God became a man. It is amazing how so many rabbinic writings about Jesus refuse to discuss this very point and insist on discussing how a man could become God.
\nOther common objections also miss the real point. One such objection is the fact that Jesus forgave sins, which is something only God can do. Again this is true\u2014only God can forgive sins. But if Jesus is the God-Man, God who became a man, the forgiving of sins would be part of the authority of this God-Man.
\nAnother objection of this nature centers around the fact that Jesus performed His miracles in His own name. This objection, as voiced by one Jewish writer, runs as follows:<\/p>\n
The Hebrew prophets too, performed miracles; but they stressed that they did so as God\u2019s instruments. When Elijah revived the son of the widow, he did not say that he had wrought that miracle as Jesus did on a similar occasion.<\/p>\n
First of all, it might be said that many times Jesus claimed that He was doing His miracles by the power and authority of the Spirit of God. It is true that the prophets did miracles and gave God the credit, but again, Messiah was not going to be just another man or just another prophet. Rabbinic theories taught that the Messiah, because He had the name of God Himself, will be able to do things in His own name. That is why the Messiah kept playing such a prominent role in rabbinic theology. That is why the Jewish people throughout the centuries before modern liberalism crept into Judaism, continually looked forward to the coming of the Jewish Messiah. The Messiah would have such authority and such power that He would be able to accomplish great things in His own name. Jesus claimed to be that Messiah and so should, in fact, have been able to do those things in His own name. As the author above admits, Jesus did accomplish those things in His own name. By doing so in His own name, He substantiates His messiahship rather than disproving it.<\/p>\n
Poor Research<\/p>\n
Other Jewish objections to Jesus show some very poor research with regard to what the New Testament is saying. One example reads like this: \u201cJudaism \u2026 is committed to a good life and discourages asceticism. Jesus, however, claimed that His kingdom was not of this world: He pointed to poverty as the mark of piety.\u201d
\nThe fact is that Jesus discouraged asceticism. He did encourage moderation in all things. The very purpose of the coming of Jesus was to provide enjoyment of life. Jesus said: \u201cI have come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly\u201d (John 10:10). He never at any time made poverty the mark of piety. He often talked against the false use of riches, but He never made wealth itself a sin nor poverty a virtue. The message of Christ was not: \u201cBe good now so you can go to heaven later.\u201d His message was: \u201cGet right with God so you can enjoy the kind of life God wants you to enjoy now, as well as heaven later.\u201d
\nAnother example involving poor research of the New Testament is one that reads as follows: \u201cJudaism exalts the family, integrated into a larger community. Jesus applauded celibacy and disparaged family ties as a barrier to religious dedication.\u201d
\nActually, Jesus did not encourage celibacy. This type of life, Jesus said, was just for the very few; it was not a mark of higher spirituality. His main point was correct priorities. His teaching was this: Every person must put God first and his family second. This is hardly going contrary to Judaism.
\nNot only do some objections show poor research of the New Testament, they also show poor research of the Old Testament, as is clear in the following case:<\/p>\n
The Hebrew Bible emphasized unity of mankind and the prophets spoke as God\u2019s messengers to all nations and not primarily to his own people. Jesus, however, emphasized that he was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He refused to heal the daughter of a Canaanite woman. Judaism does not discriminate against non-Jews.<\/p>\n
One wonders if this writer ever read the Old Testament or even knows about his own Judaism. Judaism forbids intermarriage, and that is a form of discrimination against non-Jews. Furthermore, the prophets emphasized no such things as the writer claims. By far, the great majority of the Hebrew prophets did not give their messages to Gentiles but exclusively to the Jewish people. Over and over again, the prophets stressed the point that the Jews are God\u2019s people in a peculiar way and distinct from the Gentiles. There were messages that were for the Gentile nations, but these were invariably messages of judgment because of Gentile mistreatment of the Jewish people. One need only read the Prophets through one time to see this.
\nThe writer is also wrong about Jesus\u2019 dealings with the Canaanite woman. Jesus did not refuse to heal the daughter; in fact, he goes right ahead and does heal the daughter! (Matthew 15:21\u201328.) The point that Jesus wanted to make to the Canaanite woman was that the Messiah\u2019s task was primarily to make Himself known to the Jews, not the Gentiles. Gentiles would also be blessed, but nevertheless, Messiah\u2019s first priority was to the Jewish people. The same is true with the Jewish prophets.
\nIt would be futile to go on and on, for many of the objections to the Messiahship of Jesus are based on preconceived notions as to what the New Testament claims rather than on what it actually states. The theological questions can best be answered after determining the kind of God one believes in. Is God limited as to what He can do or can He do anything in accordance with His power? Then it can be asked: Did God become a man in Jesus or did He not? The Old Testament, not modern Judaism, must be the standard by which it is decided whether Jesus is the Messiah or not. This is a question that no individual can honestly answer unless he makes his own personal investigation. Rejection on the basis of preconceived notions, because of the way one has been led to believe, is to be dishonest with oneself.<\/p>\n
The Majority and the Minority<\/p>\n
A different kind of objection is raised over and over again: If Jesus was the Messiah, why don\u2019t the rabbis believe in Him? Or it may be stated like this: If Jesus is the Messiah, how come very few Jews believe this? The implication here is that something cannot be true for the Jew unless most rabbis or most Jewish people accept it to be true. In other words, the implication is that truth is determined by majority vote.
\nHowever, truth is not determined by majority vote. If something is true, it is going to be true if everybody believes it, or if nobody believes it. Even if everybody believes that the earth is flat and it is possible to fall off the edge of the earth, it will still not make it true. Truth just cannot be determined that way. Truth is something that is absolute; it never changes. It is irrelevant how many people believe the truth. It is still true because of what it is in itself.
\nBut some will say that if the Jewish religious leaders have rejected something, it certainly cannot be true religiously speaking, at least not for the Jews. If Jesus really was the Messiah, maybe not all Jews would have believed, but certainly a great many should have, especially Jewish leaders. As a matter of fact, a great many of the Jews did believe that Jesus was the Messiah, including Jewish leaders. No, it was not the majority. The majority rejected His Messiahship. But a great many did accept His Messiahship. Again, just because the majority did not accept Jesus as the Messiah, does not disqualify Him from being the One.
\nAs we look at our sacred history, we will discover over and over again that it was always the minority of Jews who obeyed the revelation of God. The prophets called the small group of believers the Remnant of Israel. It was always the Remnant of Israel that accepted what God has to say through His prophets. The majority by and large has always rejected it, including the religious leaders of that day.
\nLet\u2019s look at an example that comes from the time of Elijah the Prophet. As we look into the life of Elijah the Prophet in the First Book of the Kings, chapter 19, we find Elijah very depressed because the people would not return to the God of Israel and worship Him. Elijah\u2019s depression caused him to run away to Mount Sinai, wishing he could die.<\/p>\n
19:9 Then he came there to a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, \u201cWhat are you doing here, Elijah?\u201d 10 And he said, \u201cI have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, torn down Thine altars and killed Thy prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.\u201d 11 So He said, \u201cGo forth, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.\u201d And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. 13 And it came about when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, \u201cWhat are you doing here, Elijah?\u201d 14 Then he said, \u201cI have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, torn down Thine altars and killed Thy prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.\u201d 15 And the LORD said to him, \u201cGo, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; 16 and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17 \u201cAnd it shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. 18 \u201cYet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.\u201d<\/p>\n
1 Kings 19:9\u201318 (NASB)<\/p>\n
So completely was the nation of Israel given over to idolatry in Elijah\u2019s day, that Elijah feels that he is all alone (verses 10 and 14). But God answers him and says: \u201cYet will I leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him\u201d (verse 18).
\nThe answer of God to Elijah is that there are seven thousand others besides himself that have stayed true to the God of Israel. Now notice: of the hundreds of thousands of Jews living in the nation of Israel in Elijah\u2019s day, only seven thousand believed the Prophet Elijah. Certainly here, the majority of the Jewish leaders were wrong and, again, it was the Remnant who believed.
\nWhen we come to the Major Prophets, we find the same thing to be true. Even Isaiah, the prince of all the prophets, said in his very first chapter:<\/p>\n
1:9 Unless the LORD of hosts Had left us a few survivors, We would be like Sodom, We would be like Gomorrah.<\/p>\n
Isaiah 1:9 (NASB)<\/p>\n
Isaiah, too, recognized that there is only a Remnant, a small minority of Jewish people which obeys the prophets. The majority are in disobedience. Isaiah also testifies that if it was not for this Remnant, God would have been so disgusted with Israel that He would have destroyed us completely as He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. The same thing could be said for the other prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel. All these prophets had to constantly go against the greater majority over and over again, trying to maintain the truth of God.
\nRabbi Saul, who was a Jewish believer from the first century, recognized that the very same thing was happening in his day. It was the minority of Jews who were accepting the Messiah Jesus. In one of his letters to a congregation in Rome, he recounts the story of Elijah and applies the story to his day. He says:<\/p>\n
11:2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 \u201cLORD, THEY HAVE KILLED THY PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN THINE ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.\u201d 4 But what is the divine response to him? \u201cI HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL.\u201d 5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God\u2019s gracious choice.<\/p>\n
Romans 11:2\u20135 (NASB)<\/p>\n
Rabbi Saul explains that what was happening in his day and is happening today is what has always happened in Jewish history. The majority have always been disobedient to the revelation of the God of Israel. The minority, the Remnant, have always believed. Rabbi Saul goes on to say that the Messianic Jews are the believing Remnant of Israel today.
\nThis type of truth, the truth of God, cannot be determined by the majority. So the answer is: So what if the majority of the rabbis and Jewish people do not accept Jesus as their Messiah? It does not change the fact that He is the Messiah.<\/p>\n
The Logic of It All<\/p>\n
But often the objection is raised that it is not logical, it is not Jewish to believe in Jesus. Well, that depends on the issue of who Jesus really is. Now suppose Jesus really is the Messiah. For the sake of argument, let the premise be allowed that He is the Messiah. Surely, then, the most natural, Jewish thing to do is to believe in Him\u2014that is logical enough. If Jesus is the Messiah, it is Jewish to believe in Jesus. And believing in Jesus, if He is the Messiah, makes a Jewish person, not less Jewish, but more Jewish. That actually makes him a completed Jew, because he has the relationship that the first Jew had, a relationship with God by faith.
\nMany objections raised are often fronts for a real objection that is not often voiced: the fear that if one who is Jewish accepts Jesus, he will cease to be a Jew. This is a real Jewish fear: He will cease to be a Jew and become a Gentile. Yet those Jews who do believe in Jesus firmly maintain that Jesus did not destroy their Jewishness.<\/p>\n
Appendix 10<\/p>\n
Table of Messianic Prophecies<\/p>\n
The table below summarizes all of the messianic prophecies which have been studied.<\/p>\n
Prophecy
\nScripture
\nPage
\nHis Person
\nHe would be human
\nGenesis 3:15
\n14
\nHe would be a descendant of Abraham
\nGenesis 22:18
\n19
\nHe would be from the Tribe of Judah
\nGenesis 49:10
\n21
\nHe would be a son of David
\nIsaiah 11:1\u20132
\nJeremiah 23:5\u20136
\n1 Chronicles 17:10b\u201314
\n42
\n62
\n78
\nHe would be both God and man (Messiah is Jehovah)
\n(Genesis 3:15)
\nIsaiah 7:14
\nIsaiah 9:6\u20137
\nJeremiah 23:5\u20136
\nMicah 5:2
\nZechariah 12:10
\nZechariah 13:7
\nPsalm 80:17
\nPsalm 110:1\u20137
\n14
\n32
\n39
\n62
\n64
\n72
\n74
\n87
\n88
\nHe will live eternally
\n1 Chronicles 17:10b\u201314
\n78
\nHis Nature
\nHe would be full of the Holy Spirit
\nIsaiah 11:1\u20132
\nIsaiah 42:1\u20134
\nIsaiah 61:1\u20132a
\n42
\n45
\n60
\nHe would be humble
\nZechariah 9:9\u201310
\n65
\nHe would be gentle
\nIsaiah 42:1\u20134
\n45
\nHe would have a unique relationship with God
\nPsalm 16:1\u201311
\n82
\nHe would be the son of God
\nPsalm 2:7\u201312
\nProverbs 30:4
\n80
\n90
\nMessiah would be the Good Shepherd
\nZechariah 11:1\u201317
\n67
\nHis Appearing
\nHis would be a virgin birth
\n(Genesis 3:15)
\nIsaiah 7:14
\n14
\n32
\nHe would be born in normal circumstances
\nIsaiah 52:13\u201353:12
\n53
\nHe would be born in poverty
\nIsaiah 11:1\u20132
\n42
\nHe would be preceded by a herald
\nIsaiah 40:3\u20135
\nMalachi 3:1
\n44
\n75
\nHe would be born in Bethlehem, city of David
\nMicah 5:2
\n64
\nHe would be seen riding on a donkey
\nZechariah 9:9\u201310
\n65
\nHe would be present 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (after the Babylonian Captivity)
\nDaniel 9:24\u201327
\n91
\nHe would appear before 70 A.D.
\nGenesis 49:10
\nIsaiah 7:14
\nIsaiah 8:9\u201310
\nIsaiah 9:6\u20137
\nZechariah 11:1\u201317
\n1 Chronicles 17:10b\u201314
\nDaniel 9:24\u201327
\n21
\n32
\n38
\n39
\n67
\n78
\n91
\nHis Offices
\nHe would be a king
\nGenesis 49:10
\nNumbers 24:17a
\nIsaiah 7:14
\nIsaiah 9:6\u20137
\nJeremiah 23:5\u20136
\n1 Chronicles 17:10b\u201314
\nPsalm 2:7\u201312
\nPsalm 110:1\u20137
\n21
\n27
\n32
\n39
\n62
\n78
\n80
\n88
\nHe would be a priest
\nPsalm 110:1\u20137
\n88
\nHe would be a prophet
\nDeuteronomy 18:15\u201319
\nIsaiah 61:1\u20132a
\n28
\n60
\nHis Mission and Ministry
\nHe would be specially trained
\nIsaiah 50:4\u20139
\n51
\nHe would remove the curse due to Adam\u2019s fall
\nGenesis 5:21\u201329
\n16
\nHe would bring salvation to the Gentile nations
\nIsaiah 42:1\u20134
\nIsaiah 49:1\u201313
\n45
\n48
\nHe would be rejected at first
\nIsaiah 49:1\u201313
\nIsaiah 52:13\u201353:12
\nZechariah 11:1\u201317
\nZechariah 12:10
\nPsalm 22
\nPsalm 110:1\u20137
\n48
\n53
\n67
\n72
\n83
\n88
\nHe would only be accepted by a small believing remnant of the people
\nZechariah 11:1\u201317
\n67
\nHe would appear to fail but in fact be successful
\nIsaiah 42:1\u20134
\n45
\nHe would be sold for 30 pieces of silver
\nZechariah 11:1\u201317
\n67
\nHis rejection would result in an attack upon Israel and the scattering of the people
\nZechariah 11:1\u201317
\nZechariah 13:7
\n67
\n74
\nHis rejection would be followed by the acceptance of a false Messiah
\nZechariah 11:1\u201317
\n67
\nHe would eventually be accepted
\nIsaiah 49:1\u201313
\nPsalm 110:1\u20137
\n48
\n88
\nHe would be seated at the right hand of God
\nPsalm 80:17
\nPsalm 110:1\u20137
\n87
\n88
\nHis Suffering and Death
\nHe would suffer
\nIsaiah 50:4\u20139
\nIsaiah 52:13\u201353:12
\nPsalm 22
\n51
\n53
\n83
\nHe would be legally tried and condemned to death
\nIsaiah 52:13\u201353:12
\n53
\nHe would die
\nPsalm 16:1\u201311
\nPsalm 22
\n82
\n83
\nHe would be executed
\nIsaiah 52:13\u201353:12
\nDaniel 9:24\u201327
\n53
\n91
\nHe would die a violent death by means of piercing
\nZechariah 12:10
\nZechariah 13:7
\nPsalm 22
\n72
\n74
\n83
\nHis death would be substitutionary
\nIsaiah 52:13\u201353:12
\n53
\nHis death would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
\nDaniel 9:24\u201327
\n91
\nHe would be buried in a rich man\u2019s tomb
\nIsaiah 52:13\u201353:12
\n53
\nHe would be resurrected
\nIsaiah 52:13\u201353:12
\nPsalm 16:1\u201311
\nPsalm 22
\n53
\n82
\n83
\nHe would bring justification to those who believe in Him
\nIsaiah 52:13\u201353:12
\n53
\nHis Future
\nHe will be ruler of the Gentile nations
\nPsalm 2:7\u201312
\n80
\nHe will rule over Israel in the Messianic Kingdom
\nPsalm 110:1\u20137
\n88<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Introduction THIS study is concerned with what is known theologically as Messianic Christology. More simply, it is a survey of all the messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures which were fulfilled at the First Coming of Messiah. The Orthodox Jewish interpretation does not, of course, expect Messiah to come twice, but rather\u2014as will be seen … <\/p>\n