(and somewhat improved )
ISAIAH53
CONTROVERSY
HOME PAGE
in permanent
construction
(last update 29/09/04)
(and somewhat
improved
)
ISAIAH53
CONTROVERSY
HOME PAGE
in permanent
construction
(last update 29/09/04)
short cut to the articles
(in other words,
cut the cr*p!)
Hi! This is Stef.
Some time in 1999 I
started this site in an attempt to classify the best articles about Isaiah
53 available on the net so that I could make myself an opinion as well
as provide others with an efficient means to do the same.
Now why did I bother?
The belief that Jesus atually was the Suffering Servant depicted in Isaiah 52/53 is of paramount importance to Christians. Now I am a Jew but, to be sure, if Jesus (or 'Yeshua' or 'Yeshu', whichever you choose to call him) really is the Jewish Messiah, you don't want to miss out, given that Hell is gaping wide for you if you don't believe in him - or so think most Christians, or should I say most Evangelicals. On the other hand, the future is bleak for all those - especially Jewish - who believe in him if Christianity is just a (Paulian?) fraud.
This is why, being very little interested in the prospect of spending Eternity on the wrong side of the fence, I set out to inquire about this (hmmm...) theological hot potato.
I must admit I was surprised at the amount of information available on the net about this famous passage of the Hebrew Holy Writ, both from Christian (or 'Messianic') and from Jewish or Skeptic commentators.
Granted, most links I found while doing my research were totally irrelevant to my purpose, especially verses from on-line bibles and those articles written from a Christian perspective which took for granted that Jesus did fulfil Isaiah's prophecies instead of adopting a polemical stance. Still, my long and at times tiresome research bore its fruits and I eventually found what I was looking for.
I spent most of '2000 away from the net due to health and family reasons. In the meantime, several of the sites hosting the articles I had first selected were reorganised and my web-page eventually became a boulevard of broken links. Which was why I spent hours hunting down the missing articles - wherein I was not always successful - as well as adding new ones. The result is here for you to see. It is by no means perfect, still I think it's not too bad.
In future, you will be
able to read updates by clicking
here (if this link doesn't work, it simply means that there is no update...)
Please be kind enough to report any broken link.
Yours, STEF aka the Elvis Rhino
P.S. Sorry about my broken English - I'm French (Allons z'enfants...)
Welcome to the most boring site on the net:
a site that deals exclusively
with that famous passage of the Bible, Isaiah 53
and its various interpretations
by
Christians and Jews,
not to mention Skeptics
and Muslims (yes!)...
13692 victims so far...
CONTENTS
1
A FEW RESOURCES
2
CHRISTIAN (OR 'MESSIANIC') INTERPRETATIONS
3
NON-CHRISTIAN INTERPRETATIONS
4
HOW CAN I TELL THE WEBMASTER WHAT I THINK OF THIS LOUSY WEB-SITE?
Disclaimer: I have added any article relevant to the subject irrespective of
who had written it or from what point of view. It is normal that the number
of Christian documents should exceed that of Non-Christian documents for the
reason cited above. If you feel there aren't enough articles written from either
point of view, feel free to send me your own, okay?
1)
A FEW RESOURCES
The
Great Isaiah Scroll 52:13 to 54:4
The
Translation of Isaiah 53
The World-Wide Study
Bible : Christian translations of the passage, sermons and commentaries
of it, as well as the Masoretic and Hebrew texts along with a Jewish translation
2) CHRISTIAN (OR 'MESSIANIC') INTERPRETATIONS
Documents by Chaim
Isaiah 53: What
Did the Rabbis Say?
The Two-Messiah
Theory
Resources for
Further Study
The Curious Idea
of the "Leper Messiah"
Why Isaiah 53
cannot refer to the nation of Israel, or anyone else, but must be about
the Messiah
The Suffering
Servant: Isaiah 53
The Suffering
Servant... and you
Documents by CJF
What the
Rabbis Believe About the Messiah
Two Messiahs?
Can One Lord Fulfill Two Functions?
A Rabbi's Testimony
'Objections Against The Right Interpretation of Isaiah 53 Nullified'
1
Introduction
2
Why Isaiah 53 can be said to have been fulfilled by Jesus
3
The Servant Refers Not to Israel
4
Isaiah 53 examined verse by verse
5
Isaiah 53: Two remaining questions
Documents by FOIGM
The Servant's
Suffering
The Messiah's
Life
Documents by ICL
The Rabbis' Dilemma: A Look at Isaiah 53
Jewish Messianic Interpretations of Isaiah 53
Documents by
Jews for Jesus
Who's the Subject of Isaiah 53? YOU decide!
The Rabbi's Dilemma: A Look at Isaiah 53
Jewish Messianic Interpretations of Isaiah 53
The Day the Rabbi Was Wrong
Judaism Teaches...or Does It?
An Article on Tovia Singer's Let's Get Biblical Tape Series (search
for relevant section)
Hebrew Tenses (references to Isaiah 53)
If Jesus is the Messiah, Why Don't The Rabbis Believe in Him?
(good question)
When the Messiah Comes
Prophecy in the Jewish Bible
Isaiah 53 Rabbinic Quotes
Documents by
Saltshakers
The Fifty-Third Chapter of Isaiah According to the Jewish Interpreters
Documents by WWY
A Curious Rabbi's
Son
The Forbidden
Chapter
The Rabbinic Interpretations of Isaiah 53
(see also: documents by
Chaim
, by
CJF
, by
Saltshakers
and by
Jews for Jesus
)
The Sages on Isaiah 53
1
2
3
Isaiah 53:
How do the Rabbis interpret this?
What the Rabbis
Know about the Messiah
How to
Point to the Messiah in your Rabbi's Bible
Identity of the Suffering Servant
(See also: documents by
Chaim and
FOIGM )
Isaiah 53: The Suffering
Messiah
Jews today interpret this chapter
as describing the sufferings of Israel. Is it?
Is Isaiah
53.10 more likely referring to Israel than to Jesus? a lenghty, complex
and scholarly rebuttal to
THIS
The Suffering Servant
of Isaiah 52-53
Isaiah 53: The Suffering Messiah
Isaiah 53: How do the Rabbis Interpret This?
What do the Rabbis Have to Say About Isaiah 53? Is this Messiah or Israel?
A Study of Isaiah's
Servant
Book Review:
The messiah in Isaiah 53 : the commentaries of Saadia Gaon, Salmon ben Yeruham,
and Yefet ben Eli on Is 52:13-53:12
The Mystery of Isaiah 53
Jewish-Christian Dialogue:
Is the Servant of Isaiah 53 the Messiah or Collective Israel? Dave Armstrong
vs. "Ari G." - a debate between a militant Catholic and a Jew
Isaiah 53: About Whom Does It Speak?
A Study of Isaiah 53
Isaiah 53: Israel or Yeshua
Isaiah 53: Who is this Prophet Talking About?
Of whom does Isaiah
53 Speak?
The Seed of Messiah
Isaiah 53: Israel or Y'shua
Isaiah's Suffering Servant
Reversal of Fortune:
The Inconsistency of Israel as Servant
Bible
code stuff (relevance questionable - search the net for more if you're interested,
I'm not)
Yeshua
in Bible Code
Isaiah 53 and Sacrifices
The Sin Sacrifice
(see this section)
Various
Sources
Why Did
Israel Reject Jesus as Their Messiah?
Isaiah
53 - A Closer Look
Restoring the Stolen Vision an a-typical Christian reading of Isaiah 53
The Claims of Christians Questioned
Isaiah
53:1-9 With Notes
Isaiah 52 - 53
Jewish
Objections to Isaiah 53 (sic) Addressed
Proof
Isaiah 53 Predicts Jesus
Isaiah
53
The Rabbinical
Isaiah 53 Controversy
An
Introduction to the Talmud (Relevant Parts: 4
5 6
7 8)
Related
documents
Zechariah 12:10: Another Case of Rabbinic Revisionism
To all those critics who do not believe Isaiah wrote Isaiah
3) NON-CHRISTIAN INTERPRETATIONS
(Jewish, Noachide, Skeptic... and Muslim)
Specific
Refutations of Christian Arguments
The Argument from the Bible (see section VI) - from a Skeptic Point
of View
The Isaiah So-Called Prophesy
Bible
Codes Refutation
Do the Rabbis Say
That Isaiah 53 is Messianic?
The Plain Truth About Isaiah 53
2 "Ask the Rabbi" Questions Answered
Is Isaiah
53 referring to Jesus? - from a Muslim point of view
Messianic Verses in
Isaiah 53?
Did
Isaiah 53 Really Prophesize about the Crucifixion of Jesus? - from
a Muslim point of view
Refuting
Missionaries ' Section About Isaiah 53
Introduction
a. Isaiah 53, According
to the King James Translation
b. Four Problems
with the Christian Reading
c. Does Jesus
Fit this Chapter - Comparing the Servant to the Jesus of the NT
d. Does Jesus Fit
this Chapter - Comparing KJV and NIV to the Hebrew text
e. The Real Story
f. The Christian Rebuttal: What the Rabbis Said
Jews For Judaism FAQ's
not in their original order but who cares?
1
Why do Jews reject the Christian claim that "And his grave was set
with the wicked, and with the rich in his deaths" (Isaiah 53:9) refers
to Jesus?
2
Does the Gospel's representation of Jesus show fulfillment of the description
of the suffering servant: "he was despised and we esteemed him not" (Isaiah
53:3)?
3
Is it true (as Christians claim) that Jews at the time of the destruction
of the Second Temple believed that
Isaiah 53 spoke of a suffering messiah who was to die as an atonement
for the sins of others and then be resurrected?
4
How can Christians apply the phrase v'ayn lo, "he has nothing" or "he
shall have nothing" (Daniel 9:26) and Isaiah 53:12, where the suffering
servant receives "a portion with the great," to Jesus?
5
Isaiah 53:2 describes the suffering servant as one who "had no form
nor comeliness, that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should
delight in him." Does this fit the New Testament's description of Jesus?
6
Who is the narrator in Isaiah 53? Who is to be astonished by the ascendancy
of he who was formerly despised?
7
What is meant in Isaiah 53:8 by: "For he was cut off out of the land
of the living"?
8
Isaiah 53:10 says of the suffering servant, "He shall see seed, he
shall prolong days." Can this apply to Jesus?
9
What is meant in Isaiah 53:8 by: "And his life's history who is able
to relate?"
10
What does lamo mean in Isaiah 53:8?
11
Did Jesus fulfill Isaiah 53:7 that describes the suffering servant
"as a lamb that is led to the slaughter" and as someone who "opened not
his mouth"?
12
How can Jews say that the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 refers to
the Jewish people when not every aspect of this passage has been fulfilled
by any individual Jew, including Jesus?
13
Is it true that Jews interpreted Isaiah 53 as referring to the Messiah
until the medieval commentator Rashi explained it as referring to the people
of Israel?
14
Is it true that in conformity with Isaiah 53:9, "neither was there
any deceit in his mouth," Jesus never lied?
15
According to Isaiah 53:8, why does the servant of the Lord suffer?
16
Isaiah 53:7 says that the suffering servant "humbled himself and opened
not his mouth" as a lamb about to be slaughtered or a sheep dumb before
its shearers. Does this describe Jesus' behavior at his trials?
17
Why do Jews reject the Christian claim that the beginning of Isaiah
53:8, generally rendered, "By oppression and judgment he was taken away,"
refers to Jesus?
18
Isaiah 53:10 says of the suffering servant, "He shall see seed, he
shall prolong days." Can this apply to Jesus?
19
Is it true that in conformity with Isaiah 53:9, "he had done no violence,"
Jesus did nothing of a violent nature during his lifetime?
20
Who is the Suffering Servant of the Lord?
21
As a human being, Jesus certainly had very little. Yet, because he
was allegedly God, he could expect, on reassuming his heavenly role, to
exercise his power as God. So what did he, in the final accounting, give
up in dying a human death?
22
Is it true that Jews interpreted Isaiah 53 as referring to the Messiah
until the medieval commentator Rashi explained it as referring to the people
of Israel?
23
In Isaiah 53:10, God's promises concerning the suffering servant are
conditional : 'If he would . . . he shall see. . . .' Does this apply to
Jesus?
24
Did Jesus fulfill the role of the asham, 'guilt-offering,' that's used
to describe the suffering servant in
Isaiah 53:10 'If he would offer himself as a guilt-offering'?
25
Isaiah 53:4 says that the suffering servant was considered 'stricken'
by his enemies. Does this describe Jesus in any way?
26
How does Isaiah 53:8 show that the death of Jesus should not be considered
as atonement for the sins of humankind?
27
What is the Meaning of 'And his Grave was set with the Wicked, and
with the Rich in his Deaths'
(Isaiah 53:9)?
28
The Jewish interpretation of Isaiah 53 maintains that the suffering
servant of Israel suffered because of the persecutions by the Gentile nations.
I understand that the nations overdid it when persecuting Israel but didn't
Israel suffer primarily because of its own sins? Please explain.
Other Articles by
Jews for Judaism
1
Revelation
2 "Y'shua: The Jewish Way to Say Jesus" A Critical Book Review
(don't miss the conclusion - very bitchy!)
3
Isaiah 53
Outreach Judaism
Questions
1
The Haftorah and Isaiah 53: Are the Jews Hiding Something?
2
Isaiah 53: Did Jesus have long life?
Documents from
Bet-Emet
(by a former Christian minister)
Has the Church led us to Believe in a False Atonement? Exegesis of Isaiah
53:10
(for a lengthy Christian rebuttal to this click
HERE
)
Isaiah 52:53:The Most Misunderstood Passage in the Bible
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
What the Jews believe...
Modern
Jewish Beliefs Concerning the Messiah
A Jewish View of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 52-53
Isaiah
53 From A Jewish Point of View
A Jewish View
of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 52-53
Isaiah 53 and the Suffering
Servant
Who
is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53?
The
Extermination of a People-Part I
The Extermination
of a People-Part II
Chapter
53 of Isaiah Has Been Abused, Confused, and Misused to Support a Totally False
Belief System!
Isaiah Chapter
53 King James Version
The Servant
Versus "Jesus"
Isaiah
Chapter 53 by Verses
The Final
Word
Things they Wouldn't Tell us in Sunday School by a former Christian
turned Noachide
1 The Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53: A Big Thing they Wouldn't Tell Us
in Sunday School
2 The Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53: Questions and Answers
Questions and Answers: Isaiah 53 and the Messiah
This section used to include links to questions by Jewish people about Isaiah 53 and answers by rabbis or Jewish scholars. The authors of the answers have sent me several messages dealing with the presence of these links on my home-page which, obviously, was not very much to their taste. They kindly, but firmly, asked me to remove them.
The reason they invoked was that the documents my links pointed to were not meant to be read by "Gentile people with no knowledge or understanding of the Torah". Of course all Jewish people, whether secular or religious, have an innate ability to understand Scriptures, whereas Gentiles, including those scholars who have devoted years to studying Hebrew and the Tanach, don't have a clue as to what the prophets meant.
It is a pity I should have been obliged to leave these links aside as the documents they pointed to shed a different light on the matter. In fact they were written by Jewish people and YET contained the idea that Isaiah 53 might very well be about a suffering personal Messiah and his resurrection (not Jesus, of course ; another name was put forward: that of Rabbi Scheerson)...
So Isaiah 53 can ONLY be about the people of Israel. My foot!
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