Isaiah 53: He Has Risen!!

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. (ASV, Isaiah 53)

If you will appoint his soul a sin offering he will see his seed and he will lengthen his days and the pleasure of YHWH

Dead Sea Scrolls

http://www.ao.net/~fmoeller/isa53trn.htm

This scripture points to offspring and longer days, which happens after dying, so this appears to be a resurrection.

This comes after such statements as, "as a lamb to the slaughter"

AND

ט וַיִּתֵּן אֶת-רְשָׁעִים קִבְרוֹ, וְאֶת-עָשִׁיר בְּמֹתָיו; עַל לֹא-חָמָס עָשָׂה, וְלֹא מִרְמָה בְּפִיו. 9 And they made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich his tomb; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.' (Hebrew Bible)

Sounds like prolonging of days means life after death, in this passage.

Raine Miller who attempts to refute Messianic prophecies says:

"Yeshua had no seed (literal descendants) and his life wasn’t prolonged. The word "ben" (son) would be used for spiritual descendants, which is what the Christians promote, but "zera" (seed, offspring) is only used for literal descendants of which Yeshua had none. Plus, think about it. If Yeshua was YHWH, how can you prolong the life of an eternal being?"

"how can you prolong the life of an eternal being?"

My Answer:

Christ wasn't just God he was the God-man and the Godhead is a triunity which makes it feasible for God the Father to create a rock that is too heavy for Son to pick up, if you have heard this age old question.

It is also feasible for the Father to send the Word to come to earth, die, and resurrect/ 'prolong his life' Because once one chooses to die, living again is obviously a prolonging of ones life.

"...who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12)

Jesus willingly lived the life of a servant which meant human limitations. (Philippians 2:5-11)

One that dies and resurrects has prolonged his life since death.

"...concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; [even] Jesus Christ our Lord..." (Romans 1, ASV)

19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 The Jews therefore said, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou raise it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he spake this; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. (John 1)

Raine shows her bias here by not thoroughly looking at the uses of the word 'zera' in the OT.

"Yeshua had no seed (literal descendants)... The word "ben" (son) would be used for spiritual descendants, which is what the Christians promote, but "zera" (seed, offspring) is only used for literal descendants of which Yeshua had none." Raine Miller Website

Raine fails to see that death and life in scripture always involve a separation-death and a union of some kind-life.

But first we will look at the word, 'seed' in Isaiah 53 here.

Is it really true that the Hebrew word for seed-zera always has a physical meaning?

"טו וְאֵיבָה אָשִׁית, בֵּינְךָ וּבֵין הָאִשָּׁה, וּבֵין זַרְעֲךָ, וּבֵין זַרְעָהּ: הוּא יְשׁוּפְךָ רֹאשׁ, וְאַתָּה תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ עָקֵב. {ס} 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; they shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise their heel.' {S} (Genesis 3)

How does a woman have a seed?

A Virgin Birth perhaps?

What about this passage :

ג וְאַתֶּם קִרְבוּ-הֵנָּה, בְּנֵי עֹנְנָה; זֶרַע מְנָאֵף, וַתִּזְנֶה. 3 But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the harlot. ד עַל-מִי, תִּתְעַנָּגוּ--עַל-מִי תַּרְחִיבוּ פֶה, תַּאֲרִיכוּ לָשׁוֹן; הֲלוֹא-אַתֶּם יִלְדֵי-פֶשַׁע, זֶרַע שָׁקֶר. 4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? Against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? Are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood, (Isaiah 57)

...How is this physical, physical begets physical right?

Many Jews argue that Israel is really the one being talked about in Isaiah 53 but what about this passage which in the very first chapter of Isaiah describes Israel and helps us define the word 'seed'.

ד הוֹי גּוֹי חֹטֵא, עַם כֶּבֶד עָו‍ֹן--זֶרַע מְרֵעִים, בָּנִים מַשְׁחִיתִים; עָזְבוּ אֶת-יְהוָה, נִאֲצוּ אֶת-קְדוֹשׁ

 יִשְׂרָאֵל--נָזֹרוּ אָחוֹר. 4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that deal corruptly; they have forsaken the LORD, they have contemned the Holy One of Israel, they are turned away backward. (Isaiah 1)

It seems like Israel's spiritual choices determines what kind of seed they are.

This shows that the use of the word 'seed', zera in the OT sometimes has a spiritual meaning.

Jesus was right when he responded to the Pharisess and said: "44 Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof. 45 But because I say the truth, ye believe me not." (John 8)

There is no way Israel can be the righteous servant of Isaiah 53, but rather a 'seed of evildoers' and the resurrected servant of Isaiah 53 can see a righteous and spiritual seed, according to the other uses of that Hebrew word.

Looking at the context of Isaiah 53,49 and 1 it looks like it is the nation of Israel who is corrupt and the 'seed of evil doers'.

Now lets look at Raines statement regarding Messiah's prolonged life.

, הֶחֱלִי--אִם-תָּשִׂים אָשָׁם נַפְשׁוֹ, יִרְאֶה זֶרַע יַאֲרִיךְ יָמִים; וְחֵפֶץ יְהוָה, בְּיָדוֹ יִצְלָח. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to crush him by disease; to see if his soul would offer itself in restitution, that he might see his seed, prolong his days, and that the purpose of the LORD might prosper by his hand: (Hebrew Bible)

Raine Miller says, "his life wasn’t prolonged "

Oh Really!!

Other messianic prophecies regarding the Messiah's resurrection.

"א לְדָוִד, מִזְמוֹר:
נְאֻם יְהוָה, לַאדֹנִי--שֵׁב לִימִינִי; עַד-אָשִׁית אֹיְבֶיךָ, הֲדֹם לְרַגְלֶיךָ. 1 A Psalm of David. {N}
The LORD saith unto my lord: 'Sit thou at My right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.' (Psalm 110)

41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, What think ye of the Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, [The son] of David. 43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying, 44 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I put thine enemies underneath thy feet? 45 If David then calleth him Lord, how is he his son? 46 And no one was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions. (Matthew 22)

34 For David ascended not into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35 Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet. 36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified. (Acts 2)

Peter even tells us who crucified Jesus

Also:

10 For thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption. (Psalm 16, ASV)

"Because thou wilt not leave my soul unto Hades, Neither wilt thou give thy Holy One to see corruption. 28 Thou madest known unto me the ways of life; Thou shalt make me full of gladness with thy countenance. 29 Brethren, I may say unto you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us unto this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins he would set [one] upon his throne; 31 he foreseeing [this] spake of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he left unto Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus did God raise up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear." (Acts 2)

35 Because he saith also in another [psalm], Thou wilt not give Thy Holy One to see corruption. 36 For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: 37 but he whom God raised up saw no corruption. 38 Be it known unto you therefore, brethren, that through this man is proclaimed unto you remission of sins: 39 and by him every one that believeth is justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13)

י וַיהוָה חָפֵץ דַּכְּאוֹ, הֶחֱלִי--אִם-תָּשִׂים אָשָׁם נַפְשׁוֹ, יִרְאֶה זֶרַע יַאֲרִיךְ

יָמִים; וְחֵפֶץ יְהוָה, בְּיָדוֹ יִצְלָח. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to crush him by disease; to see if his soul would offer itself in restitution, that he might see his seed, prolong his days, and that the purpose of the LORD might prosper by his hand: (Hebrew Bible)

Looks like Messiah Jesus saw his seed because his life was prolonged after death.

20 But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep. 21 For since by man [came] death, by man [came] also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's, at his coming. (1 Corinthians 15)

Jesus' resurrection 'prolonging his days' is tied here to our hope of life after death i.e., eternal life with Him.

So many OT prophecies point to Jesus that it is hard to comprehend how so many people that have claimed to be believers of the Old Covenant cannot see it.

11 He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1 ASV)

In others words, the Spiritual Seed.

BJ Maxwell 04/16/2006