Jesus not only taught that he would be cut off in death before the messianic expectation of end-time restoration would be accomplished in fulfillment of the scriptures, but cites Isaiah 53:1 indicating he was nevertheless fulfilling messianic prophecy in which all restoration is predicated upon in God's economy (John 12:32-33). Nowhere else in the Old Testament or in Hebrew thought is the concept of an innocent person suffering vicariously for the guilty found except in the the book of Isaiah. This is noteworthy in light of the overall context of the prophet Isaiah's more immediate message for the people of his day; Judgement is coming, but maintain hope when judgment comes to pass as God will restore future generations of Jewish exiles from the coming captivity. That is, Isaiah could not be the subject of Isaiah 53 as he not only had unclean lips (cf. Isaiah 6:5 & 53:9b), but the southern kingdom of Judah was indeed exiled for their transgressions in spite of Isaiah’s prophetic ministry (586 B.C). In fact, Isaiah himself realized he was not "the holy seed" when Jehovah God answered his question, "For how long Lord?" (Isaiah 6:11-13; cf. 28:12, 30:9-11). Israel as a nation is not the subject of Isaiah 53 either. Rachmiel Frydland rightly notes, "Israel is not now, nor has it ever been, without sin (guile)." (cf. Isaiah 53:6, Isaiah 58:1, Isaiah 64:6, Isaiah 59:2; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Psalm 49:8-9) There is something more far reaching, and pointing to a day when the righteous Messiah would be cut off for transgressors- "his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness-so will he sprinkle many nations . . ." (Isaiah 52:13-15). Consider the following excerpt from Isaiah 53 mindful that this Jewish prophetic book was wide spread and predated Jesus the man and Christianity by seven centuries: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(1) Who has believed our message and whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? (2) He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. (3) He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (4) Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. (5) But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (6) We all, kike sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (7) He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; and he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. (8) By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. (9) He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. (10) Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. (11) After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life], and be satisfied by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. (12) Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

The messiah in Isaiah was to be cut off from "the land of living" in death, "assigned a grave," and "buried." Yet, he would be resurrected (Isaiah 53:10), and indeed reign on David's throne forever (Isaiah 9:7; cf. Psalm 16:10; Psalm 110). It is noteworthy that king David's tomb is occupied, but Yeshua's is not! Even so, the gospel as presented in Isaiah describes God creating for himself one people of God, consisting of a remnant of redeemed Jews and Gentiles grafted into his Chosen One by grace through faith unto final salvation and predicated upon the vicarious atonement of the messiah. God will keep his covenant promises to Israel, and through Messiah is and will be the light unto the nations as intended (Isaiah 56:3-8); "It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be salvation unto the end of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6). Woe unto those who seek Israel's eradication, and reject Messiah Yeshua; Son of David, Son of God. Isaiah's "gospel of the kingdom" message is consistent with the life and teachings of Messiah Yeshua' (Jesus) coming 680 years later, and the teachings of the Apostle Paul following Him. Hence, this gospel of the kingdom of God was first Jewish!

Is the subject of Isaiah 53 without sin? Look at the immediate context. Who is without sin in Isaiah 53? Does Deuteronomy 24:16 and Ezekiel 18:4, 20 refer to those with or without sin? Could it be that Deuteronomy 24:16 and Ezekiel 18:4, 20 is saying sinners can not redeem sinners? The subject of Isaiah 53 is sinless, and the iniquities of the audience of Isaiah 53 will be removed from them, placed on the sinless one, and thereby justify many. Deuteronomy 24:16 and Ezekiel 18:1-4; 20ff does not conflict with the notion of vicarious sacrifice as clearly outlined in Isaiah 53 since the subject is unusual for who is without sin?

Before 70 a Jewish person was constantly reminded of the penalty of sin (death) and the personal relevance of a substitute. After Titus invaded Jerusalem the emphasis shifted from sacrifice out of practical necessity using 1 Samuel 15:22, Isaiah 1, Hosea 6:6 because the temple where redemptive-type blood/death sacrifices for sin was destroyed and the Jewish people were again scattered in accordance with Daniel 9:24-26. 1 Samuel 15:22, Isaiah 1, Hosea 6:6 were never intended to be used to teach that the penalty/remedy for sin had changed, but were in their original context teaching that atonement without repentance is not efficacious-that the sacrificial system was not intended to be a license to live a G-dless self-centered and idolatrous life (cf Numbers 15:30). It saddens me that so many "experts" know so little about the sacrificial system and what G-d was teaching us through it within the context of the Tenack (called Old Testament by Gentiles) See Leviticus 17:11. Yet, any little boy standing under the door while their father applied the blood of the Passover Lamb or later in history accompanying their family to bring a worthy sacrifice to the temple could better understand the personal relevance and parallels in Isaiah 53. It seems many understand contemporary Jewish interpretations of other Jewish interpretations but not the Tenack itself. Hopefully you will ponder what I am sharing here, and that you will realize that G-d wants to tabernacle with you in accordance with the new brit, or covenant cut in his blood and found first in the Tenack-although it is there in the New Testament too.

As only God was capable of orchestrating the political release of the Jews by the Persian king Cyrus 160 years after after Isaiah 44:28 was penned (cf. 58:12), God was/is capable of ultimately delivering those, Jew and Gentile, from their sin through his "holy seed" or "suffering servant" (Isaiah 52:15; 53:8) culminating in "new heavens and a new earth" (Isaiah 65:5-24; cf. Isaiah 2:2-4, chapters 12, 24-27, 34-35). When the Jews were indeed set free by Cyrus politically speaking in 538 B.C., and in accordance with the prophets including Isaiah who by then had passed away, messianic expectations for "new heavens and a new earth" soared. While this expectation was a primary motivator in rebuilding the temple in 516 B.C., rebuilding Jerusalem in 445 BC, and paved the way for the Messiah in the hearts and minds of those anticipating his advent, the messiah's role of a suffering servant making necessary atonement as the Gospel of the Kingdom of God was unexpected-"Who has believed our message . . . (Isaiah 53:1)? No doubt restoration from captivity to independence was viewed as good news under captivity, but there is more to the good news of the kingdom of God than being restored unto the land of promise. It also includes higher salvation for Jew and Gentile alike (Isaiah 52:7-15); a salvation only God himself would bring to fruition. That is good news considering man is incapable of saving himself, and mindful that those not persevering in this gospel of the kingdom in covenant with God; nor the unredeemed alienated from God who perish in their sin will experience everlasting torment where "their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched" (Isaiah 66:24). The feasts, Levitical system, law, and prophets point to the holistic gospel of the kingdom summed up in the sinless Messiah; born of woman under the law to redeem those under the curse of the law (Ezekiel 18:4, 20). "An eye for an eye" "A tooth for a tooth" "a life for a life" Therefore, "Seek the Lord while he may be found" (Isaiah 55:6). Click here for more.