The book of Isaiah did not originally have chapters. Chapters are a Christian invention. Y'shayahu / Isaiah chapters 40 - 66 are all about the exile and eventual redemption (and return to Israel) of the Jewish people in the messianic age. None of that happened with Jesus -- during his lifetime, 2000 years ago, a majority of Jews lived outside of Israel (Judah) and by 135 CE the Romans had exiled most of the remaining Jews to foreign lands, renaming the land "Palestine" after the ancient Jewish enemy: the Philistines. Time and again the prophet Y'shayahu / Isaiah declares that Israel (the Jewish people) are G-d's servant. Y'shayahu / Isaiah 41:8 - 9. "But you, Israel My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, who loved Me, Whom I grasped from the ends of the earth, and from its nobles I called you, and I said to you, "You are My servant"; I chose you and I did not despise you." and Y'shayahu / Isaiah 44:1. "And now, hearken, Jacob (Jacob's name was changed to Israel and Jews are often called "Jacob" and "Israel") My servant, and Israel whom I have chosen. 2. So said HaShem your Maker, and He Who formed you from the womb shall aid you. Fear not, My servant Jacob, and Jeshurun (the Jews) whom I have chosen." and Y'shayahu / Isaiah 44:21 "Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I have made you, you are my servant; O Israel, I will not forget you." and Y'shayahu / Isaiah 45:4. "For the sake of My servant Jacob, and Israel My chosen one, and I called to you by your name; I surnamed you, yet you have not known Me." and Y'shayahu / Isaiah 49:3 - 7. "And He said to me (Isaiah), "You are My servant, Israel, about whom I will boast. . . This is what HaShem says- the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel- to him who was despised and abhorred by the nations, to the servant of rulers: "Kings will see you and rise up, princes will see and bow down, because of HaShem , who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you." Israel. Not the messiah. In chapter 41 G-d tells the non-Jewish nations listen to His words. Having listened to G-d the nations may approach and speak if they wish to appeal their judgments. G-d calls Israel (the Jewish people) His servant and tells them (and the other nations) that He (G-d) will return ALL the Jews to the land of Israel after exile. "But you, Israel My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, who loved Me,. Whom I grasped from the ends of the earth, and from its nobles I called you, and I said to you, "You are My servant"; I chose you and I did not despise you." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 41:8-9. Now you can see how false is the list maker's claim that the servant in Y'shayahu / Isaiah 42:1-4 is Jesus. The prophet Isaiah has clearly identified the servant as the Jewish people. It is the Jewish nation. "Behold My servant, I will support him, My chosen one, whom My soul desires; I have placed My spirit upon him, he shall promulgate justice to the nations. He shall neither cry nor shall he raise [his voice]; and he shall not make his voice heard outside. A breaking reed he shall not break; and a flickering flaxen wick he shall not quench; with truth shall he execute justice. Neither shall he weaken nor shall he be broken, until he establishes justice in the land, and for his instruction, islands shall long." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 42:1-4.
Read from chapter 40 - 42 and it is clear that Isaiah is speaking of the Jewish people/nation. The prophet identifies that people/nation as Jacob/Israel time and time again. Consider Y'shayahu / Isaiah 42:22: "וְהוּא עַם בָּזוּז וְשָׁסוּי" “And it is a robbed and pillaged people.” The people refers to the people of Israel as identified in verse 24: “Who subjected Jacob to plunder and Israel to spoilers? Was it not the L-rd?” The redeemer is G-d. Not Jesus. The redeemed servant is Israel -- the Jewish people. Not Jesus or the real messiah either. Yet even though Isaiah is very clearly speaking of the Jewish people and not Jesus the list maker has tied eight (EIGHT!) claims to this one chapter. Such ridiculous claims which obviously are unsupported by the very words of Isaiah can only be made through mistranslation and totally ignoring the context to mislead innocent Christians through misapplication. Let this be a lesson to always read passages for yourself and do not "take the word" of anyone -- including the anonymous authors of the Christian bible, the list maker (also anonymous) and even me.
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