The eleven claimed "prophecies" fulfilled by Jesus in Y'shayahu / Isaiah 9:5 - 6 (6-7 in Christian versions) are tied to a string of titles which the missionaries claim are about Jesus. The titles are: וַיִּקְרָ֨א שְׁמ֜וֹ פֶּ֠לֶא יוֹעֵץ֙ אֵ֣ל גִּבּ֔וֹר אֲבִי־עַ֖ד שַׂר־שָׁלֽוֹם׃ / "Pëlë Yo'étz Él-Gibbor Avi-Ad [descriptions of G-d] has named him: 'Sar-shalom'." פֶּלֶא / pëlë = wonderful one יוֹעֵץ֙ / yo'étz = advisor אֵ֣ל גִּבּ֔וֹר / el-gibbor = mighty G-d (or powerful hero) אֲבִי־עַ֖ד / avi-ad = father of eternity Claim #173 focuses on יוֹעֵץ֙ / yo'étz = advisor (counselor). The main issue with stating that this titles are for Jesus is that this entire passage is in PAST TENSE. וַיִּקְרָ֨א שְׁמֹ֜ו / vayira shmo is the beginning of this string of titles in the Hebrew. וַיִּקְרָא / vayikra, the first word in this sentence, is active (“his name WAS called”). The second word, שְׁמֹ֜ו / shmo, is "name." Did you notice that in Christian translations:
The prophet Isaiah was speaking 700+ years before Jesus was supposedly born -- and he was already speaking about a child who was living (had already been born) in his lifetime. This child was the son of King Ahaz (of Isaiah 7:14 fame), This son, חִזְקִיָּ֫הוּ / Hizkiyyahu / (Hezekiah), was about 13 years old when Isaiah spoke about him -- stating that he would eventually reign and reign in a time of peace. . . Jesus never reigned. Jesus was never a prince. Was never an advisor / counselor. And what of the claimed "proof" that Jesus fulfilled this? It is given as Matthew 13:54 which reads "Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked." Do you see anything about an advisor or counselor? Me either. This is not a fulfillment of Y'shayahu / Isaiah 9:5 - 6 (6-7 in Christian versions). Jesus was never a יוֹעֵץ֙ / yo'étz = advisor and Matthew 13:54 never claims that he was. The noun יוֹעֵץ֙ / yo'étz comes from the root יוֹעֵץ / ya'etz which means an advisor or counselor (Y'shayahu / Isaiah 3:3 and 41:28). Guess who is called an advisor / counselor in the bible? חִזְקִיָּ֫הוּ / Hizkiyyahu / (Hezekiah) -- the child of King Ahaz who eventually reigned after his father and was a good, just ruler. Divrei Hayamim Beith / 2 Chronicles 30:2 tells us "And the king (Hizkiyyahu / Hezekiah) and his officers and the entire congregation took counsel in Jerusalem, to perform the Passover sacrifice in the second month." Most sages, including Rashi (the great Torah commentator) apply the string of titles in this passage to G-d Himself. The Artscroll Stone Edition translation reads "For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us, and the dominion will rest upon his shoulder; the Wondrous Advisor, the Mighty G-d, Eternal Father (all of whom mean G-d) called his name Sar Shalom (Prince of Peace)." Thus the advisor / counselor is G-d Himself, who blessed Hizkiyyahu / (Hezekiah) to reign after his father in a time of peace, gifting him to be a prince in a time of peace. Some Jewish sages opine (Ibn Ezra for example) that the titles refer to Hizkiyyahu / Hezekiah -- but whether Hizkiyyahu / Hezekiah or G-d it could not possibly fit Jesus who was never a ruler, let alone in a time of peace -- and who was not born until 700+ years after Isaiah spoke of a child already alive in that time. Let's look at each word: כִּי - "For or because" יֶלֶד - "a child" יֻלַד - "was conceived/born" (past tense). To be future tense the יֻלַד - "was born" would be conjugated (and spelled) differently. The future tense is יִוָּלֵד (e.g., Genesis 17:17). לַנוּ - "to or for us" בּן - "a son" נִתַּן - "was given" (past tense) The future tense conjugation, "shall be given", is יִנָּתֵן (e.g., Esther 9:13), once again, clearly different. לַנוּ - "to/for us" וַתְּהִי - "and has-been" (past tense) The future tense in this case, including the preposition "and", 'וְ', would be וְהָיְתָה (e.g., Yoel / Joel 4:17) - also different. הַמִּשְׂרָה - "the government" עַל - "upon" שִׁכְמוֹ - "his shoulder" Past tense. Not a prophecy about Jesus or the future messiah. Likewise Jesus never ran a government as stated in the passage. . . none of it fits Jesus, from tense (past) to actual fulfment (he never ran a government and did not rule in a time of peace). . . Only by ignoring the passage itself can it be seemed to "fit" Jesus. In chapter 9 Isaiah is praising G-d for the future salvation of Jerusalem under Hizkiyyahu / Hezekiah -- who was already alive, but not yet ruling. Isaiah warns the people to not become arrogant in this time of peace -- or they will suffer the same eventual fate of the northern kingdom of Israel, which had been defeated and exiled.
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