Isaiah tells Jerusalem to arise, for their light has come. Darkness will cover the Earth, but they alone will have light.Yet again the list maker makes a claim which is the absolute opposite of what the T'nach / bible actually says. Y'shayahu / Isaiah 60:1 -3 has Isaiah telling his fellow Jews to arise -- he tells Jerusalem to arise, for their light has come. What of the nations? Darkness will cover the Earth, but they alone will have light. Opposite land, yet again, from the list maker. Y'shayahu / Isaiah 60:1 -3 "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the L-rd has shone upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and a gross darkness the kingdoms, and the L-rd shall shine upon you, and His glory shall appear over you. And nations shall go by your light and kings by the brilliance of your shine." The "you" here is the light of the Jews and their knowledge of G-d. The Jews will lead the world out of darkness, out of idolatry -- of worshiping a man as if he were a god -- and bring them into the light of knowing the one true G-d. Could the "you" be Jesus? Well, Isaiah was speaking to his own generation of Jews some 700 years before Jesus was born. Isaiah was not saying "you" to Jesus. If this were about the messiah who would be born hundreds of years after Isaiah G-d would have said "him." How do we know that this passage is, by extension, the Jewish nation? "Learn and observe [the Torah] for it is your (Torah is our) wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the nations, who will hear of all these laws and proclaim that this is truly a great, wise and understanding nation. (the Jews). " D'varim / Deuteronomy 4:6. In the book of Isaiah itself G-d tells the Jewish people that they are a light to the gentile nations: Y'shayahu / Isaiah 42:5 - 6 "So said G-d the L-rd, the Creator of the heavens and the One Who stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and what springs forth from it, Who gave a soul to the people upon it and a spirit to those who walk thereon. I am the L-rd; I called you with righteousness and I will strengthen your hand; and I formed you, and I made you a covenant for the people, for a light to nations." The Jewish people are a light to the other nations of the world. In the days of the Temples Jews brought 70 sacrifices on Sukkot for the benefit of the 70 nations of the world. G-d made the Jewish people a nation of priests and the Temple was a house for all peoples (not just the Jewish people -- read Solomon's dedication of the first Temple). "And also to the stranger, who (is) not of Your people Israel, but will come from a far country for the sake of Your Name. For they shall hear of Your great Name, and of Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm, and he will come and pray toward this house. You shall hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calls You for, that all peoples of the earth may know Your Name, to fear You, as (do) Your people Israel, and that they may know that Your Name is called upon this house that I have built." M'lachim Alef / 1 Kings 8:41-43. G-d is the G-d of all people. The role of the Jewish people is to be a light to the nations through our observance of His mitzvot and spreading the word (by word and action) of His love for all of mankind. When it came time to sacrifice seventy oxen during the seven days of Succot as an atonement for the seventy nations of the world, they sacrificed thirty-five oxen in behalf of the nations from Ishmael and thirty-five for those from Esau. See Bamidbar / Numbers 12. Isaiah was Jewish. As a prophet he was given messages for the Jewish people and the nations of the world -- he, too, was a light to the entire world. Isaiah was a Jewish prophet bringing a message to the Jewish people and the nations of the world. Isaiah's vision has been partially, but not completely, fulfilled. It will not be realized until the days of the real messiah when the entire world will know there is one G-d. That has not happened yet. There are approximately 2 billion Christians in the world -- but there are over 7 billion human beings alive. Of those 7 billion 1.6 billion are Muslims, 1 billion Hindus, 500 million Buddhists and so on. . . Isaiah's vision of global knowledge of G-d has not yet come to pass. The messiah has not yet arrived. The nations are not yet walking in the light -- some 2000 years after Jesus' supposed death. Luke 2:32 has Simeon saying Jesus is "a light, for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel." False prophecy -- the world is still in darkness, Jesus brought death and destruction to the Jews -- not glory. . . and this claim does not in any way fulfill Y'shayahu / Isaiah 60:1 -3. Isaiah says that Jerusalem will be shocked by the abundance of goodness she will have, and be enlarged by it. This did not happen in the time of Jesus and within 40 years of his death the Romans destroyed most of the city -- burning it. Isaiah foresees caravans coming to Jerusalem, carrying wealth and precious goods, as well as praise of G-d. This did not happen 2000 years ago -- and within 40 years of Jesus death Jerusalem lay in ruins. The sheep and rams will be sacrifices to G-d, which He will accept and which will inspire the nations to serve Him. Within 40 years of Jesus' death the Temple was destroyed and sacrifices ended until such time as it is rebuilt. The Jews will return from exile swiftly, like a cloud carried by the wind and doves returning to the coop. 2000 years ago most Jews lived outside of the land -- and until 1948 we were exiled from the land -- thus Jesus did not fulfill this part of the prophecy either. Unfortunately the prophecies are not yet fulfilled -- because Isaiah tells us that there will be peace, the gates of Jerusalem will be open 24 hours a day and wealth will pour in. Israel is not at peace and terrorism is constantly at hand -- this has not yet happened. Isaiah also says that the nations will follow the Jews’ example and serve G-d or they will cease to be. Needless to say -- this hasn't happened yet either. No -- yet again a claim by the missionary list maker that is totally unsupported by simply reading Isaiah for yourself.
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