Isaiah 53: Servant Israel or Servant Jesus Christ? 

Isaiah 53, written 700-500 years before the coming of Jesus Christ, contains the most amazing prophecy about Christ’s death and resurrection.  The following passage is taken from the Bible translation produced by the Jewish Publication Society – a non-Christian organization.  This passage is translated from the Hebrew Bible, which predates Christ and was preserved by non-Christian Jews.  Being non-Christians, they certainly had no incentive to corrupt their own scriptures in order to create the similarities between Isaiah 53 and the Christian account of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.

            “But he was wounded because of our sins, crushed because of our iniquities.  He bore the chastisement that made us whole, and by his bruises we were healed.  We all went astray like sheep, each going his own way, and the LORD visited upon him the guilt of all of us.  He was maltreated, yet he was submissive, he did not open his mouth; like a sheep being led to slaughter, like a ewe, dumb before those who shear her, he did not open his mouth.  By oppressive judgment he was taken away, who could describe his abode?  For he was cut off from the land of the living through the sin of my people who deserved the punishment.  And his grave was set among the wicked, and with the rich in his death though he had done no injustice and had spoken no falsehood.  But the LORD chose to crush him by disease, that if he made himself an offering for guilt, he might see offspring and have long life, and that through him the LORD’s purpose might prosper.  Out of his anguish he shall see it; he shall enjoy it to the full through his devotion.  My righteous servant makes the many righteous.  It is their punishment that he bears.  Assuredly I will give him the many as his portion, he shall receive the multitude as his spoil.  For he exposed himself to death and was numbered among the sinners, whereas he bore the guilt of the many and made intercession for sinners.”- Isaiah 53:5-12, JPS Tanakh.

The phrase “offering for guilt” is the Hebrew word asham, which is also the word used in Leviticus 7:1-10 to name the process by which a creature is killed as a blood sacrifice in order to attain forgiveness of sins.

Yet many people deny the fact that this prophecy even refers to Jesus Christ.  They base their argument on the chapters before Isaiah 53, where the “servant” is identified as Israel and Jacob.  However, they pay little attention to the chapters after Isaiah 53, where the singular “servant” is replaced by many “servants.”  These “servants” who completely take over as God’s chosen people in the chapters after Isaiah 53 include converts from all nations, not just Israel. 

Therefore, Isaiah 53 is more than a prophecy about Christ.  It is also a prophecy concerning the time when a new group of people from all nations, the Christians, will become God’s chosen people.

Before Isaiah 53, “servant” appears 18 times.  “Servants” does not appear at all.

After Isaiah 53, “servant” does not appear at all.  “Servants” appears 11 times.

These people from other nations become servants because the Davidic Messiah (that is – Jesus Christ) is a witness to them.

“I made David a witness to the peoples, a commander and leader to the peoples.  For You shall call nations that You don’t know, and nations that don’t know You shall run to You.” – Isaiah 55:4-5

Wherever Servant Israel (a.k.a. - Servant Jacob) is mentioned in the prophetic writings of the Bible, the Davidic Messiah Servant is usually not far behind.  The two servants are typically mentioned together by the prophets, as the following scripture quotations prove. 

“My Servant David will be King over them, and they will all have One Shepherd.  They will follow My laws and be careful to observe all of My statutes.  They will live in the land that your fathers lived in, which I gave to My servant Jacob.  They and their children, and their children’s children will live there forever, and My Servant David will be their King forever.” - Ezekiel 37:24-25

“‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant,’ says LORD YHWH,” - Jeremiah 30:10
“’If I were to reject My covenant between day and night and the laws of nature that govern heaven and earth, only then would I reject the descendents of Jacob and David My Servant, and will not choose one of his descendents to rule over the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’” – Jeremiah 33:25-26

When the prophets are not ranting and raving against Israel, they talk about the restoration of Israel.  Isaiah 40-66 is one such place.  Everywhere in the prophets when the restoration of Israel is discussed, the Messiah is also mentioned.  Yet nowhere in Isaiah 40-66 is the Messiah mentioned, unless one of the servants in those chapters is the Messiah.  It would be very strange indeed for Isaiah not to mention the Messiah in connection with Israel’s restoration when most of the other prophets do.  Consider the following references to the Messiah throughout the prophets when the restoration of Israel is also mentioned.  Isaiah 11, Jeremiah 23:5, 30:9, 33:15-26, Ezekiel 37:24-27, 34:23, Amos 9:11, Micah 5:2, Habakkuk 3:13, Haggai 2:20-23, and Zechariah 6:12, 9:9-11, 10:4, 12:8.  Thus, to assume the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 is anything but the Messiah would be inconsistent with the whole context of the prophets, who usually mention the Messiah in connection with Israel’s restoration.

Since the prophetic pattern is to mention both Servant Jacob and Servant David together, we should expect to see the Davidic Messiah Servant in Isaiah, together with Servant Jacob. 

Moreover, the numerological value of the Hebrew for “My Servant” is 14.  The numerological value for “David” is also 14, Daleth-Vav-Daleth = 14.

The point is this:  Just because the servant is earlier identified as Israel, the Davidic Messiah is not precluded from also being a servant in close proximity.  In fact, He is expected to appear in close proximity. 

Furthermore, since the Servant of Isaiah 53 is punished for the sins of Servant Israel, called “my people,” and since it is stated that the Servant is being punished for the crimes of another, it is necessary to admit that we are dealing with two different servants.  Therefore, we come to the conclusion that the Servant of Isaiah 53 must be the Davidic Messiah Whose blood sacrifice brings about salvation.

“Whoever wants to be the greatest among you must be your servant.  And whoever wants to be first must be a slave of all.  For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:43-45

Isaiah foretells that people from six geographic regions will become servants.

            “I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Put, and to Lud who are archers, to Tubal, to Javan, and to the far away coastlands.”- Isaiah 66:19

Question:  What do these six regions have in common? 

Answer:  They were all Christianized by the first generation of apostles.

            Isaiah foretold all nations and tongues would be gathered to LORD YHWH, but he specifically emphasized these six regions.  Throughout the book of Isaiah, “The Coastlands,” meaning the Mediterranean, are constantly mentioned as a place where foreign nations will be converted.  They are mentioned where other foreign nations closer to Israel, to the east and south, are excluded.  Can it be any coincidence that Christianity took root primarily around the Mediterranean, just as Isaiah said it would hundreds of years before Christ even walked the earth?

            “My deliverance quickly draws near.  My salvation has gone forth and my arm will bring justice to the nations.  The Coastlands wait for Me, and they put their trust in My arm.” – Isaiah 51:5

            “The Coastlands shall wait for Me, the ships of Tarshish are the first to bring your sons from far away.” – Isaiah 60:9
Indeed, the Mediterranean was the first to bring new sons to God, since that is where the gospel took root.

            “Behold my Servant Whom I uphold, My chosen in Whom my soul delights.  I have put My Spirit upon Him.  He will bring justice to the nations… and The Coastlands wait for His Law.” – Isaiah 42:1-4

Isaiah 53 Cannot be about Servant Israel

Those who believe Isaiah 53 is about Servant Israel rely on the notion that the foreign kings mentioned in 52:15 are narrating a story about how Israel has born the brunt of their oppressive abuses.  They see Isaiah 53 as a narration by these kings, lamenting the fact that they abused Israel and that God made Israel suffer for their sins.

However, the prophets of the Bible clearly say that Israel suffers because of their own sins, not because of someone else’s sins.  Isaiah 1, 5, 28-32, 42:18, 48, 50:1, Jeremiah 2-6, Ezekiel 6, 13-24, all of Hosea, Amos 3-5, Deuteronomy 32, Micah 1-3, Habakkuk, Zephaniah 1, and Malachi 1-2 are some places that make this clear.  Likewise, the other nations also suffer for their own sins.  Isaiah 13-23, Jeremiah 46-51, Ezekiel 25-32, Amos 1-2, all of Obadiah and Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah 2 are some places that make that clear.  Indeed, the vast majority of the prophets is a long rant against Israel and the other nations for their sins.  Nowhere does Israel suffer for the other nations sins as if they were a whipping boy, because God punishes each of them for their own sins.  Isaiah 53 clearly says the servant suffers because of someone else’s sins.  Not that we should deny the fact that Jews have suffered unjustly because of anti-Semitism, they have, but the prophets invariably blame Israel’s suffering on Israel’s disobedience towards God, not on the anti-Semitism of gentiles.  In fact, the prophets never say Israel suffers undeservedly; whenever Israel suffers, it is punishment from God for something they did wrong, according to the prophets.  Thus, to apply Isaiah 53 to Suffering Servant Israel is to go against the context of the entire prophets! 

The details of Isaiah 53 don’t fit with the theory that Isaiah 53 is about Servant Israel.

“He had no form or beauty that we should look at him: no charm that we should find him pleasing.” – Isaiah 53:2
Do the children of Israel have no beauty or charm?  Ask King Xerxes of Persia – he married one after sampling the most beautiful virgins of his empire (Esther 2).  So did Titus, the Roman who destroyed Jerusalem in 70 CE.  Perhaps beauty is meant to mean splendor and nobility.  Yet here too we see that Soloman was surrounded by splendor and nobility.  Other nations appreciated his wisdom as is proven by the Queen of Sheba’s lengthy journey.  Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes were also foreign kings who appreciated the Jews.  The notion that Israel is unattractive to gentile kings makes no sense in light of the Biblical and ancient record. 

“By his bruises we were healed.” – Isaiah 53:5

Was Babylon ever healed because they bruised Israel?  No, Babylon was destroyed because they oppressed Israel. (Isaiah 47:5-9)  Likewise Assyria.  Was Egypt healed when Moses unleashed the ten plagues?  Was Germany healed because of the Holocaust?  No, they were defeated.  Did the expulsion of Jews during the Inquisition bring about benefits for Spain’s welfare?  No, it was right after the height of the Inquisition that Spain began to decline.  Was the Czar of Russia healed by abusing the Jews in his country?  No, the Communists overthrew him.  Was Antiochus healed for slaughtering Jews on the Sabbath when they would not fight?  No, his intestines were eaten by worms.  Are the Palestinian refugees healed by their never ending hatred?  How does the suffering of Israel heal the gentile kings who are supposedly narrating this story?  Most gentile nations who bruise the Jews have ended up hurting themselves, not healing themselves – and in them is fulfilled the words of the prophets from Jacob to Zechariah who said Judah shall have his hand on the neck of his enemies (Genesis 49:8) and I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling for the nations all around it (Zechariah 12:2).

“We all went astray like sheep, each going his own way, and the LORD visited upon him the guilt of all of us.” – Isaiah 53:6

Are Hitler, Caesar, Czar, Arafat, Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh, Antiochus, Sennacherib, and Tiglath-Pilesar a flock of sheep? 

“He was submissive.  He did not open his mouth.” – Isaiah 53:7

Isaiah and other prophets engaged in long tirades and curses against the oppressors of Israel, so they can’t fit the part about not opening their mouth.  (Isaiah 13-24, Jeremiah 46-51, Ezekiel 25-32)  Is anyone silent about the Holocaust, the Spanish Inquisition, or other examples of anti-Semitism?  No, these are continually remembered as tragedies.

“Like a sheep being led to slaughter.” – Isaiah 53:7

Did Israel go down without a fight when the Assyrians came?  No.  Did Judah surrender peacefully to Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE?  No, instead king Zedekiah defied God’s command to surrender and fought (Jeremiah 38:17-19).  Did the Hasmonians let Antiochus destroy them?  No, they won their independence by means of a bloody war.  Did Judah go down quietly when Titus invaded in 70 CE?  No, they fought until the temple caught on fire, and many held out at Masada long after that.  To say that Israel is passively slaughtered like sheep is not true.  Just look at what Israel does in our own day.  The Holocaust might fit, yes, but that was 2700 years after the fact.  It is poor exegesis to apply prophecy to our own modern times and then conveniently forget about the ancient historical context in which the prophecy was written.

“His grave was set among the wicked and with the rich in his death.” – Isaiah 53:9

The Servant of Isaiah 53 Must be Jesus Christ.

            The author of Isaiah 53 must have had the guilt offering of Leviticus 7 in mind.  Leviticus 7 speaks about how an animal should be sacrificed as a guilt offering (Hebrew: asham­) to take away the sins of the people, and that the blood should be dashed or sprinkled (Hebrew: zaraq) against the altar.

            This is the ritual for the guilt offering (asham), it is most holy.  The guilt offering (asham) shall be slaughtered at the spot where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and the blood shall be dashed (zaraq) on all sides of the altar. – Leviticus 7:2

            Just so, he shall zaraq many nations… he made himself an asham. – Isaiah 52:15, 53:10

            Christian Bibles translate zaraq to mean “sprinkle.”  The JPS translation quoted here translates it “dashed” in Leviticus but “startled” in Isaiah.  In any case, Leviticus makes the meaning of zaraq clear enough to substantiate the parallel:  The asham’s blood zaraqs the altar, just like the asham of Christ’s blood zaraqs the sins of all peoples.

            The author of Isaiah must have had the Messiah in mind when he wrote:

            For he (the suffering servant) has grown, by his favor, like a tree crown, like a tree trunk (Hebrew: shoresh) out of arid ground. – Isaiah 53:2
A shoot shall grow out of the stump  of Jesse (father of King David who was prophesied to be the ancestor of the Messiah) a twig shall sprout from his stock (shoresh).  The spirit of the LORD shall alight upon him.  – Isaiah 11:1
            In that day, the stock (shoresh) of Jesse that has remained standing shall become a standard to peoples. – Isaiah 11:10

When the prophets are not ranting and raving against Israel, they talk about the restoration of Israel.  Isaiah 40-66 is one such place.  When the restoration of Israel is mentioned in the prophets, the Messiah is also mentioned.  Yet nowhere in Isaiah 40-66 is the Messiah mentioned, unless one of the servants in those chapters is the Messiah.  It would be very strange indeed for Isaiah not to mention the Messiah in connection with Israel’s restoration when most of the other prophets do.  Consider the following references to the Messiah throughout the prophets when the restoration of Israel is also mentioned.  Isaiah 11, Jeremiah 23:5, 30:9, 33:15-26, Ezekiel 37:24-27, 34:23, Amos 9:11, Micah 5:2, Habakkuk 3:13, Haggai 2:20-23, and Zechariah 6:12, 9:9-11, 10:4, 12:8.  Thus, to say that Isaiah 53 does not speak about the Messiah would be inconsistent with the whole context of the prophets, who usually mention the Messiah in connection with Israel’s restoration.

            Also, Isaiah’s prophecy that the suffering servant was to be buried with the wealthy was fulfilled by Christ’s burial recorded in Matthew 27:60

Servant Israel Is Not the Only Servant Prior to Isaiah 53

In Isaiah 42 we see a servant who from the surrounding occurrences could be Israel, but look what this servant does.  42:2 “He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.”  Did Israel never cry out during the Holocaust and the Inquisition?  Did they never cry out during the Babylonian captivity?  No.  See Lamentations 2:18, which talks about how Israel cried out during the Babylonian captivity.  Also see Jeremiah 30:35, “Cries of fear are heard – terror, not peace,” and Isaiah 33:7, “Their brave men cry aloud in the streets.”    Jeremiah loudly yelled out in public at the gates of Jerusalem, as did other prophets.  Jeremiah says about himself in 20:8, “Whenever I speak, I cry out.”  Contrast the gloom, doom, and loud laments of the prophets with the calm sermons given by Jesus.  Also notice that this servant is called “he” unlike servant Israel who is usually called “you” in the surrounding chapters.

In 49 we see a servant who is called Israel by name in verse 3.  But the servant says about himself, “And now says the LORD that formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, and that Israel be gathered unto Him.”  Is Israel redeeming Israel?  In verse 6 God speaks to the servant, “'It is too light a thing that thou should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the offspring of Israel; I will also give thee for a light of the nations, that My salvation may be unto the end of the earth.'”  How is servant Israel going to be a light to the nations (gentiles)?  Many say that Jewish intellect, cleanliness, ingenuity, work ethic, etc have been a light to the gentiles.  But the light of verse 6 talks about a light that leads to salvation.  Einstein was a Jew whose intellect helped create the nuclear bomb.  Is that salvation?  Of course not. 

Isaiah 50 talks about a different servant in 50:10.  Unlike servant Israel, who is usually addressed as “you” by God, the servant of chapter 50 talks about himself in the first person using “I/me,” as the servant of Isaiah 49 also does.  50:4 says, “The Lord God hath given me the tongue of them that are taught,” Contrast this servant to servant Israel who is blind and deaf in 42:18-25 and divorced by God in 50:1. 50:5 continues “and I was not rebellious…” Contrast this servant with servant Israel in chapter 48:4-8 who is rebellious. It says in verse 6 “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; I hid not my face from shame and spitting.”  Does this not remind us of Jesus’ crucifixion?