Questions Skeptics Ask About Messianic Prophecy

QUESTIONSSKEPTICS ASK ABOUTMESSIANICPROPHECY

WWere Old Testamentpredictions fulfilled in the life of Jesus?

If so, why, when we read theseprophecies in their original setting,do they often seem more obscurethan we might have expected?

Is it possible that skeptics ofbiblical prophecy are right? Couldthere be validity to their claim thatChristians read Jesus back into the Old Testament? Or is there alegitimate way of showing that Hereally is there?

I hope that by the time youhave read this booklet you willrealize that messianic prophecy is not easy to understand, but itis legitimately fulfilled in JesusChrist—contrary to the argumentsof skeptics.

Herb Vander LugtRBC Senior Research Editor

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Design: Stan MyersScripture quotations are from the New International Version. Copyright © 1973,1978,1984,by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishers.© 1997,2002 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

CONTENTS

The Claims Of ChristiansQuestioned . . . . . . . . . . . 2

The Questions Of Skeptics Weighed

The Bethlehem Prediction In Micah 5 . . . . . . . . . . 10

The Suffering Servant Of Isaiah 52–53. . . . . . 14

The Sufferer Of Psalm 22 . . . . . . . . . 24

The Infancy Events Of Matthew 2. . . . . . . . 27

The Heart Of The Matter. . . . . . . . 32

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© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.

THE CLAIMS OF CHRISTIANSQUESTIONED

FFew issues are morefoundational to the

Christian faith than the belief that Jesus is theMessiah predicted by OldTestament Jewish prophets.Yet many of the propheciesthat are said to predictJesus’ life, death, andresurrection, when read in their Old Testamentcontext, are not as clear as we might expect. In fact, it’s easy to see whyunbelievers are oftenskeptical. Why aren’t theprophecies more obvious?And why in some casesdoes the New Testamentclaim a fulfillment where no prediction is even inview? Before answeringthese questions, let’s look at claims made byChristians, and the kind of questions thoughtfulskeptics ask.

CHRISTIAN CLAIMS In Evidence That Demands AVerdict, Christian apologistJosh McDowell states, “TheOld Testament contains over 300 references to theMessiah that were fulfilledin Jesus.” He believes this“establishes the fact of God, authenticates the deityof Jesus, and [proves] theinspiration of the Bible.” Helists 61 specific messianicprophecies and shows howthey were fulfilled hundredsof years after they werespoken. Then he quotesfrom Peter Stoner’s bookScience Speaks, which says that according toscientifically accepted laws of probability, the odds against just eight of the prophecies beingfulfilled are one chance in 1017 (pp.150-175).

Are McDowell’s facts and logic sound? Those whoalready believe in Jesus willprobably say his facts areunarguable. They know, for

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example, that Luke 24describes two occasionswhen the resurrected Christ“opened the minds” of Hisfollowers to understand thatMoses, the Prophets, andPsalms had spoken of Hisdeath, resurrection, andsalvation He would providethrough them (Lk. 24:25-27,44-49). Believers in Jesusare convinced that He was

telling the truth when Hesaid that the Old Testamentwas speaking about Him(Jn. 5:39).

These claims, however,do not greatly impressskeptics. Many Jewish

people, for instance, believethat the prophets foresaw adifferent kind of Messiah.They see prophets pointingto a coming Deliverer whowould rescue Israel from her enemies and establishJerusalem as the capital of aworld government (Isa. 2:1-3). Since Jesus did not dothis, they wonder how Hecould be the Messiah.

Yet Christians believethat among the propheciesof a coming world leader are predictions with anotherview of Messiah.

• He will be despised andrejected (Isa. 53:3).

• He will die for our sin(Isa. 53:6).

• He will be “cut off”before the destructionof Jerusalem and hertemple (Dan. 9:24-27).

• He will live after dying(Isa. 53:10).

• He will justify many(Isa. 53:11).

• He will be a light to theGentiles (Isa. 49:6).

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Many of theprophecies that are said to be

fulfilled by Jesusare not as clear aswe might expect.



Christians believe thatthese prophecies present theMessiah as suffering, dying,and rising from death toprovide salvation from sin’spenalty before restoringIsrael and ruling the earthfrom Jerusalem. Is this claimsupported by facts? Skepticalpeople have many questions.

THE SKEPTICS’QUESTIONSMany skeptics doubt thatJesus fulfilled even oneprophecy. They argue that Christians either quoteOld Testament passages out of context, mindlesslymisinterpret them, or evendishonestly change them tofit their purposes. Here aresome of the questionsskeptics ask and theproblems they raise:

Does Micah 5:2really say that theMessiah would be bornin Bethlehem? Matthew2:1-6 says that a group ofJewish teachers of the law

told Herod that according to Micah 5:2 the Messiahwould be born in Bethlehem.“That can’t be true,” sayskeptics. “No Hebrewscholar would have takenMicah 5:2 as a prophecy ofMessiah’s birthplace. Micahdeclares only that Messiah’sancestral origin will beBethlehem, the birthplace ofKing David” (1 Sam. 17:58).

Does Isaiah 53describe the sufferingsof the Messiah or thesufferings of the Jewishpeople? Isaiah says, “Weall, like sheep, have goneastray, each of us has turnedto his own way; and theLord has laid on Him theiniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6).A common Jewish responseto this verse is that theinnocent sufferer here is not Jesus but the nation ofIsrael. They say that GodHimself identifies Israel asthis servant in the contextwhen He declared, “You areMy servant, Israel, in whom

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I will display My splendor”(Isa. 49:3).

Some skeptics accuseChristian translators of evenmistranslating key verses inIsaiah to make them fit theNew Testament portrayal ofJesus. As an example ofdeliberate deceit they citeIsaiah 53:8, pointing outthat all versions producedby non-Jewish scholars use the singular pronoun in the expression, “For thetransgression of My peopleHe was stricken,” eventhough the pronoun is pluralin the Hebrew text. Theircontention is that the lastclause in the verse shouldread, “they were stricken.”They insist, therefore, thatIsaiah has the “people of the Holocaust” in view,not Jesus.

Did the New Testament writers misquote,mistranslate, andmisapply Psalm 22? Thewriters of the New Testament

quote and allude to Psalm22 again and again as beingfulfilled in the suffering anddeath of Jesus Christ (Mt.27:35,39,43,46; Lk. 23:34;Jn. 19:23-24,28,34,37; Heb.2:12). But skeptics point outthat nothing in the originalcontext would lead a readerto see this psalm as apredictive prophecy. Theysuggest that Psalm 22 isnothing more than KingDavid’s poetic portrayal ofthe pain and anguish heexperienced as a fugitivefrom either Saul or Absalom.

Unbelieving scholars also argue that the words“they have pierced Myhands and My feet” (v.16)are misleading because thecorrect reading in mostHebrew manuscripts and inthe Masoretic text is actually“like a lion my hands andmy feet.”

Was Matthewdishonest in his use of various OldTestament passages

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to propheticallysupport certainparticulars of Jesus’early life? After telling the story of Jesus’ return toIsrael from Egypt (Mt. 2:13-15), Matthew wrote, “So was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called My Son.’” But when we turn to the OldTestament quote from Hosea11:1, we look in vain for anyindication that the originaltext was anything more thana historical description ofthe nation of Israel.

Skeptics point out thatMatthew also declared thatthe slaughter of the infantsin Bethlehem (2:16-18)fulfilled Jeremiah 31:15,another passage that does not make a specificreference to the Messiah.Matthew even said that it was a fulfillment ofprophecy (2:23) for Jesusand His parents to live inthe town of Nazareth. Yet,

there’s no such prophecy in the Old Testament.

So, were the writers ofthe New Testament guilty ofaltering or misrepresentingthe Old Testament text to create an illusion offulfillment? These are

serious questions deservingof honest answers. If thefounders and leaders of theChristian faith lacked moraland intellectual integrity,their teachings are suspectand have no spiritualauthority.

I’m convinced, however,6

Did the NewTestament writerstry to create anillusion of fulfilled

prophecy bypainting Jesus into the Jewish

Scriptures?



that the New Testamentwriters were honest. I believethat the link between Jesusand the prophets of Israel isauthentic, and that there aremany reasons to believe that He can be found in thepages of the Old Testament.I also believe, however, that many of the questionsskeptics raise deserve to betaken seriously, and that all of us need a clearunderstanding of how theNew Testament writers sawJesus in the prophecies ofthe Old Testament.

WHAT IT TAKES TO SEE JESUS INPROPHECYBefore taking a look at thespecific texts we’ve justidentified, let’s considersome of the assumptionsthat Christians need to make to see Jesus in the Old Testament.

If Jesus is in the Old Testament, theprophecies of His

suffering and glory arelike a shuffled deck ofcards. Prophecies of Hissuffering are intermingledwith prophecies of Hiskingdom and glory. Nowhere do the prophetsclearly explain two comingsof Messiah—a first comingto die for the penalty of sinand a later return to deliverthe earth from sin’sconsequences. Instead,themes of suffering andglory are interwoventhroughout the propheticScriptures.

If Jesus is in the Old Testament,His presence is likeviewing a distantmountain range.The prophecies of Jesus’suffering and glory are likeviewing mountains on thehorizon. From a distance, it’s impossible to see thevalleys and gaps thatseparate peaks and ranges.Only when travelers get intothe mountains and have a

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peak or two behind them dothey get a sense of the spacebetween peaks that wasimpossible to see from adistance. Thus it is only inretrospect that anyone cansee how the Messiah firstcame to save His peoplefrom the penalty of sin, andthat He will return to fulfillthe kingdom prophecies.

If Jesus is in the Old Testament, He isthere like the author ofa novel. On the surface, thecreator of a good story maynot appear to be writingabout himself. Yet studentsof literature know thatauthors often show up in their own work and insome way reflect their ownexperience in what theywrite. Sometimes those whoknow the author are able to find and describe thisrelationship. Sometimes ittakes the author himself toshow how a chapter orimage emerged from his ownexperiences or relationships.

From a New Testamentpoint of view, the Messiahexpresses the Spirit of the Author of the OldTestament. In the unity ofthe Godhead, Messiah isone with the God behindthe page and with the Spiritguiding the pen of Moses,Jeremiah, and Isaiah. It was this conviction thatgave the apostle Johnreason to speak of Jesus as the eternal Word madeflesh through His birth inBethlehem (Jn. 1:1-2,14).

If Jesus is in the Old Testament, He is there like a man in a house of mirrors.From a Jewish perspective,Messiah would be adeliverer greater thanMoses, a priest greater thanAaron, a king greater thanDavid, a prophet greaterthan Elijah, and a servantmore faithful than Israel.

Once Jesus’ followersconcluded that the carpenterfrom Nazareth was this

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Messiah, they believed theyhad a basis for seeing Jesusreflected everywhere in theOld Testament. Once theybecame witnesses of Hisresurrection, they believedthey had a basis for seeingHim as the embodiment ofthe spirit of the law (Mt.5:17; Lk. 24:44). They sawHim as the One who gavemeaning to the sacrificialritual, the One who provideda salvation from sin thatextended without distinctionto Jew or Gentile, male orfemale, rich or poor, and as the One through whomIsrael would fulfill hercalling.

If Jesus is in the Old Testament, He isthere like shadows ona field. The New Testamentsays that the patterns of OldTestament religion are likeshadows on the landscape of history (Col. 2:17). Theyreflect the form and image ofthe coming Messiah, but inand of themselves they

have no real substance.So the patterns of the

Jewish house of worship, the sacrificial system, andthe festival cycle of Israelare seen by Christians asanticipating a Messiah who would not only break the yoke of Gentiledomination but would alsooffer Himself as a sacrificefor sin (1 Cor. 5:7).

If Jesus is in the Old Testament, He isthere like a piece of an unsolved puzzle.As noted earlier, Christiansbelieve that messianicallusions were intermingledin passages designed toinstruct, correct, comfort,and challenge. The NewTestament says that Godprompted His prophets tosay some things that wouldbe understood only by latergenerations. As a result,those who believe in Jesusembrace ideas that wereonly mysteries to people of an earlier era.

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THE QUESTIONSOF THE SKEPTICSWEIGHED

WWe are now readyto take a closerlook at the

questions raised by skeptics,considering them in the lightof the perspectives we’vejust described.

THE BETHLEHEMPREDICTION OFMICAH 5In his gospel, Matthewwrote:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,during the time of KingHerod, Magi from theeast came to Jerusalemand asked, “Where is theone who has been bornKing of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come toworship Him.” WhenKing Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

When he had calledtogether all the people’schief priests and teachersof the law, he asked themwhere the Christ was tobe born. “In Bethlehem inJudea,” they replied, “forthis is what the prophethas written: ‘But you,Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by nomeans least among therulers of Judah; for out of you will come a rulerwho will be the shepherdof My people Israel’ ” (Mt. 2:1-6).Skeptics have suggested

that Matthew contrived theevents of Bethlehem to makeit look like a fulfillment ofMicah’s prediction thatMessiah would come out of Bethlehem. Those whouse this argument implicitlyacknowledge what otherskeptics deny; namely, that the expectation of aBethlehem birth existedamong the Jews of Matthew’s time.

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The Prediction:Messiah would come“out of ” Bethlehem.All agree that Micah 5:1-4predicts that Jerusalemwould be invaded by enemyforces (v.1), that Israelwould be temporarilyabandoned by God (v.3),and that someday Messiahwould restore Israel,establishing a kingdom ofuniversal peace and justice(vv.3-4). Micah declared thatthis Deliverer would come“out of” Bethlehem.

Christians ask, “Isn’tthis an obvious, undeniableprediction that Messiah

would be born inBethlehem? “No,” say the skeptics. “Micah wasonly predicting that Messiahwould be a descendant ofDavid, the Bethlehemite. He could have this ancestrallink to Bethlehem withoutactually being born there.”

Have followers of Jesusmade too much of Micah’sprophecy? Could a son of David lay claim to theKingdom if it turns out that He was actually born in Hebron, or Bethel, or Tel Aviv?

The Moral-Spiritual Lesson:Lowly Bethlehem wouldbe favored over proudJerusalem. While Micah5:2 does not make itabsolutely clear that the coming Deliverer wouldbe born in Bethlehem,preceding verses set thestage for that interpretation.With descriptive irony the prophet referred toJerusalem as a “city of

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Is it possible thatMicah was only

saying that Messiahwould have anancestral link to

Bethlehem?



troops” as he called on herto marshal her forces. Yet, inhis next breath he predictedthat the Babylonians would“strike Israel’s ruler on thecheek with a rod,” aprophecy of the extremehumiliation to whichZedekiah, Israel’s last kingof the Davidic dynasty,would be subjected byenemy soldiers. SecondKings 25:1-7 says that hiscaptors executed his sonsbefore his eyes, blinded him,and took him to Babylon.

From Micah’s point ofview, the descendants ofDavid who were born inproud, self-reliant Jerusalemhad sinned by relying onmilitary power and strategyrather than on Jehovah.Therefore, according toMicah, the Deliverer wouldcome from lowly Bethlehem,not from proud Jerusalem.While this is not a precise statement that the Messiah would be bornin Bethlehem, it can be

inferred from the context. Asthe son of David, Messiahwould have an ancestral link to both Jerusalem andBethlehem. This relationshipto both cities suggests thatMicah must have hadsomething else in view.

A HistoricalConfirmation: The New Testament record isconfirmed by history. Itremains for the record of theNew Testament to put thelast pieces into the puzzle.For those who accept theGospels as true, Micah’sprophecy doesn’t have tostand all by itself. It can be interpreted in the light of the shepherds’report about an angelicannouncement, the sign of astar in the sky, the visit fromthe Magi, and the slaughterof the Bethlehem babies.Those first-century peoplewho came to believe in Jesusas their Savior from sin andconqueror of death had no difficulty viewing Micah

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5:1-4 as a prediction of HisBethlehem birth. It becamefor them one of many OldTestament propheciesamazingly fulfilled by Jesus.

But again the skepticsask, “How do we know thatMatthew didn’t just make upthe Bethlehem connection to make it look like Jesusfulfilled Micah’s prediction?”Several factors weigh againstthis fabrication theory. First,it is now widely recognizedthat all of the Gospel writers

wrote within the lifetime ofJesus’ contemporaries. Soany controversial claimscould be checked out.

“But,” someone asks,“who would remember such an insignificant event?”A better question might be,“If the account of the eventssurrounding Jesus’ birthwere true, who couldforget?” The Gospel writerswent on to tell how Herodthe King heard about thebirth of Messiah andordered the death of all themale babies of Bethlehem.What contemporaryBethlehem family would not have heard aboutHerod’s terrible massacre of innocents and thecircumstances thatprompted it? (Mt. 2:16-18).On the other hand, if no one of the first century hadheard about the massacre,the “Bethlehem connection”could easily have beenexposed as a baselessrumor.

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First-centurydoubters could

have checked out a story as concrete

and specific asJesus’ birth by goingto Bethlehem andeither confirming

or refuting it.



THE SUFFERINGSERVANT OF ISAIAH 52–53Of all the passages thoughtby Christians to reflect Jesusin the Old Testament, Isaiah52:13–53:12 is the one mostintensely held by Christiansand questioned by skeptics.The fourth in a series of“Servant Songs,” it openswith a brief summary of theServant’s exaltation after atime during which His“appearance was sodisfigured beyond that ofany man and His formmarred beyond humanlikeness” (52:14).

It depicts Him asunpretentious and sorrowful:“He was despised andrejected by men, a man ofsorrows, and familiar withsuffering. Like one fromwhom men hide their facesHe was despised, and weesteemed Him not” (53:3).

Yet His rejection andsuffering had a divine andbeneficial purpose: “Surely

He took up our infirmitiesand carried our sorrows, yetwe considered Him strickenby God, smitten by Him, andafflicted. But He was piercedfor our transgressions, Hewas crushed for ouriniquities; the punishmentthat brought us peace wasupon Him, and by Hiswounds we are healed. Weall, like sheep, have goneastray, each of us has turnedto his own way; and the Lordhas laid on Him the iniquityof us all” (53:4-6).

As noted above,Christians see Jesus as thisServant: His humble birthand way of life (vv.1-2), His rejection (v.3), Hissubstitutionary death (vv.4-6), His unretaliating attitudewhen abused (v.7), Hiswrongful execution as acriminal (vv.8-9), and Hiseventual vindication andeverlasting reward (vv.10-12). Many non-Christianand Jewish skeptics,however, reason that the

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suffering servant portrayedhere is Israel. First let’s lookat the case for the positionof the skeptics, includingtheir objections to the ideathat the servant is JesusChrist. Then we will present the evidence for the Christian position.

The Skeptics’ ViewThat The Servant IsIsrael. Skeptics point outthat in his “Servant Songs,”the prophet Isaiah identifiesthe servant as “Israel” or“Jacob” at least six times:41:8-9; 44:1-2,21; 45:4;48:20; and 49:3. Whenasked how the nation whowas seen by God as sounfaithful that she deservedto be defeated by paganGentile powers could beIsaiah’s morally perfectservant, most skeptics replythat Isaiah is speaking of arighteous remnant, thosewithin the nation who sufferunjustly at the hands of thewicked Gentile nations.

Sensitive Christians can

understand why many Jewstake this position. They arepainfully aware of the factthat Jewish people haveendured terrible injustices,sometimes by those whoproclaim themselves to be

followers of Jesus. Moreover,many Christian Biblestudents believe that theprophetic Scriptures portraya future time when the Jewswho accept their Messiahwill be subjected to the mostintense persecution in allhistory under the regime of a coming world ruler.

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Even Christiantheologians see atime when godlyJews will be theprime targets of

intense persecutionbecause of their

witness.



These skeptics, some ofwhom have great reverencefor the Old TestamentScriptures, claim thatChristians see Jesus in the“servant” section of Isaiahpartly through the benefit ofhindsight and partly becauseChristian scholars havetampered with the Hebrewtext. They say that by acombination of wishfulthinking and dishonesty wehave changed the powerfulpolitical Messiah of Jewishexpectation into a sufferingServant who dies as asacrifice for the sins ofothers.

In addition, they raise the following four specificobjections to the Christianviewpoint: (1) No clearstatement in the JewishScriptures can be interpretedto support the idea of arejected, suffering, personalMessiah. (2) The servant inIsaiah, properly understood,is a community of godlyJews, not an individual.

(3) The concept of aDeliverer who suffers anddies voluntarily as a sacrificefor the sins of others is aconcoction of Christian

theologians. (4) Christiantranslators are dishonestwhen they render Isaiah53:8, “For the transgressionof My people He wasstricken,” because thepronoun they translate as “He” is plural, so itshould be translated “they.”

These objections to theChristian viewpoint areraised by serious, thoughtful

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Skeptics say that bywishful thinkingand dishonesty,Christians havechanged the

powerful politicalMessiah into a

suffering Servant.



people and deserve carefulconsideration.

The Christians’ ViewThat The Servant IsJesus Christ. Thepossibility of another servantin Isaiah’s “Servant Songs” isnot ruled out by the fact thatIsrael functioned as God’sservant in the past, nor bythe existence of propheciesabout a godly remnant in thelast days. Note, for example,that in Isaiah 45:1, Cyrus,King of Persia, is called God’s“anointed” (the Hebrew wordused to denote the Messiahin other passages) andchosen to show all the worldthat “There is none besidesMe. I am the Lord, and thereis no other” (Isa. 45:6). Intime, Cyrus was used by God to conquer theBabylonian captors of Israel and to issue a decreeallowing Jewish exiles toreturn from captivity.

It is apparent, therefore,that Isaiah has intermingledin his prophecies three

anointed servants: (1) Israel,the servant who has failed,(2) a righteous last-daysremnant of the nation, and(3) a pagan king. Could therebe another servant woveninto these prophecies?Christians say yes, and pointto Jesus. They are convincedthat He, and He alone, fitsthe graphic description ofIsaiah 53:7-12.

He was oppressed andafflicted, yet He did notopen His mouth; He wasled like a lamb to theslaughter, and as a sheepbefore her shearers issilent, so He did not openHis mouth. By oppressionand judgment He wastaken away. And who canspeak of His descendants?For He was cut off fromthe land of the living; forthe transgression of mypeople He was stricken.He was assigned a gravewith the wicked, and withthe rich in His death,though He had done no

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violence, nor was anydeceit in His mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will tocrush Him and cause Himto suffer, and though theLord makes His life a guiltoffering, He will see Hisoffspring and prolong Hisdays, and the will of theLord will prosper in Hishand. After the suffering of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by Hisknowledge my righteousservant will justify many,and He will bear theiriniquities. Therefore I willgive Him a portion amongthe great, and He willdivide the spoils with thestrong, because He pouredout His life unto death,and was numbered withthe transgressors. For Hebore the sin of many, andmade intercession for thetransgressors.Let us now consider

the skeptics’ four specificobjections (listed on p.16) to

the Christian belief that Jesusis that suffering Servant.

(1) What about theclaim that no clear OldTestament passageportrays a rejected,suffering, personalMessiah? In response, wepresent two passages whichdo just that: Zechariah 12:10and Daniel 9:26.

I will pour out on thehouse of David and theinhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace andsupplication. They willlook on Me, the One theyhave pierced, and they willmourn for Him as onemourns for an only child,and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for afirstborn son (Zech. 12:10).In the last days, a

repentant Israel will grieveand mourn over the Saviorthey rejected and “pierced.”

The prophet Danielspoke of a specific timewhen the Messiah wouldappear and be “cut off,”

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declaring plainly that thiswould occur before theRoman destruction ofJerusalem and its temple.

After the sixty-two“sevens,” the AnointedOne will be cut off andwill have nothing. Thepeople of the ruler whowill come will destroy thecity and the sanctuary.The end will come like aflood: War will continueuntil the end, anddesolations have beendecreed (Dan. 9:26).(2) What about the

claim that the servant inIsaiah is a community, notan individual? To answer,one needs only to note theintensely personal nature of the Servant passages:

Here is My Servant, whomI uphold, My Chosen Onein whom I delight; I willput My Spirit on Him andHe will bring justice to thenations (Isa. 42:1). The Lord says—He whoformed Me in the womb to

be His servant to bringJacob back to Him andgather Israel to Himself, . . . He says: “It is toosmall a thing for you to beMy servant to restore thetribes of Jacob and bringback those of Israel I havekept. I will also make Youa light for the Gentiles,that You may bring Mysalvation to the ends ofthe earth.” This is whatthe Lord says . . . to Himwho was despised andabhorred by the nation, . . . “Kings will see Youand rise up, princes willsee and bow down,because of the Lord, who is faithful, the HolyOne of Israel, who haschosen You” (Isa. 49:5-7).These words point to

an individual who is distinctfrom even the godly remnant(here referred to as “those of Israel I have kept”).Moreover, no Old Testamentprophecy declares that thisgodly remnant will be

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“despised and abhorred bythe nation.”

(3) What about theskeptics’ denial that theservant is portrayed asvoluntarily suffering anddying as a sacrifice? TheServant clearly declared thevoluntary nature of Hissuffering:

The Sovereign Lord hasopened My ears, and Ihave not been rebellious; Ihave not drawn back. Ioffered My back to thosewho beat Me, My cheeksto those who pulled outMy beard; I did not hideMy face from mockingand spitting (50:5-6). The Servant’s suffering is

also seen in 53:7, where itsays that “He did not openHis mouth.”

The Servant’s death as a sacrifice comes throughclearly in Isaiah 53:5, “He was pierced for ourtransgressions, He wascrushed for our iniquities.”But skeptics say the

rendering should be “because of” ourtransgressions and iniquitiesinstead of “for” them. Thisallows them to interpretthese words as a portrayal of a redeemed remnantsuffering because of the sins of the Gentile nations.

While the laws ofgrammar allow for either“for” or “because of,” thecontext shows that “for” ismore accurate. The innocentServant obviously suffers inbehalf of the guilty andbenefits them. This comesthrough even in a Jewishtranslation of verse 5, “Thechastisement of our welfarewas upon him, and with his

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The redemptivesignificance of a sin

offering is well-established in theOld Testament.



wounds we were healed.”It can be argued that it is

through persecuted Jewishwitnesses that multitudes ofGentiles will in the last daysbe brought to their senses.But this group cannot be theServant of Isaiah 53:10, ofwhom the prophet declares,“The Lord makes His life aguilt offering.” The Hebrewexpression Isaiah uses links this Servant’s offeringdirectly to the sacrificialsystem established byMoses. This Servant, then,must be Jesus Christ.

(4) What about thecharge that Christiantranslators were dishonestin their rendering ofIsaiah 53:8? As notedearlier, some skeptics callattention to Isaiah 53:8,which in Christiantranslations reads, “For thetransgression of My peopleHe was stricken,” eventhough the third personpronoun is plural. Theyrender it, “For the

transgression of my people a plague befell them [theJewish remnant].”

The pronoun is plural,but the accusation ofdishonesty is unjustified.The last two Hebrew wordsin this sentence are in theform of a grammaticalellipsis, a construction inwhich a word or wordsnecessary for a completestatement are omitted. Thismakes it necessary for thereader to determine its exactmeaning from the context.

J. A. Alexander ofPrinceton Seminary,considered by many to be one of the world’soutstanding linguists,rendered the latter part of 53:8 this way: “For thetransgression of My people,(as) a curse for them”(Commentary On TheProphecies Of Isaiah,Zondervan, p.299). Thistranslation of the clause fitsthe context and gives theplural form to the pronoun.

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Therefore, the traditional“for the transgression of Mypeople He was stricken”accurately and honestlyexpresses the truth that theMessiah was made a curse(was stricken) for the sins ofGod’s people.

Who is speakingthese words about thesuffering Servant?Beginning in the 1800s, mostJewish scholars rejected theidea that Isaiah 52:13–53:12referred to the Messiah and began applying it to aremnant in Israel. Sincethen, they have been sayingthat these words will bespoken by Gentiles, who in the last days will standcorrected and brokenheartedbefore the suffering nationthat has borne their hatredand sins. They say that thisentire passage is a last-daysconfession of a Gentileworld, admitting that itsproud and mindless anti-semitism has been the cause of Israel’s pain.

It is difficult to see thischapter, especially its closingwords, as describing a last-days glorification of Israel.What we find instead is adescription of a humbleDeliverer and Sin-bearerwho, after being made a“guilt offering” (vv.4-8,10),sees the result of His atoningwork and is satisfied.

J. A. Alexander gives us aliteral translation of verses10-11: “He shall see (His)seed, He shall prolong (Hisdays), and the pleasure ofJehovah in His hand shallprosper. From the labor ofHis soul He shall see, Heshall be satisfied; by Hisknowledge shall My servant, (as) a righteousone, give righteousness tomany, and their iniquitiesHe shall bear.”

The expression “by Hisknowledge My righteousservant will justify many”(v.11) means that byknowledge of Him many willbe justified. The Servant here

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is not portrayed as a teacherbut as a Savior in His priestlyministry, saving people bybearing their iniquities, notby imparting knowledge tothem. The benefits of Hisatoning work will be receivedby those who come to knowHim. Their salvation willcrown His work with success:

Therefore I will give Him a portion among the great,and He will divide thespoils with the strong,because He poured outHis life unto death, andwas numbered with thetransgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession forthe transgressors (v.12).Commenting on this

verse, J. A. Alexander writes,“This denotes intercession,not in the restricted sense ofprayer for others, but of thewider one of meritorious and prevailing intervention,which is ascribed to Christin the New Testament, notas a work already finished,

like that of atonement, but as one still going on(Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:24; 1 Jn. 2:1)” (p.307).

When we read Isaiah52:13–53:12 in its entiretyand take it in its simple,unforced, and obviousmeaning, the evidenceshows that the speaker isnot the Gentile nations butthe redeemed community.The passage also reveals asuffering Servant who bearsa striking resemblance to Jesus as He enduredsuffering on the cross.

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One result to see Israel as the

suffering Servant isthat the language ofIsaiah 53 describesa glory that even arighteous remnant

can’t claim.



THE SUFFERER OF PSALM 22

My God, My God, whyhave You forsaken Me? . . . Dogs have surroundedMe; a band of evil menhas encircled Me, theyhave pierced My handsand My feet. I can countall My bones; people stareand gloat over Me. Theydivide My garmentsamong them and cast lots for My clothing (Ps. 22:1,16-18).Psalm 22 begins as an

anguished prayer (vv.1-21)and ends as a hymn of praise(vv.22-31). Written by David,possibly in connection withthe rebellion led by his sonAbsalom, it is beautifullypoetic, rich in word pictures,and balanced in experience.Beginning in agony, it endswith a wonderful expressionof God’s goodness to thosewho fear Him.

The point of contentionarises when Christians relateelements of David’s suffering

in Psalm 22 to the suffering,death, and resurrection ofJesus. New Testament writersconnect this psalm withJesus’ crucifixion at least 12times (Mt. 27:35,39,43,46;Mk. 15:24,29,34; Lk. 23:34;Jn. 19:23-24,28,34,37; Heb.2:12). They see the gambling

for Jesus’ clothing, theshaking of heads in ridicule,the expression of His thirst,and His cry of abandonmentas foreshadowed in Psalm22.

These New Testamentreferences to Psalm 22 anger

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Psalm 22 showshow a person afterGod’s own heartcan experience

feelings ofabandonment,

insight, and renewed hope.



those who reject the ideathat Jesus fulfilled OldTestament prophecy in anyway. They use this passageas a prime example of howdishonest followers of Jesusattempt to paint Jesus backinto the Old TestamentScriptures. As evidence, theyhighlight the words “theyhave pierced My hands andMy feet” (Ps. 22:16) andthey point out that theHebrew word Christianshave translated “pierced” inverse 16 really means “like a lion.” Because Christiantranslators rendered thesame word “like a lion” inIsaiah 38:13, critics chargetranslators with deceit.

The fact is that Christiantranslators are not alone intranslating Psalm 22:16 asthey do. Some Hebrewmanuscripts and theSeptuagint (the Greekversion of the Old Testamentproduced by AlexandrianJews in 250 BC) support thereading “they have pierced

my hands and my feet.” The Jewish scholar Aquila,who produced a Greekversion of the Old Testamentabout AD 120 to correct themistakes in the Septuagint,rendered Psalm 22:16, “theydisfigured my hands and my feet” (Bible EncyclopediaAnd Dictionary, A. R.Fausset, Zondervan, p.525).

Therefore, while theMasoretic text, compiled by 10th-century Jewishscholars, reads, “like a lion,”it is not at all certain thatthis is the correct reading.The Hebrew word for “like a lion” and the one for“pierced” or “disfigured”differ only in the length ofthe last line in the last letter.

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Skeptics claim thatChristians twist thetext to paint Jesus

back into Psalm 22.



The scribes who madehandwritten copies of theHebrew manuscripts werevery careful, but apparentlysome of them copied the lastline of this word differentlythan others did.

Maybe the translatorswere wrong. Maybe not. We don’t know. No onedoes. But to charge them with deliberatemistranslation is to say farmore than what is known.

Christians believe thatthe suffering of David at the hands of his enemiesforeshadowed the sufferingof Jesus. But we can’t besure exactly what happened

to David. Did men at some point gamble for his clothing? (Ps. 22:18; Mt. 27:35). Did bystandersshake their heads inridicule? (Ps. 22:7; Mk. 15:29). Did Davidexperience intolerable thirst? (Ps. 22:15; Jn. 19:28).Possibly, but probably not.No known interpreters,Jewish or Christian, makethat claim. All see the psalm as poetic, with muchhyperbole and figurativelanguage. But the detailscorrespond strikingly withthose of the crucifixion. It istherefore possible that Davidin his suffering was lifted bythe Spirit beyond his ownexperience to mysteriouslytaste and describe in alimited way the suffering of the King he served.

It remains for honestseekers to decide whetherthe Gospel writers contrivedthis whole scenario orreported the facts as theyremembered them.

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To chargetranslators

with deliberatemistranslation is tosay far more than

what is known.



THE INFANCYEVENTS OFMATTHEW 2In his gospel, Matthewdescribed several incidentsin the early life of Jesus thathe claimed fulfilled certainOld Testament prophecies.As noted earlier, skepticshave a field day withMatthew 2 because they can make it appear that Matthew took two OldTestament passages out ofcontext and simply made up the third one.

Let’s examine each ofMatthew’s quotations in the light of the whole OldTestament as well as in their immediate context todetermine whether or notthey are valid.

“Out of Egypt I called My Son” (Mt. 2:15).

When they had gone, an angel of the Lordappeared to Joseph in adream. “Get up,” he said,“take the Child and His

mother and escape toEgypt. Stay there until Itell you, for Herod is goingto search for the Child tokill Him.” So he got up,took the Child and Hismother during the nightand left for Egypt, wherehe stayed until the deathof Herod. And so wasfulfilled what the Lord hadsaid through the prophet:“Out of Egypt I called MySon” (Mt. 2:13-15). The problem comes when

we check out Matthew’s OldTestament source. A casualreading of Hosea 11:1indicates that the prophetwas speaking about thenation of Israel. From anOld Testament perspective,it doesn’t seem that thereare any messianic overtonesin the text. So what gaveMatthew the right to claimthat Jesus’ return from Egyptfulfilled what Hosea said?

The problem looksdifferent in hindsight.Matthew knew Jesus to

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be the Messiah. He knew Him to be all that man wascreated to be. He saw Himas the perfect sacrifice, givingsubstance to the shadow ofpriestly ritual. He saw Himas the conqueror of death.He saw the parallelsbetween Israel and Jesus.Both are spoken of as a sonof God, a chosen servant,and a light to the Gentiles.Both are given roles ofprophet, priest, and king.

Yet Matthew was alsoaware of the differencesbetween Israel and her long-awaited Son. As a nation,Israel had failed repeatedlyin her calling to be a holypeople and a channel ofblessing to the nations.Because of her longing forspiritual self-rule, Israel hadfallen to the oppression ofRoman rule. Matthew waswell-acquainted with thehope-filled messages of theprophets who portrayed aday when Israel as a nationwould be converted and

restored to fulfill her destinyunder the rule of a king fromthe family of David (Isa. 9:6-7; 11:1-16; Jer. 23:1-8; Ezek.36–48). When Matthewwrote his gospel, he believedthat these promises wouldbe fulfilled through JesusChrist. He saw the carpenter

and rabbi from Nazareth asthe individual who did allthat the nation failed to do,making provision for herrestoration.

Jesus is therefore the ideal“Israel,” who experienced inprinciple some of Israel’sexperiences in coming out of Egypt, being tested

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The New Testamentclaims that Jesusfulfilled the law,the rituals, thefestival cycle,

and the historyof Israel.



in the wilderness, and thenshowing the power of God to a watching world.

It is significant, from aNew Testament point ofview, that while Israel was described to Pharaoh as God’s “firstborn son” (Ex. 4:22) and “My son” in Hosea 11:1, Jesus wasdeclared to be God’s “oneand only Son” (Jn. 3:16).Matthew therefore saw Jesusas the perfect Son whowould accomplish all thatIsrael, the imperfect son, hadfailed to achieve. Because ofthis, Matthew could applypassages to Jesus, which intheir context seemed torelate only to Israel.

“Rachel weeping for her children” (Mt. 2:18).

When Herod realized thathe had been outwitted bythe Magi, he was furious,and he gave orders to killall the boys in Bethlehemand its vicinity who weretwo years old and under,

in accordance with thetime he had learned fromthe Magi. Then what wassaid through the prophetJeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard inRamah, weeping andgreat mourning, Rachelweeping for her childrenand refusing to becomforted, because they are no more” (Mt.2:16-18; cp. Jer. 31:15).Here again Matthew

quoted a passage which inits original form seemed togive no hint of messianicprediction. In Jeremiah 31,the prophet spoke ofRamah, a town 5 milesnorth of Jerusalem throughwhich Israelites would passon their way to exile toBabylon. Ramah was alsothe burial place of Rachel,the mother of Joseph(representing the 10 tribes)and Benjamin (representingJudah). Jeremiah figurativelyportrayed Rachel weepingbitterly as the exiles tramped

29



past her tomb on their wayto a strange land. But she istold to cease her weepingbecause there is hope: Boththe 10-tribe kingdom ofEphraim (vv.18-22) andJudah (vv.23-30) wouldrepent and be restored. They would live under anew covenant that would bewritten in their minds andhearts as a converted andforgiven people who wouldnever again becomedisobedient (vv.31-40).

Matthew saw a parallelbetween Rachel’s tears andthe mothers of Bethlehemcrying for their lost children.In both there was reason fortears. Yet, in both cases thegrief of a few would befollowed by the joy of many.

The exile would producea new and transformedIsrael. The heartbreakingdeath of Bethlehem’s infantboys was likewise part of abattle between Messiah andSatan. Herod could order thedeath of infants, but within a

few weeks he himself died.Jesus, on the other hand,had “the power of anindestructible life” (Heb.7:16) and would in time givelife to countless numberswho believed on Him.

“He shall be called aNazarene” (Mt. 2:23).

He went and lived in atown called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through theprophets: “He will becalled a Nazarene” (Mt. 2:23).The controversy with this

passage is that a predictionabout Messiah being calleda Nazarene cannot be foundin the Old Testament. This isnot a problem, however, ifMatthew was referring tonon-biblical prophets whose prophecies have notsurvived. On the other hand,some Christian scholarshave suggested thatMatthew was playing on the similarity of the Hebrewword nezer (translated

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“Branch” or “shoot” in Isa.11:1 and Jer. 23:5) with theGreek nazoraios, heretranslated “Nazarene.”

Nazareth was a despisedcity. Note Nathaniel’sresponse to Philip’sstatement that in Jesus ofNazareth they had foundthe Messiah: “Nazareth!Can anything good comefrom there?” (Jn. 1:46). It is possible, therefore, thatMatthew was thinking of the prophecies of Isaiah andJeremiah when he made thisreference to the prophets.The lowly Shoot (a Branchof the royal line hackeddown to a mere stump) grew up in Nazareth, in a place guaranteed to winHim scorn.

A second possibility isthat by using the plural term “prophets” and thegrammatical construction of an indirect quotation,Matthew was only sayingthat by living in Nazareth,Jesus was fulfilling the many

Old Testament propheciesthat He would be despisedand rejected (see Ps. 22:6-8,13; 69:8,20-21; Isa. 11:1;49:7; 53:2-3,8; Dan. 9:26).

We don’t have all theanswers. There are manymore questions that could beasked about the relationshipbetween the Old and NewTestaments. But I hope thatwhat has been presented inthis booklet has convincedyou that a skeptic cannoteasily dismiss the claims ofNew Testament writers whosaw foreshadowings of Jesusin the Old Testament.

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A skeptic cannoteasily dismiss the claims of

New Testamentwriters who sawforeshadowings of Jesus in the Old Testament.



THE HEART OFTHE MATTER

II know a retired physicianwho, while remaining areligious skeptic

throughout his career,respects people of faith.Some of us who are prayingfor his conversion wereencouraged recently whenhe said he has set aside hisinterest in medicine to seekanswers to life’s ultimatequestions. On the basis ofScriptures like Matthew 7:7and John 7:17, I believe thatif he wants to know Godand do His will, his mindwill be opened, and like C. S. Lewis and otherhonestly seeking skeptics, he will find answers.

The Lord loves honestskeptics. He extends to themthe invitation, “Come now,let us reason together . . . .Though your sins are likescarlet, they shall be aswhite as snow” (Isa. 1:18).He has provided this

complete forgivenessthrough Jesus Christ andlongs to give it to you.

What remains is yourresponse to His invitation. Ifyou are uncertain, ask Godto reveal Himself to you andto show you the truth aboutJesus. He will open youreyes to see that Jesus is theMessiah who died for yoursin and rose from the dead. I urge you to do your part by accepting Him as yourSavior and making Himyour Lord and Master.

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“If anyone choosesto do God’s will,he will find outwhether My

teaching comesfrom God or

whether I speak on My own.”Jesus (Jn. 7:17)



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Questions Skeptics Ask About Messianic Prophecy