Was Matt 12 fulfilled?

Mat 12:15  But יהושע, knowing it, withdrew from there. And large crowds followed Him, and He healed them all,
Mat 12:16  and warned them not to make Him known,
Mat 12:17  in order that what was spoken by Yeshayahu the prophet, might be filled, saying,
Mat 12:18  “See, My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My being did delight. I shall put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall declare right-ruling to the nations.
Mat 12:19  “He shall not strive nor cry out, nor shall anyone hear His voice in the streets.
Mat 12:20  “A crushed reed He shall not break, and smoking flax He shall not quench, till He brings forth right-ruling forever.1 Footnote: 1This is according to the Shem-Tob Hebrew text. However, this passage is a quote from Isa. 42:1-3 where it reads right-ruling unto truth.

Isa 42:1  “See, My Servant whom I uphold, My Chosen One My being has delighted in! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He brings forth right-ruling to the nations. 

Isa 42:2  “He does not cry out, nor lifts up His voice, nor causes His voice to be heard in the street. 

Isa 42:3  “A crushed reed He does not break, and smoking flax He does not quench. He brings forth right-ruling in accordance with truth. 

Isa 42:4  “He does not become weak or crushed, until He has established right-ruling in the earth. And the coastlands wait for His Torah.” 

Isa 42:5  Thus said the Ěl, יהוה, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it: 

Isa 42:6  “I am the Lord; I called you with righteousness and I will strengthen your hand; and I formed you, and I made you for a people's covenant, for a light to the nations.

Once again we are up against the context that is in Isaiah.  Is Isaiah speaking about a suffering servant, as in an individual?  Or, is the context referring to the first born, Israel as being the suffering servant?  The entire context from Isaiah 41 through to Isaiah 54 is extremely important in answering the above question.  

Isa 41:8  “But you, Yisra’ĕl, are My servant, Yaʽaqoḇ, whom I have chosen, the descendants of Aḇraham My friend, 

Isa 41:9  whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest parts, and said to You, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not rejected you. 

Isa 43:10  “You are My witnesses,” declares יהוה, “And My servant whom I have chosen, so that you know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no Ěl formed, nor after Me there is none. 

Isa 43:11  “I, I am יהוה, and besides Me there is no saviour. 

Isa 43:12  “I, I have declared and saved, and made known, and there was no foreign mighty one among you. And you are My witnesses,” declares יהוה, “that I am Ěl. 

Isa 44:1  “But now hear, O Yaʽaqoḇ My servant, and Yisra’ĕl whom I have chosen. 

Isa 44:2  Thus said יהוה who made you and formed you from the womb, who helps you, ‘Do not fear, O Yaʽaqoḇ My servant, and Yeshurun1, whom I have chosen. Footnote: 1A poetical title for Yisra’ĕl, meaning the Straight One or the Upright One. This poetical title is also found in Dt. 32:15, 33:5 & 33:26. 

Isa 44:3  ‘For I pour water on the thirsty, and floods on the dry ground. I pour My Spirit on your seed, and My blessing on your offspring, 

Isa 44:4  and they shall spring up among the grass like willows by streams of water.’ 

Isa 44:5  “One says, ‘I belong to יהוה; another calls himself by the name of Yaʽaqoḇ; another writes with his hand, ‘Unto יהוה,’ and names himself by the name of Yisra’ĕl.

Isa 44:21  “Remember these matters, O Yaʽaqoḇ, and Yisra’ĕl, for you are My servant! I have formed you, you are My servant, O Yisra’ĕl, do not forget Me! 

Isa 45:4  ‘For the sake of Yaʽaqoḇ My servant, and of Yisra’ĕl My chosen, I also call you by your name, I give you a title, though you have not known Me. 

There are many more chapters and verses that clearly tell us who the suffering servant is.  This will suffice for now.  However, another question.  When is right ruling supposed to be given to all the nations?   

Did JC deliver right ruling to all the nations?  If not then this passage of Is. has not been fulfilled.

What is to happen in the future concerning the nations?  

1.  The term from v. 6 a light to the nations, is one that is unique to the book of Isaiah.  According to the prophets the Jewish people hold a unique position among the nations.  They have been given the special assignment of being mentors to the rest of the world.  They are to give spiritual and moral guidance.  When HaShem brings the people back to the land He has promised, then the rest of the world will have their eyes opened and look to the people of Israel.  It is only then the rest of the world will see and recognize the unique role of the Jewish people (Is. 42,  49, and 60).  That which the Jewish people proclaim in their Shema (Deut 6), will one day be recognized by the entire world. 

Zec 14:9  And יהוה shall be Sovereign over all the earth1. In that day there shall be one יהוה, and His Name one. Footnote: 1Isa. 24:23, Dan. 2:44,

Zec 8:23  “Thus said יהוה of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all languages of the nations take hold, yea, they shall take hold of the edge of the garment of a man, a Yehuḏite1, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that Elohim is with you.”

Jer 16:19  O יהוה, my strength and my stronghold and my refuge, in the day of distress the gentiles shall come to You from the ends of the earth and say, “Our fathers have inherited only falsehood, futility, and there is no value in them.”1 Footnote: 1See Ps. 147:19, Isa. 2:3, Isa. 60:2-3

Context speaks loudly when dealing with Isaiah 53

Mat 8:16  And when evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,
Mat 8:17  that it might be filled what was spoken by Yeshayahu the prophet, saying, “He Himself took our weaknesses and bore our sicknesses.”

Isa 53:4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

The context of Isaiah 53: does not support the premise that this refers to a messiah.  This chapter is not messianic at all.  The church has not done its homework here.  The church rips this chapter of Isaiah completely out of it's context in order to promote the idea that Jesus was and is the Messiah.

There are other things that are also taken out of this chapter in order to promote the church's idea of messiah and we will get to those when we tackle the other fulfillment texts.  So first let us take a look at the whole context of Isaiah 53.  In order to do that we must go back several chapters.

It is important to remember when Isaiah wrote his book there were no chapter and verse designations.

CONTEXT:
The main question is that of who is the suffering servant that Isaiah is referring to?

We are able to see from the context that Isaiah is referring to Israel as the suffering servant.

At the beginning of the chapter the ones who are speaking are the nations leaders.

Isa 52:15  So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. Isa 53:1  Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

The immediate context of Isaiah 53 starts in 52:12  Isa 52:12  For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward.  This is clearly talking about the children of Israel.  Just following our chapter is this:  Isa 54:1  Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. 

this verse too is accepted to be talking about Israel.

There are 4 servant songs in the broader context of Isaiah 53

Isa 41:8  But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. 

Isa 41:9  Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. 

Isa 44:1  Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: 

Isa 44:21  Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. 

So

Isa 48:20  Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob. 

Isa 49:3  And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. 

Why if in the broader context Isaiah is always referring to Israel as the suffering servant would he suddenly change in chapter 53 and say that it is now the messiah?

If chapter 53 is not the messiah but Israel, how are we to understand verses 4-5?

We must understand that the Hebrew in Isaiah 52 and 53 was tampered with by the translators in order to push ahead their point.  In chapter 52:4-5 the singular references to Israel were changed into the plural.  In chapter 53 the plural references to Israel were changed to singular.  If you do not read Hebrew, the original language find someone who does and ask that these be translated for you.  To mistranslate this passage would lead one to false conclusions.  Here in verses 4 and 5 the words ובחברתו נרפא־לנו׃  have been translated to say:  "with his wounds we are healed".  This is in the present tense.  Correctly translated we find that they should read "we were healed"  The nations, in astonishment are speaking of the suffering that Israel has already endured.  Being in the past tense this could not possibly be speaking of Jesus in the New Testament.  When Isaiah is speaking about the Children of Israel he is not speaking concerning a singular person or coming messiah who has already taken and born the chastisement of the nations.  Rather it was Israel who has born this and the leaders of the nations are waking up to realize they have been mislead all along.

Garden Pictures

 I have a couple of daughters who delight in taking pictures.  Here are a select few they have taken of the garden this year.  I hope you all have as much delight in looking as we have had in tasting.

Verb tenses carry meaning.

Mat 4:13  And leaving Natsareth, He came and dwelt in Kephar Naḥum, which is by the sea, in the borders of Zeḇulun and Naphtali,
Mat 4:14  to fill what was spoken by Yeshayahu the prophet, saying,
Mat 4:15  “Land of Zeḇulun and land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Yardĕn, Galil of the gentiles –
Mat 4:16  the people who sat in darkness saw a great light, and upon those who sat in the land and shadow of death, light arose to them.”1 Footnote: 1Isa. 9:1-2.

New American Standard.
9:2-4  The people who WALK in darkness WILL SEE a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light WILL shine on them.  Thou SHALT multiply the nation, thou SHALT increase their gladness; they WILL be glad in Thy presence as with the gladness of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.  For Thou SHALT break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, AS AT THE BATTLE OF MIDIAN.

The Jewish Translation.
The people who WALKED in darkness, HAVE SEEN a great light; those who dwell in the land of the shadow of death, light HAS shone upon them.  You HAVE aggrandized this nation; you HAVE magnified the joy for them; they HAVE rejoiced over You like the joy of the harvest, as they rejoice when they divide spoils.  For the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of the one who oppressed him HAVE You broken, AS ON THE DAY OF MIDIAN.


The 9th chapter of Isaiah concerns a past event in the life of King Hezekiah.  This event can be found in 2 Kings 19:15.  The verb tenses in this chapter are all past tense.  Some modern day translations change the verb tense to that of being future tense to allow for a futuristic messiah.  Isaiah
 here was recounting the miraculous salvation by the Hand of G-d in taking away the imminent destruction of Jerusalem, at the hands of the Assyrian empire.  The 10 Northern tribes had already succumbed to Assyria and had been taken away.
   Hezekiah had gone to the temple to pray and seek Hashem for the salvation of his people.  It was only through divine intervention that Jerusalem and Hashem's people could be saved.  This passage has nothing to do with a future messiah.  The verb tense does not support a future event that Matthew claims is fulfilled.

Something to think about.
What makes it right to change verb tenses from what the original says to something that it does not say?  Is this not tampering with the very Word of Hashem?  Could this practice not lead people to make wrong conclusions and then perhaps lead them astray.  Could this practice even lead to false doctrines and teachings?  I think we need to be very careful and search and seek truth.  Perhaps those who translated the original Hebrew had purposes that were not altogether wholesome.

Until next time.  thank you for visiting and please continue to seek truth.

The Prophets Said What?

Mat 2:23  and came and dwelt in a city called Natsareth – thus to fill what was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Natsarene.”

For this segment of the fulfilled passages I would like you to do some of the looking for yourself.  Call yourself a Scripture detective. 

Start perhaps with a concordance and find where in the entire Old Testament the word Nazareth occurs.  From there you can narrow down your search to the books of the prophets as Matthew has already declared for us that it was spoken by the prophets.  While you are looking for this particular passage I have downloaded some music for your enjoyment.

Well I hope I have given you plenty of time for your search.  If your search was like mine you will come up with absolutely nothing.  The prophets have said nothing at all that sounds like what Matthew is trying to tell you. and notice Matthew has said prophets plural and not singular.