An examination of the names for the Messiah from the biblical text. Do they apply to Yeshua (Jesus)?
The verse below is Isaiah 9:5 in the Hebrew masoretic text,
and Isaiah 9:6 in the English Bible. The English
rendition of Isaiah 9:5 is a recent rabbinic translation of the
Hebrew masoretic text directly from Hebrew to
English. Below the Hebrew is Isaiah 9:6 from the NASB translation.
Isaiah 9:5 (rabbinic translation) For
to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government
is upon his shoulder; and
his name shall be called "Wonderful counsellor of the mighty
God, of the everlasting Father, of the Prince of peace."
Isaiah 9:6 (NASB translation) For a
child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the
government will rest on his shoulders;
and His name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty
God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."
The differences between the two English translations of the
verse above, shows a different understanding of the verse. Christians
use Isaiah 9:6 as a proof text that Yeshua (Jesus) was one and
the same with the Eternal Father (God). The rabbinic translation
doesn't take away from the person described, but states that
he is "Wonderful counselor of the mighty God". What
man or
woman could be called a counselor to God? The person described
in the verse is counselor to God, yet he is born as a child
here on earth. It may even be that the correct understanding
is midway between the two translations, such as:
Isaiah 9:5 ......His name shall be called: "Wonderful counselor of the mighty God, the eternal Father; he is the Prince of Peace."
This midway translation recognizes the mighty God as the eternal
Father, and the person described in the verse is the
Wonderful counselor to God, and he is the Prince of Peace. The
matrix below seeks to answer the question on whether
Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah, and whether he is the Wonderful
Counselor. Also, whether he is the Prince of Peace,
the Branch (from Zechariah 6:12-13, who will build the Temple
when He comes), the King, and the High Priest. The Christian
understanding is that the Messiah is the coming King, High Priest,
and Prophet; all in one person.
Meanwhile, the Jewish understanding of the Messiah is somewhat
different. That belief is that the Messiah is a man
born here on the earth and that he will fulfill the prophecies,
but that he is still be a man and not God. It's a good gig if
you
can get it, to be a normal man, and yet be the Messiah and rule
over the earth for 1000 years.
The matrix report takes these names from Isaiah 9:5/6 and
shows them in one matrix, along with the titles from
Zechariah 6:12-13 (Branch, king, priest, prophet). Notice that
the term, "He will rule" without the yud at the
beginning is melekh, which is the word for king. Also, the term
for "salvation" (yeshu'ah), is the same spelling for
Yeshua (Jesus) if we drop off the "hey" at the end.
Finally, Elohim is the word for God (the plural form, with El
being the singular form of the word for God).
