The Book of Isaiah through Jewish eyes

I believe that now is the time to place in front of Christian readers the traditional Jewish way of understanding the Isaiah, his writings, his language, his times and his visions for the future.

By ISRAEL ROSENBERG
Isaiah: End Times and Messiah in Judaism by Israel Rosenberg (photo credit: Courtesy)
Isaiah: End Times and Messiah in Judaism by Israel Rosenberg
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Isaiah: End Times and Messiah in Judaism is an unusual creation – a book written by a Jew about Jewish theology, designed specifically for Christians curious about Judaism.
I have a magical job. I work as a tour guide at the Western Wall tunnels, an underground archaeological museum in the Old City of Jerusalem. Integral to my work day is the privilege of greeting thousands of visitors each week, many of them Christians of multiple denominations, from all over the world. In my daily routine, I often have a few moments to chat with people.
People catch on quickly that I enjoy talking about my faith and our Jewish national history. Often, we get to discussing the traditional Jewish way of seeing things. As I am a religious Orthodox Jew, I wear a woolen undergarment affixed with tassels of white and azure blue threads. Non-Jewish visitors to the tunnels often look at me wide-eyed and ask: “What are those?” I explain that they are tzitzit, ritual fringes that are a fulfillment of the biblical commandment described in the Book of Numbers (15:37–41). They remind us of our commitment to serving God.
Within a few moments, I find myself explaining to them that Hebrew, the language of the prophets of the Bible, returned some one hundred years ago as a spoken, living language for the Jews of Israel, after a hiatus of nearly 2,000 years. I mention that many of the best-known English-language translations of the Bible are not fully current, since they do not take into consideration the meaning of the Hebrew words in today’s modern language spoken by millions of Israelis and Jews around the world.
I told this to a pair of young, smiling American Protestant pastors who were waiting with their flock of Christian pilgrims for their tour of the tunnels. They were amazed to think that the original language of the Bible is in many ways the same language spoken by 9,000,000 Israelis today. I showed them the Hebrew verses of the Book of Isaiah on my phone. They were so intrigued, they snapped pictures of my phone displaying the original Hebrew text of the prophet’s words.
We talked further. Soon it became apparent that though we use the same terms, such as Messiah and redemption – we have completely different contexts for understanding such words. And this made me think: might it not be useful to put on the table for the English-speaking Christian world – clearly and for all to see for what might be the first time in 2,000 – the traditional Jewish way of understanding these ideas? And why not use the prophecies of the Book of Isaiah as a platform for expressing and explaining these concepts?
My pastor friends liked the idea. And as a result, Isaiah: End Times and Messiah in Judaism came into being.
Over the years, little has been written specifically for the general Christian public about the Jewish understandings of the Messiah and the end-of-days redemption of Israel and the world. With the creation of the State of Israel and the flourishing of Jewish learning here, these issues can now be presented in a clear way, suitable for Jews and non-Jews alike.
The Book of Isaiah is perhaps the most expressive and literary work of the prophets. Isaiah’s book, according to Jewish tradition written some 2,700 years ago in First-Temple-period Jerusalem, is a singularly rich source of the Jewish understanding of the end times and the Messiah.
I believe that now is the time to place in front of Christian readers the traditional Jewish way of understanding the Isaiah, his writings, his language, his times and his visions for the future.
But please be aware: I am not seeking an argument with anyone. Christians of all denominations have their own traditional and fully-developed way of viewing the words and ideas of the ancient prophet. These views are special, having been developed over the generations by people who cared deeply for Isaiah and his message. The goal here is to broaden the understanding of and appreciation for this giant prophet who speaks to the Jewish nation and all humankind alike.
The writer is a Boston-born author and technical writer who works at the Western Wall tunnels in the Old City and lives in Jerusalem with his Israeli-born wife and their four children. His book, ‘Isaiah: End Times and Messiah in Judaism,’ is due to be published by Gefen Publishing House in 2020.