How Missionaries Conspire to Conceal the Truth About Isaiah 53

For centuries, missionaries have twisted the words of our holy prophet to push a false agenda. But what does Isaiah 53 really say?

In this powerful video series, Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz, founder of Jews for Judaism Jerusalem, breaks down 5 reasons why missionaries are wrong about Isaiah 53 — and how you can respond with clarity and confidence.

📖 Don’t let deception mislead you!

🧠  Know What to Answer- when someone challenges your faith is a new book by Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz and is now available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/crv9E0L

Video text

Did you know that missionaries often accuse rabbis of conspiring to hide Isaiah 53 from the Jewish people?

Hi, I’m Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz, founder of Jews for Judaism, speaking from Jerusalem.

Missionaries claim that rabbis don’t want you to see Isaiah 53 because at a first glance it appears to speak of the Messiah as a “Suffering Servant” who “dies for the sins of mankind.”

This claim is simply false. The rabbis did not conceal this chapter; it is readily available to anyone who wants to read it. In fact, if anyone is guilty of a conspiracy, it’s Christian missionaries.

Here are five reasons why:

First. Missionaries begin the chapter at Isaiah 53:1, even though the context and the Dead Sea Scrolls show it actually  begins earlier in chapter 52.

Second. They avoid the context, because it clearly shows that chapters 52 and 53 describe how the nations of the world will be astonished when they witness the future redemption of the Jewish people—something they never expected!

Third. They claim the passage can’t refer to the Jewish people because the subject is described with the singular “he.”

However, in the Jewish Bible, the singular is often used to represent the Jewish people collectively, “as one man.” In fact, Isaiah, in earlier chapters, explicitly identifies the servant of God as Israel.

Fourth. In Isaiah 53:8, Christian missionaries mistranslate the Hebrew word lamo (למו)as “he,” when it means “they.” Correctly translated, this verse says, “they were stricken”—referring to the suffering of the Jewish people.

Fifth. To make the chapter sound like someone suffers “for” the sins of mankind, they mistranslate the Hebrew letter mem (מ) in Isaiah 53:5, changing “from” to “for.”
In truth, after witnessing the glorious salvation of the Jewish people, the nations will admit that the Jews suffered from the violence of the nations.

For now, this lesson demonstrates the importance of reading Isaiah in context and with an accurate translation.

In additional videos, I will explain each of these points in more detail.

Thank you for watching.

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