What about Isaiah 52?

Question

What city is Isaiah talking about in chapter 52? The city of Jerusalem as we know it today or the "Holy City" that will come down from the skies one day, the Holy City of God? And to what Servant does he refer? One who was "high up and most exalted", whose face was so changed that no one could recognize Him, his figure being "so disfigured beyond that of any man"; remember that He did something no one else could have done.

Answer 1

Hello;

Isaiah is talking about Jesus Christ. The holy city he speaks about is Jerusalem, in Israel. Jesus was and is exalted, and extolled, and be very high. Jesus stepped down from His throne in heaven, where He had always been at the right hand of the Father. He took upon Himself a human form, so that He could be tempted the same as you and I. Except He never sinned.

He was as you mentioned, disfigured beyond that of any man. As it says in vs. 3; " He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted."

He received a beating at the hands of the Romans that was so vicious and cruel, that no one could recognized Him.

Yes, as you mentioned, He did something no one else could have done. He was crucified, died and rose again on the third day. His blood cleanses us from all sin. He is now our advocate in heaven. The Father cannot look at our sins, except through the blood of Jesus. Our sins are as if they never existed.

We are the most fortunate of all of God's creation.The angels of heaven, cannot sing. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. That saved a retch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind, but now I see.

Answer 2

Keep in mind, the book of Isaiah is filled with prophesy. Even the plan of salvation is prophesied in Isaiah.

What Isaiah 52 says, "put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city:"..............This is a prophesy about the things to come in the book of Reveleation.

In the book of Revelation, 21: it says, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 21:2 And I John Saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

That servant, the one who was barely recognizable as a man, is the Lord, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the savior of the world, the way he looked after being beaten, his beard plucked out, beaten with a "cat- o -nine-tails, then hung upon the cross to die.

Just as the scriptures foretold, not a bone was broken on his body. They usually broke the legs of those being crucified so as to hasten
their death.

For those of you who don't believe, just as we have history books to tell all about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, etc., so do we have history books telling of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Answer 3

The Holy City come down.
The Servant is Jesus Christ.
Jesus was beaten and nailed to the cross and unrecognizable. Only Jesus could take away the sins of the world. Only Jesus will bring forth the Salvation of our God. For they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. The Lord will redeem Jerusalem.

Answer 4

Jehovah, through Isaiah, calls out to His beloved city, Zion: “Wake up, wake up, put on your strength, O Zion! Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For no more will there come again into you the uncircumcised and unclean one. Shake yourself free from the dust, rise up, take a seat, O Jerusalem. Loosen for yourself the bands on your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.” (Isaiah 52:1, 2) Because her inhabitants have provoked Jehovah’s anger, Jerusalem has lain desolate for 70 years. (2 Kings 24:4; 2 Chronicles 36:15-21; Jeremiah 25:8-11; Daniel 9:2) Now it is time for her to wake up from her long period of inactivity and don the beautiful garments of liberty. Jehovah has moved the heart of Cyrus to free the “captive daughter of Zion” so that the former inhabitants of Jerusalem and their offspring can leave Babylon, return to Jerusalem, and restore true worship. No uncircumcised and unclean ones must be found in Jerusalem.—Ezra 1:1-4.

These words of Isaiah also have a fulfillment on the Christian congregation. The congregation of anointed Christians can be described as the modern-day “daughter of Zion,” since “Jerusalem above” is their mother. Set free from pagan teachings and apostate doctrines, the anointed must maintain a clean standing before Jehovah, no, not by being circumcised in the flesh, but by being circumcised in their hearts. (Jeremiah 31:33; Romans 2:25-29) This includes maintaining spiritual, mental, and moral cleanness before Jehovah.—1 Corinthians 7:19; Ephesians 2:3.

True, “Jerusalem above” has never disobeyed Jehovah. During the first world war, however, her representatives on earth—anointed Christians—unwittingly broke Jehovah’s law because they did not properly understand true Christian neutrality. Losing divine favor, they came into spiritual captivity to “Babylon the Great,” the world empire of false religion. (Revelation 17:5) Their condition of being in slavery climaxed in June 1918 when eight staff members of the Watch Tower Society were imprisoned on false charges, including conspiracy. At that point the organized preaching of the good news virtually stopped. In 1919, however, a clarion call to spiritual wakefulness was sounded forth. Anointed Christians began to separate themselves more completely from the moral and spiritual uncleanness of Babylon the Great. They rose from the dust of captivity, and “Jerusalem above” came to have the splendor of a “holy city” where spiritual uncleanness is not allowed.

Answer 5

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord: Hosannah
Jew and Gentile shall see eye to eye:

52:7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, and that preacheth peace: of him that showeth forth good, that preacheth salvation, that saith to Sion: Thy God shall reign!

52:8. The voice of thy watchmen: they have lifted up their voice, they shall praise together: for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall convert Sion.


52:9. Rejoice, and give praise together, O ye deserts of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people: he hath redeemed Jerusalem.


52:10. The Lord hath prepared his holy arm in the sight of all the Gentiles: and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

For Christ shall reign at His Right Hand:until all of His enemies are placed beneath His feet

52:13. Behold my servant shall understand, he shall be exalted, and extolled, and shall be exceeding high.

52:14. As many have been astonished at thee, so shall his visage be inglorious among men, and his form among the sons of men.

52:15. He shall sprinkle many nations, kings shall shut their mouth at him: for they to whom it was not told of him, have seen: and they that heard not, have beheld.

God's Promise to Israel:

54:6. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and mourning in spirit, and as a wife cast off from her youth, said thy God.

54:7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee.

Christ also promises that the meek shall inherit the earth, and that His Kingdom shall come from within. Many mysteries to see fulfilled and very exciting for the children of God.

Answer 6

The city is "New Jerusalem"
The servant is the slave who is doing God's will.
We are that slave.
The face is changed becaue we number in the millions.

Answer 7

Isreal.

Answer 8

There is suffering that ensues, not from divine judgment, but from the evil committed by man. "My people went down at first into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause" (Isaiah 52:4). We see that the sufferings of the Jewish people are not a reflection of its failures, but of the failures of humankind. One may be faithful to God and still suffer persecution. Of this the psalmist writes:

All this came upon us yet we have not forgotten You, and we have not been false to Your covenant. Our heart has not turned back, nor has our footstep strayed from Your path. Even when You crushed us in the place of serpents, and covered us with the shadow of death. Have we forgotten the Name of our God, or spread out our hands to a strange god? Is it not so that God can examine this, for He knows the secrets of the heart. Because for Your sake we are killed all the time, we are considered as sheep for the slaughter. Awake, why do You sleep, O my Lord? Arouse Yourself, forsake not forever. Why do You conceal Your face, do You forget our affliction and our oppression? (Psalms 44:17-24)

LITERARY DEVICE?

One may posit that the repetition is a literary device employed for emphasis. Such usage is common. (See this week's Haftorah for four examples of such usage: Isaiah 51:12,17 52:1,11). However, the word "pursue" implies an ongoing endeavor, a striving to succeed. Why would the repetition be necessary in addition to this very strong term?

The Talmud addresses both parts of the phrase:

Our Rabbis taught: Justice, justice shall you pursue means, "You shall follow an eminent Court of Justice." (Sanhedrin 32b)

The word which the Talmud is focusing on is "pursue." How does one pursue justice? By finding a superior tribunal. The Talmud adds a proactive prescription:

Our Rabbis taught: Justice, justice shall you pursue, means, "Follow the scholars to their academies." (Sanhedrin 32b)

The message here is that the best way to avoid the necessity for justice to be meted out by the courts is to obtain a quality education. Both of these Talmudic comments expound on the word "pursue." This tradition is mirrored in the words of Rashi (based on the Sifri):

Go after a good court. (Rashi 16:20)

However, we are still mystified regarding the meaning of the doubling of the word "justice." The explanations which we have seen up to this point would still apply had the verse read, "Justice pursue" or, "Pursue justice." On the same page the Talmud cites another teaching, which directly addresses this point:

R. Ashi said: "Justice, justice you shall pursue, the first [mention of justice] refers to a decision based on strict law; the second, to a compromise."(Sanhedrin 32b)

Here we find the Talmud directly discussing the repetition of "justice." The suggestion of the Talmud is fascinating: there are, in fact, two types of justice: strict law, and compromise.


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STREET JUSTICE

The Talmud further illustrates the principle with the following example:

How so? For example: Where two boats sailing on a river meet, if both attempt to pass simultaneously, both will sink, whereas, if one makes way for the other, both can pass [without mishap]. Likewise, if two camels meet each other while on the ascent to Beth-Horon; if they both ascend [at the same time] both may tumble down [into the valley]; but if [they ascend] after each other, both can go up [safely]. How then should they act? If one is laden and the other unladen, the latter should give way to the former. If one is nearer [to its destination] than the other, the former should give way to the latter. If both are [equally] near or far [from their destination], make a compromise between them, the one [which is to go forward] compensating the other [which has to give way]. (Sanhedrin 32b)

The "justice" described here is situational, subjective. The locale is not the pristine courts of law but the mundane rivers and streets. Here, too, justice must be pursued. Finding equitable solutions to complex practical situations is part and parcel of the pursuit of justice.

When the modern State of Israel was established, the first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, posed the following question to various rabbis: "How does a modern secular state coexist with the religious community, which bases its existence on different values and laws?"


Points of conflict between Jews can be resolved based on the Talmudic passage cited here.

The Chazon Ish, arguably the most eminent rabbi of his age, responded that points of conflict could be resolved based on the Talmudic passage cited above. "When two camels meet at a narrow ledge, we must look, which of the two have been traveling longer and bearing a greater burden." The Chazon Ish concluded that this analogy certainly applies to the religious community, and that the State should therefore "step aside and respect those values carried for millennia."

We have seen the opinion that the repetition of "justice" point to different types of justice, "strict law" and "compromise." There is an alternative approach to the two types of justice, found in the writings of Rabbenu Nissim of Gerondi. In order to understand his position, let us consider a passage of Talmud he cited:

Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya'akov said: "I have heard that the court may ... pronounce sentences even where not [warranted] by the Torah; yet not with the intention of disregarding the Torah but [on the contrary] in order to safeguard it." (Sanhedrin 46a)

The teaching in the Talmud is most surprising -- how can the court punish in a manner contrary to its own rules? The mandate of the court is to judge according to the rules laid down in the Torah, and there can be no extenuating considerations for a court, which must uphold the law. Or could there be?


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CHECKS AND BALANCES

In Biblical times, there was, according to Rabbenu Nissim, a system of checks and balances revolving around the king. The monarch in ancient Israel had a mandate to impose sentences outside of the normal legal establishment.

The reason for empowering the king in this way was to safeguard the spirit of the law from being trampled by strict adherence to the letter of the law. The mandate of the courts was to uphold the letter of the law, while the mandate of the king was to uphold the spirit of the law.

This dichotomy created a wonderful, balanced whole. When the courts functioned as an autonomous arm of the legal system, adhering to and enforcing every law, the danger still existed that things might "fall between the cracks." In such cases, the king would act, guaranteeing that the spirit of the law remained intact.

This system, though, has a built-in danger. By definition, the role of the king was antinomian. What prevented the king from abusing this awesome power?


The very person empowered to break the law must hold the Torah near and dear.

Rabbenu Nissim presents a beautiful image in answer to this question. We know that there is a law that the king must carry a Torah scroll with him at all times. Rabbenu Nissim explains that the very person empowered to break the law must hold the Torah near and dear. The kings of Israel were therefore commanded to hold the Torah with them at all times, as a reminder of what was at stake.

This analysis, interesting as it may be, does not seem to provide any insight into the passage cited above in the name of Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya'akov concerning unusual measures taken by the courts.

Rabbenu Nissim explains that the Talmud is describing the situation after the abolishment of the monarchy. In the absence of the king, the role of the king reverted to the courts. Then the courts wore two hats, of upholders of the letter of the law and of safeguarders of the spirit of the law.

When a case ended according to the normative, prescribed process, the judges had to ask themselves a new question: "Was justice served?" If the answer was negative, the judges assumed the role of the king, and sought out the spirit of the law.

Again, the people entrusted with this task were those with the greatest affinity for the Torah and its values.
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Answer 9

god is 666

Answer 10

it is what it is