Isaiah 10 and the Messiah
Just before Rosh Hashanah (New Year) in September there was an article in the Jerusalem Post concerning the government elections. The article was about a prophecy written some 40 years ago by the late Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri. Rabbi Kaduri was one of the 5 most venerated Jewish sages of all time, so his words aren’t taken lightly. He died in 2005 at the age of 105 and till his last days called for the Jews of the diaspora to come home to Israel.
The Rabbis…
What Rabbi Kaduri had written is a very accurate assessment of the political condition at this moment in Israel’s history.
“On the eve of the year 5780, the year of corrections, there will not be a government in Israel for an extended period and the various camps will quarrel much without a decision of either side, and then, on Rosh Hashana (the Jewish new year) itself, they will fight in heaven, the holy side against the side of evil, and G-d and His entourage will decide between them. And this is all I can say, and from here I swore not to reveal more secrets and hidden things.”
For the Jerusalem Post to report that the choice of the prime minister and making of a coalition in this election involves intervention from heaven is unusual. There’s more involved than we understand, and Kaduri’s accuracy for the time for an election stalemate confirms it.
Rabbi Kaduri was influenced by a book called, “The Covenant of the Persimmon” written by an ancient Rabbi, Sasson Hai Shoshani, known as the prophet of Egypt. In his book Rabbi Shoshani wrote far in advance of the return of the state about a time of elections with more specifics, accurately naming the candidates.
“There will come the day when two ministers from the kingdom of Israel will be victorious. Both will be named ‘Benjamin’ and neither will succeed in establishing his government and kingdom. On that day, you will know and understand that the king of Moshiach (Messiah) is already standing at the door and on the Shabbat following this, he will be revealed. Realize it and remember it.”
The details of the current political situation are incredibly accurate. The candidates for Prime Minister are Benjamin Netanyahu and Benjamin Gantz. That means if we trust the prophecy to follow through, the time of the coming of the messiah and the establishing of His kingdom is imminent. How long the “Shabbat” is until his coming is an unknown.
The Prophet…
In lieu of the above and the current situation on Israel’s northern borders, Isaiah 10 has a prophetic message that dovetails with the timing of the predictions of Rabbi’s Kaduri and Shoshani.
Isaiah 10 begins by addressing the fallen moral condition of the Jewish nation in Isaiah’s day which brought judgment and eventual dispersion. That happened in 2 stages. The northern kingdom of Israel was removed from the land by the Assyrians in 712 BC and the southern kingdom of Judah was exiled from the land by the Romans in 135 AD to complete the predicted consequence (Is. 6:11-13).
Isaiah 10:5 – 19 prophecies that the Assyrians, who had been used to bring the sword of judgment against Israel, will also see judgment come to their land. Capitals of regional nations are listed that will also be judged. It was the worship of idols that brought judgment against them and Samaria and Jerusalem are included for the same offense.
In the next verses, 20 – 26 there is a predetermined time when a remnant of scattered Israel will return to the land with Jerusalem once again as its capital. The Assyrian will still be an enemy, but not to be feared as God promises to protect and defend Israel and put an end to the opposition of the surrounding nations.
27 It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.
Verse 27 is addressing that time when the remnant has returned and is back in the land. It will be then that anointing will break the burden of invasion from Israel, indicating covenant presence and favor of God (Dt. 28:7).
In verses 28 – 32 the route of attacking nations coming against Israel from the east is revealed. The climactic showdown between the enemy forces gathered against the returned remnant of Israel will be at the city of Jerusalem.
But then in verses 33 – 34 the anointing that will destroy the yoke of verse 27 is revealed.
33 Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, will lop off the bough with terror; those of high stature will be hewn down, and the haughty will be humbled. 34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One.
The Hebrew word for mighty one is addir אדיר. Rashi and Ibn Ezer, two of the top Rabbinic Bible commentators say addir is an angel. But literally addir means a mighty one, so it being an angel is their opinion and open for interpretation.
If we consider the threats to destroy Israel from Hezbollah and Iran that are coming from Lebanon today, the recent return of the remnant of Israel and Islamic claims to Jerusalem; current events fit into Isaiah 10 and the prophetic clock supported by the prophetic accuracy of Rabbi’s Kaduri and Shoshani concerning the coming of the messiah.
Isaiah 9 and 11 are messianic chapters identifying the messiah in detail. In lieu of the present governmental predicament Isaiah 9:5-6 says that the government will be on his, the messiah’s shoulders and that peace and justice in his Davidic kingdom will last forever. In 11:4 it says that he will rule the land with righteousness and destroy his enemies with the breath, or spirit coming from his mouth. He will also be a banner in 11:10-12 for the nations who seek him and to gather the exiled of Israel and Judah back to the land. These verses concur with the present situation of the return of Israel.
What’s next?…
The return of Israel in Isaiah 10 and its struggle against its enemies fits the current situation and the ministry of the messiah in Isaiah 9 and 11. So, can we assume then that the addir, the mighty one of Isaiah 10 is the messiah? Could the messiah of Rabbi Shoshani’s prophecy be the addir, the mighty one of verse 34? Are these the times and events prophesied of that will lead to the return of the messiah?
Though it appears as it is the time we can’t know with complete accuracy. We can however, take these prophetic signs as serious matters for prayer. The remnant of Israel is back in the land and Jerusalem is its capital. The enemies are on our borders waiting for the right time to attack and destroy the Jewish state. Israel needs its anointed messiah to destroy their yoke.
The disciples asked, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
His answer…“It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”
He then anointed them to destroy yokes. “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
These words are still valid for us today. May the Lord grant us the power and anointing of His Holy Spirit at this critical time in history, to destroy yokes and bring the knowledge and reality of the coming kingdom of God to our lands and our peoples, in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and all the world.
49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13
