Tuesday, May 27, 2008

"Proof"-Texts Revealed


Christian claims about 300 Messianic prophecies fulfilled by Jesus are a load of hooey (I'm using a more polite word than the more appropriate one that rhymes with 'hit'). I can say with absolute conviction that there is not one prophecy in the entire Tanach that refers specifically to Jesus. Every single Christian proof-text is either mistranslated, taken out of context, misappropriated or completely invented. I will examine each of these various techniques with a "proof-text".

Mistranslations:

According to Christians, Isaiah 7:14 clearly states that a virgin shall give birth to a son, and they claim that this obviously refer to their virgin-born god, Jesus.
"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (KJV)

This interpretation, however, is fatally flawed. The translators of the King James Version (accidentally?) mistranslated the verse. The correct reading should be:

"Therefore the L-rd Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the young woman is with child, and she shall bear a son, and you [or, she] shall call his name Immanuel."

The Hebrew word that refers to the woman giving birth in this passage is 'ha-almah', which means the young woman, and not 'ha-betulah' which means the virgin. The word 'ha-almah' always refers to a young woman, with no mention of her sexual status.

Proverbs 30:18-19 – "There are three things which are too wonderful for me, indeed, four which I know not; The way of a vulture in the sky; the way of a serpent on a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a [virile] man [(gever)] with a young woman [(bealmah)]."

The only time that "… the way of a [virile] man with a young woman ..." does not leave a trace (i.e., a broken hymen) is if the hymen of the (almah) were already not intact.

Song of Songs 1:3 – "Your anointing oils are fragrant, your name is oil poured out, therefore maidens [alamot)] love you."

The (alamot), young women, loved King Solomon! Don't imagine that their love was simply platonic.

Song of Songs 6:8 – "There are sixty queens, and eighty concubines, and maidens [ (va’alamot)] without number."

60 wives, 80 concubines, and countless (alamot) were listed as being among King Solomon’s lovers.

Let's look at this passage in context. Isaiah prophesized this at the time that the House of Judah was facing a serious military crisis. In 732 BCE, the armies of Pekach, king of Israel, and Retsin, king of Aram, were besieging Jerusalem. Isaiah records that the House of David and King Ahaz were gripped with fear. G-d sent the prophet Isaiah to reassure King Ahaz that divine protection was at hand – G-d would protect him and his kingdom and that their deliverance was assured, and these two hostile armies would fail in their attempt to subjugate Jerusalem. Ahaz asked for a sign from G-d to prove this. The 'ot' or sign which he was given has nothing to do with the mother's virginal status but that the war between the kingdoms would be over before this child (whose imminent birth was foretold in Isaiah 7:14) reaches the age of maturity (“… he knows to reject bad and choose good …”). The pronoun 'ha-almah', meaning the maiden, indicates that the woman was a well-known. It of course refers to King Ahaz's wife. The word 'Behold' in the prophecy teaches us that this prophecy was to come to pass shortly, and not seven-and-a-half centuries in the future. It would hardly be reassuring to King Ahaz that Jesus would be born 750 years later.

Out of context:

Zechariah 13:6- "And [one] shall say unto him, What [are] these wounds in thine hands? then he shall answer, [Those] with which I was wounded [in] the house of my friends." (KJV)

This one must be about Jesus! Jesus had wounds on his hands from his crucifixion and he received them from being betrayed by his friend, Judas. If Christians insist that this verse speaks of Jesus, then who am I to argue with them? Let's look at the passage in context.

Zechariah 13:1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. [2] And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, [that] I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. [3] And it shall come to pass, [that] when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth. [4] And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive: [5] But he shall say, I [am] no prophet, I [am] an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth. [6] And [one] shall say unto him, What [are] these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, [Those] with which I was wounded [in] the house of my friends. (KJV)

Now you understand why I have no problem applying this verse to Jesus. In context, it is clear that the one whose hands are pierced is being punished as a false prophet. Look at how deceptively Christians simply ignored the context and claimed it to prove their god. This is not singular mistake- this is the basis of Christianity!

Misappropriating a non-Messianic prophecy:

Psalms 22:16- "For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet." (KJV)

If we understand this verse from a Christian perspective, the only person in history who ever had their hands and feet pierced was obviously... you guesses it: Jesus H. Christ! One mistake made is that during crucifixion, the hands and feet were not pierced, but the ankles and wrists. More importantly, this is a monumental mistranslation. What you see for the word "pierced" is translated from the Hebrew "ka'ari," which means "like a lion." This word is used again in that very same Psalm:

Psalm 22:21- "Save me from the lion's mouth (ka'ari): for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns." (KJV)

I wonder why Christians would choose to translate 'ka'ari' once as 'pierced' and then later in the same Psalm as 'lion'. It is also odd that 'ka'ari' is translated as 'lion' everywhere else in the KJV. It must be an honest mistake.

The proper translation would be: For dogs have encompassed me; a company of evil-doers have inclosed me; like a lion, they are at my hands and my feet." King David wrote this Psalm describing how his enemies have surrounded him and are attempting to destroy him. (Jewish tradition teaches that this Psalm is written prophetically referring to the time of Esther and Mordechai.) It is a prayer describing David's suffering and pain, and not a Messianic prophecy.

Complete Fabrication:

"And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene." (Matt. 2:23)

This prophecy is nowhere to be found in any of the books of the Prophets or in the entire Torah. Symbolic of Christianity itself, this "prophecy" is a bunch on nothing spun out of the cloth.

Based on all of this, I have a challenge for every single intellectually honest Christian. I ask them to present me with one verse that refers specifically to Jesus and that is not taken out of context, mistranslated or invented. Up for the challenge?

19 comments:

Papa Frank said...

This here would be a fool's challenge as there would be no passage that you would accept no matter how crystal clear. You value the opinion of those who have always sought to discredit christianity and think that non-jews are not capable of interpreting Torah anyway. Therefore, how could there be a passage that you would agree with as in doing so you would have to change your entire line of thinking? This is much like the question: could God make a rock so heavy that He could not lift it? No thanks.

Ralph said...

BK..
"Every single Christian proof-text is either mistranslated, taken out of context,..."

I would be interested in how you view the whole of the text of Isaiah 53 as found in the Septuagint.

viz "Isa 53:1 O Lord, who has believed our report? and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Isa 53:2 We brought a report as of a child before him; he is as a root in a thirsty land: he has no form nor comeliness; and we saw him, but he had no form nor beauty.
Isa 53:3 But his form was ignoble, and inferior to that of the children of men; he was a man in suffering, and acquainted with the bearing of sickness, for his face is turned from us: he was dishonoured, and not esteemed.
Isa 53:4 He bears our sins, and is pained for us: yet we accounted him to be in trouble, and in suffering, and in affliction.
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded on account of our sins, and was bruised because of our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his bruises we were healed.
Isa 53:6 All we as sheep have gone astray; every one has gone astray in his way; and the Lord gave him up for our sins.
Isa 53:7 And he, because of his affliction, opens not his mouth: he was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth.
Isa 53:8 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken away from the earth: because of the iniquities of my people he was led to death.
Isa 53:9 And I will give the wicked for his burial, and the rich for his death; for he practised no iniquity, nor craft with his mouth.
Isa 53:10 The Lord also is pleased to purge him from his stroke. If ye can give an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed:
Isa 53:11 the Lord also is pleased to take away from the travail of his soul, to shew him light, and to form him with understanding; to justify the just one who serves many well; and he shall bear their sins.
Isa 53:12 Therefore he shall inherit many, and he shall divide the spoils of the mighty; because his soul was delivered to death: and he was numbered among the transgressors; and he bore the sins of many, and was delivered because of their iniquities."
(Brenton translation)

which seems to be referring to one individual, and a man at that.

גילוי said...

Ralph,

That passage is translated incorrectly. One small example is verse 5. It says he was harmed "from" our sins, as in the sins directly caused harm. The difference is if a person throws a rock at another: the parents are wounded (on some level) on account of the sin. The person with the wound is harmed from the sin.

This passage is referring to two different concepts on two different levels. One is the people of Israel in general, and another is the Messiah son of Joseph. This is a concept which you do not understand completely, and that is not meant to cause offense. Rest assured that neither of the two allow for the Christian interpretation. The concept of the son of Joseph is not referring to a single person either, it is a spiritual concept that is complicated.

Safiyyah said...

To The Frank Family:

With due respect, no passage from most of the Bibles available today, especially the KJ version, is "crystal clear" unless it is in the original language of the Bible.

Is there an original text of the Bible available for comparison? How many "versions" of the Bible are available in how many languages? This is the problem for Christians. It is not to discredit Christianity per se but to discredit the numerous translations of the Bible that Christians hold up as the "truth".

There is only one Torah in Hebrew.

Some non-Jews are capable of interpreting Torah, but only if they are scholars or orientalists. And they are few. Rabbis and students of knowledge study for years and years to interpet Torah. It is an ongoing effort from the cradle to the grave.

The same problem exists in Islam. Could a non-Muslim, non-Arabic speaking person speak with authority about the Quran? Only one version of it exists also. And as we see from the newspapers lately and from history, even they get it wrong sometimes!

Ralph said...

גילוי
said..."..it is a spiritual concept that is complicated."

Do you mean that it is too complicted for you to explain?

Also, where does Isaiah 53 refer to the "son of Joseph", and to which Joseph do you refer?

It seems to me that the whole chapter is discussing one person.

Papa Frank said...

saffiyah --

There is only one written Torah in hebrew and yet the oral torah has changed and been added on to hundreds of times and was not originally written in hebrew. Also, the words and opinions of various rabbis are received as irrefutable as well. This accounts for the various "versions" of judaism. As for the quran, I have not studied it at all and therefore will remain silent on it.

גילוי said...

Ralph,

I have written numerous essays on the subject, and I have still not covered it all.

This Messiah, son of Joseph, will be the Jew who will be responsible for the fall of Christianity.

See how I just now referred to him as one person? Like I said, it is complicated.

There are 3 levels of this Messiah, one an upper spiritual force, one a lower spiritual force that every Jew can take a part of, and then the 1 in every generation that takes on this role. In addition, there is the one in the end of days who will cause the West to fall. Isaiah 53 refers to both this upper spiritual force, as well as the 1 in every generation. Isaiah 53 mentions "his deaths". How can 1 person die many times?

Ralph said...

גילוי
said..."See how I just now referred to him as one person? Like I said, it is complicated."

I guess that anything simple can be made to appear complicated, if one tries hard enough. Why drag in other elements to a discussion which is centred around one person and consistently refers to 'he', 'him' and 'his'?

'FF' had an interesting comment where he said:-"and yet the oral torah has changed and been added on to hundreds of times and was not originally written in hebrew. Also, the words and opinions of various rabbis are received as irrefutable as well."

From where comes this "Oral Torah" anyway? There is no evidence of it's existence found in Torah. Such a concept even seems to be warned against in:- "Deu 12:32 Every word that I command you this day, it shalt thou observe to do: thou shalt not add to it, nor diminish from it."
(source-Septuagint--Brenton translation)

Ralph said...

גילוי
also said:-
"Isaiah 53 mentions "his deaths".
and
"How can 1 person die many times?"

I have re-read this chapter several times and cannot find any meantion of "his deaths", at least not in my mother tongue of English. (the only one I have)

With regard to "1 person dying many times" I don't think so, especially if you mean more than twice.

גילוי said...

Ralph,

I will not get in to an argument about the Oral Torah with you, as it is a useless conversation.

Verse nine that you have quoted above has a mistake in the translation.

"And the rich for his death" should read deaths. מתיו in Hebrew, the י indicates that it is plural, and ו indicates that it is "his", not "their's". מת is dead or death.

It says in Psalms 25:14 that the secrets of G-d are to those that fear him. It is obvious that there are certain concepts and facts that are not suitable for all souls. As long as one is tainted by Christian ideas, the secrets will stay hidden. Christians seem to have a particular problem with this idea, thinking that any individual can attain the greatest heights of knowledge without any preparation. It is wrong, and a defense that I am needlessly complicating things does not contradict the writer of this Psalm.

The fact is that there are certain Jewish ideas that Christianity has co-opted and distorted in a horrible way, which has caused the true meaning to be hidden, even from Jews. That is because some Jews are unable to see the truth because they are convinced of another correct truth, that Christianity is falsehood.

Isaiah 53 does refer to a suffering Messiah. Sounds like I am giving you ammunition, does it not? But the actual meaning is so far different than the Christian concept that this is immediately defused. These are Kabbalistic concepts which are not to be freely taught to the masses. One who is interested may delve in to the Hebrew writings of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, he talks about this in multiple places in his Kabbalistic works.

Have a good weekend. Here in Jerusalem it will be the Sabbath in a few hours.

Safiyyah said...

The Frank Family said:

"There is only one written Torah in hebrew and yet the oral torah has changed and been added on to hundreds of times and was not originally written in hebrew."

BK: how do you respond to this? Is today's Torah accurate? If what The Frank Family has posted above is true, that does make a difference. I have a link that I will find and post here.

When I came to Islam, I was taught that the Torah as well as the Gospels were indeed revealed from the Almighty, but was taught that both of these books were changed and were thus corrupted by the people, thereby negating their accuracy. I could believe this from the Gospels due to the numerous issues concerning translation, but it always bothered me about the Torah. I never before now understand how it may have been changed.

Safiyyah said...

Here is the link:

http://www.aish.com/literacy/concepts/Writing_the_Torah.asp

Safiyyah said...

Sorry - the last part of the link got cut off. It is:

_Torah.asp

Ralph said...

גילוי said
"It says in Psalms 25:14 that the secrets of G-d are to those that fear him. It is obvious that there are certain concepts and facts that are not suitable for all souls."

I agree with you and one could say your conclusion is self evident.
However you also said:-
"As long as one is tainted by Christian ideas, the secrets will stay hidden."
which I believe is negated by:-
"Isa 66:2 For all these things are mine, saith the Lord: and to whom will I have respect, but to the humble and meek, and the man that trembles at my words?"
(source-Septuagint-Brenton)

If you believe that humility and meekness coupled with a trembling at the words of our creator is the exclusive privilege of the adherents of Judaism then I think you are sadly mistaken. The "man who trembles at my word" can be a Jew, ie.a descendent of Judah, or a Benjamite, or a Levite, or a Greek, or an Ethiopian, a Reubenite or even an Ephraimite; ANY man. I really don't think that Judaism has a monopoly of the truth, even though it's adherents seem to think they do!

You also said:-
"That is because some Jews are unable to see the truth because they are convinced of another correct truth, that Christianity is falsehood."
and I don't comprehend your meaning.

Just to satisfy my curiosity I would like to ask ask, are you a Rabbi?

For what it's worth, it is now 8:05AM Sunday, local time, and our Sabbath was over several hours ago. Sunset here was at 5:10PM yesterday.

גילוי said...

Ralph,

No I am not a rabbi.

I do not believe the truth of Torah's secrets depends on tribal affiliation in any way. I do believe, however, that understanding them correctly has to do with the approach to Torah. The Christian approach is wrong, therefore the truth is hidden to its adherents. As long as a Christian maintains faulty ideas about the Deity, sin and repentence, relation to G-d's commands, etc, it will forever remain out of reach.

It is due to this lack of understanding that leads to a lack of understanding about the true nature of the Messiah. This will cause the West to come up arrogantly to attack Israel, with the Messiah at its headm in the next War of Gog and Magog. This will be the West's fall.

Ralph said...

גילוי

you wrote..
"The Christian approach is wrong,..."
and I suppose you still refer to the Roman system which is not true Christianity at all. How can it be? Some believe in a Christ who was crucified on a Friday while others believe in a Christ who was crucified on a Wednesday. They can't both be right.

also:-
"This will cause the West to come up arrogantly to attack Israel, with the Messiah at its headm in the next War of Gog and Magog. This will be the West's fall."

and I wonder to whom you refer when you nominate "the West". I take it that the "Gog and Magog" is as described in Ezek 38? And what do you mean by "with the Messiah at its headm"?

גילוי said...

I don't need to differentiate which system. I mean the religion that teaches that a Jew was crucified for your sins nearly 2000 years ago. Some elevate this man to a deity, which is obvious idolatry. Some others seem to find a problem with that, so they pick and choose from Christian works and try to create a new religion based on the same perversions of teachings. The entire Christian Testament needs to be thrown out as a first step to approaching truth.

The Messiah will be the head of the nation of Israel, literally. As in, when the West decides to come up against war, their threats will be made to our head of state, the Messiah.

The West is the spiritual descendant of Esau, the brother of Jacob. When Jacob rises, Esau falls. Esau has two subgroupings that have propogated throughout the West: Christianity and Secularism. Two sides of one coin. Both will fall.

Ralph said...

גילוי said
"The Messiah will be the head of the nation of Israel, literally. As in, when the West decides to come up against war, their threats will be made to our head of state, the Messiah."

and
"Esau has two subgroupings that have propogated throughout the West: Christianity and Secularism."

Are you saying that the Gog and Magog of Ezek 38 are Christianity and Secularism and that the Messiah will, prior to that time, be an elected human leader of the State of Israel?

גילוי said...

There are 3 wars of Gog and Magog. The next stage is against the West, the last against the sons of Yishmael.

I didn't get in to how Moshiach would come to be the head of the nation; it doesn't really concern me or arouse my interest.

We are now far off topic. Let this conversation end here. If you really feel compelled, you can contact me at the address on my profile.

Be well.