A Divine Messiah That Suffers and Reigns! Pt. 3

I resume my analysis https://islamunmasked.com/2018/12/23/a-divine-messiah-that-suffers-and-reigns-pt-2/.

In this section, I take a look at what the Psalms have to say regarding the coming Messianic Ruler.

Here’s what the Holy Spirit inspired David,

“Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and HIS word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” 2 Samuel 23:1-3

“For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.” Mark 12:36

“Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.” Acts 1:16

“Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.” 1 Peter 1:10-12

To write about the coming Messiah:

“A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord (Adoni), Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. The Lord (Adonay) at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of HIS wrath. HE shall judge among the heathen, HE shall fill the places with the dead bodies; HE shall wound the heads over many countries. HE shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall HE lift up the head.” Psalm 110:1-7

And:

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed (mashicho), saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” Psalm 2:1-12

Note what Rashi wrote concerning this Psalm:

Why have nations gathered: Our Sages (Ber. 7b) expounded the passage as referring to the King Messiah, but according to its apparent meaning, it is proper to interpret it as referring to David himself, as the matter is stated (II Sam. 5:17): “And the Philistines heard that they had anointed David as king over Israel, and all the Philistines went up to seek, etc.,” and they fell into his hands. Concerning them, he says, “Why have nations gathered,” and they all gathered. (The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16223#showrashi=true)

And the following rabbinic quotation applies the prophecies of Psalm 2:7-8, 110:1, Isaiah 52:13 and Daniel 7:13-14 to the Messiah:

9. I will declare of the decree of the Lord. He said unto me: ‘Thou art My son’(Ps. 2:7): The children of Israel are declared to be sons in the decree of the Law, in the decree of the Prophets, and in the decree of the Writings: In the decree of the Law it is written Thus saith the Lord: Israel is My son, My first-born(Ex. 4:22). In the decree of the Prophets it is written Behold My servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high (Isa. 52:13), and it is also written Behold My servant, whom I uphold: Mine elect, in whom My soul delighteth (Isa. 42:1). In the decree of the Writings it is written, “Sit thou at My right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Ps. 110:1), and it is also written I saw in the night visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the Ancient of days, and he was brought near before Him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him (Dan. 7:13, 14).

In another comment, the verse is read I will tell of the decree: The Lord said unto me: Thou art My son… Ask of Me, and I will give the nations for thine inheritance, and the ends of the earth for thy possession (Ps. 2:7, 8). R. Yudan said: All these goodly promises are in the decree of the King, the King of kings, who will fulfill them for the lord Messiah. (The Midrash on Psalms, William G. Braude (translator) [Yale University Press, New Haven 1959], Yale Judaica Series, Volume XIII, Leon Nemoy (editor), Book One, Psalm 2:9; bold emphasis ours)

With the above in mind, here’s what we learn about the Messiah from the foregoing Psalms.

The Messiah will be seated at God’s right hand, which means the Messiah will rule alongside of Jehovah from God’s very own heavenly throne. This is because the Psalms expressly state that Jehovah sits enthroned in heaven above all creation:

“The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.” Psalm 11:4

“The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.” Psalm 103:19

They further proclaim that Jehovah alone reigns from heaven over all beings:

“that men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.” Psalm 83:18

“For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.” Psalm 97:9

“Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high,” Psalm 113:5

For the Messiah to therefore be seated alongside Jehovah in heaven, he must also be fully divine in nature.

The Messiah is called Adonay, a name that is reserved for Jehovah, and is also identified as the Son of God that inherits all the nations. Astonishingly, we are told elsewhere that it is God himself who shall inherit the nations!

“Arise, O God (Elohim), judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.” Psalm 82:8

This actually brings me to my next point. God’s anointed King is even called God (Elohim)!

“My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer… Thy throne, O God (Elohim), is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows… so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord (Adonayik); and worship thou him… I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.” Psalm 45:1, 6-7, 11, 17

That this is a Messianic Psalm is confirmed by the following Jewish sources:

Your beauty, O King Messiah, is greater than the sons of men; the spirit of prophecy has been placed on your lips; because of this the Lord has blessed you forever… The throne of your glory, O LORD, lasts forever and ever; the scepter of your kingdom is an upright scepter… And then the king will desire your beauty; for he is your master and you will bow down to him… At that time you will say, “We will invoke your name in every generation”; because of this the Gentiles who are converted will praise your name forever and ever and ever. Psalm 45:3, 7, 12, 18 (Edward M. Cook, The Psalms Targum: An English Translation, 2001 http://targum.info/pss/ps2.htm; bold and underline emphasis ours)

Shockingly, the above Targum has taken Psalm 45:6, which identifies the Messiah as the God who reigns forever, and applied to Jehovah himself! Hence, what was a reference to the Messiah as God has become a statement about Jehovah!

And:

My works befit the king (vs. 2)… This song befits the King Messiah (Radak). You are beautiful beyond other men (vs. 3)… This refers to the all-inclusive excellence of the Messiah, of whom the prophet says (Isaiah 52:13) Behold My servant shall be enlightened, he shall be exalted and lifted up and he shall be very high (Ibn Yachya) Accordingly God has blessed you for eternity (vs. 3). The kingdom of the Messiah shall endure forever (Meiri). He shall be eternally endowed with the greatest of blessings: he will find favor in the eyes of all men (Radak).

Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one – your majesty and your splendor(vs. 4)… In consonance with his opinion that this psalm describes the Messiah, Radak understands the sword as a regal weapon. Although the prophets always portray the Messianic era as a time of universals peace, this tranquility will be achieved only after the terrible war of Gog and Magog… During this cataclysmic confrontation, the Messiah’s martial skills will be his splendor. See Psalm 21:6… majesty and splendor You conferred upon him which Midrash Shocher Tov interprets as reference to Messiah who is endowed with two forms of excellence: beauty and strength. 

And this is your splendor – gain success, ride high on truthfulness and righteous humility. May it guide you to awesome deeds with your right hand (vs. 5)… Radak understands verses 4 and 5 to mean: After You (Messiah) achieve Your splendid triumph over the enemies, as described in the preceding verse, do not subjugate them (ride over them) with pride and haughtiness. Rather be guided always by truth and sincere humility. And ride [high] on truthfulness. Rashi explains that the Torah scholar will issue true and honest decisions, unaffected by external factors. This is also a distinctive feature of the Messiah, as Scripture says: And the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge… and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes nor decide after the hearing of his ears (Isaiah 11:2, 3). True faith and sincere belief in Hashem are hallmarks of the Messiah as Isaiah (11:5) says: And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins and faith the girdle of his body (Ibn Yachya; Norah Tehillos). Targum interprets: [Messiah] will ride on a unique royal steed… And right and humility. This alludes to the excellent characteristics of the Messiah (Isaiah 11:4): And with righteousness he will judge the poor, and decide with equity for the humble of the earth (Ibn Yachya). May it guide you to awesome deeds with your right hand… Norah Tehillos comments that Messiah, will be endowed with an unerring genius for ‘sniffing out’ the truth, as it says: And he shall smell with the fear of HASHEM (Isaiah 11:3). According to Rashi (ibid), the Messiah will be able to detect a person’s innocence or guilt merely by observing his face…

You love righteousness and hate wickedness, accordingly has God, your God, anointed you with oil of joy above your peers (vs. 8). Other monarchs gain their thrones as a result of savage power struggles in which all law, order, and decency are callously discarded. The unpopular king who rules only by brute force oppresses and tyrannizes his subjects, plunging them into misery. Not so the king of David’s line. His throne is divinely established by virtue of the king’s equity and righteousness. Therefore his enthusiastic subjects welcome his anointment as a cause for national gladness… This is the message of our verse: You Messiah, personally love righteousness and have hate wickedness: therefore God has personally anointed you with a special anointment.

Hear, O maiden, see and incline your ear, forget your people and your father’s house (vs. 11)… Metzudas David interprets this entire verse in reference to the Messiah. The Psalmist exhorts all of the nations (the daughters) to listen to the commands of the Messiah and to forget the wicked conspiracy of the nations of Gog and Magog, who plan to battle God’s chosen king. 

I will commemorate Your Name through all generations, therefore the nations will acknowledge You forever and ever (vs. 18). Rashi maintains that the Psalmist is referring to God. Radak is of the opinion that the verse is speaking of Messiah. In every generation we make the constant mention of his name and await his arrival with longing… Radak concludes that since Israel yearned for Messiah in every generation, therefore all nations will eventually acknowledge his [universal, absolute] sovereignty, which will be unprecedented in the annals of history. (Tehillim Psalms, Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Feuer [Mesorah Publications, Brooklyn, 1978], Volume 2, Psalm 45, pp. 562-575; bold and underline emphasis ours)

What makes this Psalm rather intriguing is that it calls the Messiah both Elohim and Adonay (vv. 6, 11), identifies him as an eternal King (v. 6), and even ascribes worship and everlasting praise to him (vv. 11, 17).

The Psalms even go as far as to speak of the sufferings and vindication of God’s Anointed:

“To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?… But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the governor among the nations. All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the LORD for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.” Psalm 22:1, 6-31

A truly amazing prophecy since it clearly speaks of the Messiah’s hand and feet being pierced, which is precisely what happened to the Lord Jesus when he was nailed to the cross!

The following Jewish scholar explains how rabbinic authorities used this Psalm to prove that the Messiah would suffer for the sins of the world in order to bring salvation:

Pesiqta Rabbati 36:4

[God] began to talk about the terms with [Ephraim], saying to him: In the future the sins of those who have been hidden with you will bring you under an iron yoke. They make you like a calf whose eyes grow dim; and they will choke your spirit with [your] yoke; and because of their sins your tongue will stick to the roof of your mouth (Ps. 22:16) Are you willing [to endure] this?

The Messiah said in [God’s presence] Presence: Will this suffering [last] for many years?

The Holy One said to him: By your life and the life of My head! I have decreed for you a week [seven years]. If your soul is saddened, I will immediately banish them [the sinful souls hidden with you].

[The Messiah] said in His presence: Master of the universe, I will take this upon myself with a joyful soul and a glad heart, provided that not one [person] in Israel perish’ [that] not only those who are alive should be saved in my days, but that also those who are dead, who have died since [the days] of the first human being up until now should be saved [at the time of salvation] in my days {ed. pr.: but also the aborted ones};40 [including] those who You thought to create, but who were not created. Such [are the things] I desire, and for this I am ready to take [all this] upon myself. {ed. pr.: At the same time, the Holy One blessed be He, will appoint for the Messiah the four creatures who will carry the Messiah’s throne of glory.}…

Pesiqta Rabbati 36:6

During the week [seven year period] when [Ephraim]43 comes, they will bring iron beams44 and they will put them on his neck until the Messiah’s body is bent. He will scream and weep and his voice will rise up to the height [of heaven]. He will say in His presence: Master of the universe, how much can my limbs endure? How much my spirit? Am I not but flesh and blood? It was this moment that David lamented, saying: My strength is dried up like a potsherd (Ps. 22:16). In that hour the Holy One says to them {editor. pr.: him}: Ephraim, My righteous Messiah, You have already accepted [this suffering] since the six days of Creation. Now your suffering is like My suffering, since the day on which wicked Nebuchadnezzar destroyed My Temple and burnt My sanctuary, and exiled My children among the nations of the world, by your life and by the life of My head! I have not sat on My Throne. And if you do not believe, see the dew that is upon My head, My head is filled with dew, [My locks with the drops of the night] (Cant. 5:2). In that hour, [the Messiah] will say in His presence: Master of the universe, now my mind is at rest, for it is sufficient for the servant to be like his Master. (Rivka Ulmer, “The Jewish Jesus: Revelation, Reflection, Reclamation,” in The Jewish Jesus: Revelation, Reflection, Reclamation, edited by Zev Garber [Purdue University Press, West Lafayette, Indiana 2011], pp. 116-118 https://books.google.com/books?id=KtCWV590B5kC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false; bold and underline emphasis ours)

And:

The earliest medieval rabbinic text that appears to cite this Pesiqta Rabbati material is found in Moshe of Narbonne (eleventh century), also referred to as Moshe Ha-Darshan (the preacher). He presents a dialogue in which the Messiah is asked by God, if he accepts his suffering:

Midrash Bereshit Rabbati, Gen. 1:3: Your eyes will not see light, but your ears will hear the great reprimand of the nations of the world… your tongue will cleave to the roof of your mouth [Ps. 22:16], your skin will stick to your bones [Ps. 22:18], and your body will be worn out from distress and moaning. (Ibid., p. 118; bold and underline emphasis ours)

Again:

Pesiqta Rabbati 37:2: This teaches that in the future, in the month of Nisan, the Fathers of the World [Patriarchs] will rise and say to him: Ephraim, our righteous [true] Messiah, even though we are your fathers, you are greater than we are, because you suffered [for] the iniquities of our children and terrible ordeals came upon you, such as did not come upon earlier [generations] or later ones. For the sake of Israel you [experienced] anguish, derision, and mockery among the nations of the world [Ps. 22:7-8]. You sat in darkness (Micah 7:8) and gloominess, and your eyes saw no light, and your skin cleaved to your bones [Ps. 22:18], and your body was as dry as a piece of wood; and your eyes did not see light, and your skin shriveled on your bones (Lam. 4:8) [Ps. 22:18], and your body was dried up like wood and your eyes grew dim from fasting–your strength is dried up like a potsherd (Ps. 22:16)–all these [afflictions happened] on account of the iniquities of our children. It is your will [to benefit] your children through that goodness, which the Holy One will bestow upon Israel. It may be because of the utmost anguish, which you did suffer on their account in prison, that your mind is displeased with them. He said to them: Fathers of the World, all that I have done I have done only for your sake and for the sake of your children and for your honor and the honor of your children that they will benefit from the goodness which the Holy One will bestow upon Israel. They said: Ephraim, our righteous Messiah, may your mind be at rest, since you put to rest the mind of your Creator and our minds.

Pesiqta Rabbati 37:3: R. Simeon b. Pazzi57 said: In that hour the Holy One will raise the Messiah up to the heaven of heavens, and will shroud him in [something] of His splendor because of the nations of the world, because of the wicked Persians.. He [God] said to him: Ephraim, My true Messiah, be the judge of these and do with them as your soul desires, for the nations would long have been destroyed by you in an instant had not My mercies been exceedingly mighty on your behalf, as it is said: Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a darling child? [For whenever I speak of him, I earnestly remember him still; therefore My inward parts are troubled for him; in mercy I will have mercy upon him, says the Lord] (Jer. 31:20).

Pesiqta Rabbati 37:4: [Why does the verse mention] twice mercy: In mercy I will have mercy upon him (Jer. 31:20)? One mercy refers to the hour when he is in prison, since the nations of the world will gnash their teeth, wink their eyes, nod their heads, open their lips, as is said: All those who see me mock me; they move the lip, they shake their head (Ps. 22:8); {ed. pr.: My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and you lay me down in the dust of death (Ps. 22:16)} They roar at him like lions and fancy devouring him [Ps. 22:14], as it is said: All our enemies have opened their mouths against us (Lam. 3:46). {ed. pr.: A predatory and roaring lion (Ezek. 22:25) I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels (Ps. 22:15). And they roar at him like lions and fancy devouring him [Ps. 22:14], as it is said, All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. Fear and the pit have come upon us, desolation and destruction (Lam. 3:46-47)}. In mercy will I have mercy upon him (Jer. 31:20)–[referring to] the hour when he [Ephraim] leaves the prison, since the nations of the world will despise him. There is not one kingdom or two or three kingdoms of the world that will come upon him, but one hundred and forty kingdoms will encompass him. The Holy One will say to him: Ephraim, Messiah of my righteousness do not be afraid of them, because all of them will die from the breath of your mouth, as it is said: and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked (Isa. 11:4).58 (Ibid., pp. 121-122; bold and underline emphasis ours)

Ulmer says something quite interesting:

The hidden Jewish Messiah relates to a preexistent heavenly being, resplendent, majestic, sitting on the Throne of Glory. Similarly, the Christian description of Jesus, occasionally referred to as the “Word” (John 1:14), claims the Christian Messiah was with God at the beginning of creation. The concept of the hidden Messiah continues in mystical midrashic literature, such as Midrash Konen, depicted a concealed Messiah residing in the Garden of Eden.53 (Ibid., p. 120)

Ulmer concludes:

A Psalm of suffering (Psalm 22) is applied to the Messiah Ephraim in Pesiqta Rabbati and a narrative of salvation is created. The explication of biblical lemmata as narrative is a hermeneutic approach of some midrashic texts; this is often the case in homiletic works that create a narrative for the listeners. Pesiqta Rabbati contains the rabbinic crystallization of creating a descriptive narrative of a Jewish Messiah through Psalm 22 and its metaphor of distress. Allusions to this Psalm are deeply embedded in the Pesiqta Rabbati narrative. This narrative is part of a hagiography;60 slightly resembling other narratives of martyrs in rabbinic texts. Additionally, the messianic narrative is somewhat similar in construction to the Jesus narrative in the Gospels and the extra-testamental writings of the Church Fathers. Pesiqta Rabbati applies Psalm 22 to support the concept of Messiah Ephraim’s suffering for humanity; in the New Testament, lemmata from this Psalm are applied to the Passion.61 The Psalm provides biblical language and the dramatic script for the description of suffering for the Jewish and Christian Messiah. In Pesiqta Rabbati a remarkable interpretation emerges: the Messiah suffers for the sins of Israel and of the world; God makes an agreement with the Messiah to be afflicted for the sake of the sinners.

After a period of suffering, followed by his humiliation and the final eschatological battle, the Messiah is involved in the Final Judgment and the resurrection of the righteous. Other rabbinic texts interpret lemmata in order to combine Psalm 22 and the Aqedah, the Sacrifice of Isaac. (Ibid., p. 123; bold and underline emphasis ours)

44. The text has “ben David,” although it continues with Messiah Ephraim. This may indicate the conflation of messianic ideas in Pesiqta Rabbati; alternatively, it may be due to one of the numerous scribal errors in the Parma manuscript.

45. In Rev. 19:15 the messianic figure returns to rule with “an iron rod;” this term is symbolic of power. Pesiqta Rabbati applies the term to the power of the government. In Psalms of Solomon the messianic figure is a king in the image of David (Ps. Sol 17:21); he will smash the gentile oppressors of Jerusalem with an iron rod…

53. “The fifth chamber: [this is where] Messiah ben David, Elijah and the Messiah Ephraim dwell. Elijah holds his head and allows it to rest on his chest. He encourages him and says to him: Bear the torment and judgment of your Lord while He punishes you for the sin of Israel, for Scripture says: He is pierced for our rebellions, crushed for our transgressions (Isa. 53:5) until the time when the end arrives. Every Monday, Thursday, Shabbat, and festival day the ancient Patriarchs, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, the entire royal line, the prophets and the pious ones come to greet him [the Messiah] and to weep together with him. They express gratitude to him and say to him: Bear the judgment of your Lord, for the end has almost arrived, and the chains which are on your neck will be broken off and you will go forth in freedom.” Jellinek, BHM, 2:29.20-33 (trans. Rivka Ulmer), similar in 2:50.5-9. Here Isa. 53:5 is applied to the Jewish Messiah…

58. See Yalqut Shim’oni, Isaiah 56: “This is the light of the Messiah, as it is written in Psalm (36:10): In Your light, we see light.” (Ibid, pp. 127-128; bold and underline emphasis ours)

There you have it… a Jewish source that explicitly interprets Psalm 22 as a prophecy of the Messiah’s suffering vicariously in order to atone for the transgressions of his people Israel, as well as for the salvation of the nations.

So like Isaiah and Daniel, the Psalmists describe the Messiah as the God-Man who dies a violent death in order to make atonement for the sins of the world, and who is then vindicated by being raised to sit with God on his own throne forever and ever!

What more proof does a person need before s/he becomes convinced that the Old and New Testaments perfectly agree that the Messiah, who is none other than Jesus of Nazareth, is Jehovah God in the flesh that comes into the world to die for the salvation of mankind, and who is then raised to life to rule with God the Father over all creation, and whom all nations must and eventually shall worship forever and ever?

All Scriptural references taken from the Authorized King James Version (AV) of the Holy Bible.