The servant in Isaiah 52 and 53 is one of the most intriguing figures in the prophetic Scriptures. The questions about this passage are many, the interpretations are diverse, and the answers always seem to be different.

Some have looked to Isaiah 52 and 53 in search of Jesus, others to reclaim Israel’s role in the world, and some to find a historical explanation for this prophetic text that seems to have no precedence.

 

Here's my translation of part of Isaiah 53:10–11:

If she places his life a guilt offering, he will see offspring, he will prolong days ... From the trouble of his life, he will see light. He will be satisfied. In his knowledge, my righteous servant shall make many righteous and he will bear their iniquities.

In the past thirty years, there has been little examination of the servant’s possible resurrection in Isaiah 53:10–12. Two scholastic interpretations have been cited as disproving the resurrection in Isaiah 53. Even though these interpretations have been cited multiple times as disproving resurrection in Isaiah 53:10–12, discourse analysis, a method that has been pioneered since these scholastic works were written, suggests otherwise. My book, The Resurrected Servant in Isaiah, re-evaluates the scholarly consensus about the resurrected servant and proposes a new interpretation.

Pre-order the print edition from Paternoster Press (aka Biblica, aka The International Bible Society) here. Or get it on Amazon.com here.

Pre-order the Logos Bible Software digitial edition here.

(Each version has its own cover. I think that's pretty cool. But, of course I would.)

Learn about the resurrected servant prophesied 500 years before Jesus came on the scene. Learn about the prophecy that foretold a servant who would reconcile God's people to him and restore them to their land. Learn how resurrection of this servant means resurrection (metaphorically and physically) for God’s people.

This passage in Isaiah is incredible. So much of prophecy that comes later hinges on the ideas in this passage. I now see this passage “written” on almost every page of books like Daniel, Ezekiel and throughout the New Testament stories of Jesus. I truly believe that seeing this prophecy in Isaiah through the lens of the ancient world and Hebrew poetry will change the way you read Isaiah and the Bible in general. So, pick up a copy in print or for Logos Bible Software and dive into the world of prophecy and resurrection.

Note: Since I am the author of this book, I will make a royalty on any purchase you make. Likewise, some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I will be paid if you buy something through one or more of them. But since the majority of my scholastic work over the past three to four years has been devoted to writing this book, you can trust that I believe in it. I truly do think that this work changes the way we understand resurrection in the ancient world.