The Truth About Isaiah 53

For weeks now it’s been building. Something so important which is needful that I address it. I realize in doing so some are going to get angry even combative and try to respond with more scriptural verses to prove their thinking and what they’ve been taught is correct, however it is usually in the wrong context. This is where the Lord has brought me back to a scripture that so many Christians are making the mistake of taking out of context. And why shouldn’t we? We’ve been taught it for years. Since I was old enough to understand what they were talking about in church on Sunday and Wednesday, I’ve heard it as well. But no one ever went to the scripture and read it coming to the conclusion it’s not talking about what pastors and leaders have all said it does.  We only saw it as it was taught to us without taking it in its context to arrive at a completely new and correct conclusion.

I’m talking about the beloved scripture in Isaiah. “BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED.” And so it is declared to us- out of context and wrong.

Let’s observe it and I will tell you what I’ve learned this wonderful passage truly means.

Isaiah

Chapter 53

1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Here’s the problem. This scripture as we all know is prophetically speaking of Jesus Christ. However, many are taking it wrong. Let’s investigate:

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.-

Many pastors and teachers tell us this means we are PHYSICALLY healed because By His stripes we are healed. But let’s look at what it’s saying. He was wounded for a transgressions-wrongdoings- bruised for our iniquities- immoralities= all it equals is one thing, SIN!

By His stripes we are healed. It is a spiritual healing. Never in the Bible are we promised complete healing of our diseases or infirmities except once we get to heaven and are given a new body.

Here rests the problem. Because we’ve been taught this jargon and we sing songs of “Who shall believe the report of the Lord? His report says I am healed, free, victory etc.” or the most popular, “Don’t claim that,” “I’m not believing the report of the doctor or their test results!” Referring to not claiming that we are sick when people clearly get ill, this puts the fault on the victims- those that have illnesses- rather than what the problem truly is, misinterpreting the scripture.

Let’s look at that claiming scripture too! ROMANS 4:17  KJV (as it is written: “I have made thee a father of many nations”), in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which are not, as though they were.-

Again, we’ve been taught that WE CAN CALL THOSE THINGS AS THOUGH THEY WERE!  NO! The scripture clearly states ONLY God can call those things as though they were. We simply do not have this kind of power. We are human and not like God at all.

Many will refuse to accept this and may even post derogatory messages in various places claiming illness is of the devil and we are promised healing on this earth-which no scripture reference can back this up. Nowhere in the Bible does it say illness is from the enemy. Whereas in some passages Jesus may tell one their sins are forgiven then they are healed, another time He mentions that it was nothing anyone had done, but that God may be glorified.

Mark 2 King James Version (KJV)

And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.

2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.

3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

6 But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?

10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)

11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.

12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

Jesus tells the disciples no one in the family has caused this sickness nor was there sin but so God can be glorified.

Here’s that passage. John 9 (KJV) And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

The Apostle Paul himself had an infirmity which would not flee.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (KJV)

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Now, we wouldn’t say nor did he anywhere in the Bible that he sinned in order to get this infirmity. No. It was all part of God’s plan to keep him humble. Job suffered greatly and the Bible calls him an upright righteous man. Stop blaming the victim by stating “You have no faith, no wonder you’re sick, you have to rebuke it, you have to claim your healing. Sickness is of the enemy.”

Listen, people please hear the heart of the Lord and come out of this type of thinking and teaching. It’s wrong and needs to be buffeted as such and thrown out of the church!

I’m not saying in some instances that a certain ailment may be an affliction from the enemy. In fact, it has happened to me as a child. I fell ill with a strange infirmity in which a man of God came to our house, rebuked the illness and within that hour, I began healing and never did it afflict me again.  Peter did rebuke a fever and it fled. BUT! This doesn’t happen in all cases. You can read the gospels and there are different instances of healing however sickness is not always from the enemy and it is not evil. Or else Christ would have told us so. We are human beings who decay and we live in a fallen world. Sickness happens. That doesn’t label a Christian as having low or a lack of faith because perhaps they have come down with diabetes or cancer or bronchitis. To claim such and continuously use these scriptures in an out of context way, you are damaging the body of Christ.

Look forward to what we have to come in heaven.

Revelation 21: 4-5 (KJV)

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

On Facebook and Twitter I see so many Christians naming and claiming things and declaring we’re all healed and by HIS stripes we are healed.  It’s wrong. This is why.

Hebrews 2: 14-17

14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Jesus did NOT come to earth to die on the cross to heal us of sickness. He came and died on the cross to bring us to the Father, to save us from hell, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. US! To bring and build that bridge to get us to the Father that we may be healed. Spiritually. It’s all a spiritual significance in this passage. He came to give us life eternal. Salvation! Not to save us from the afflictions of this life. If that were so, He would never tell us we will run into trials and tribulations because then He would be contradicting Himself.

His job was completed. And by His stripes we were healed. Spiritually. We are now serving an awesome Savior who gave Himself and didn’t care for anything except to die to bring us to God the Father. His job is completed.

To keep claiming and proclaiming no illness and taking this passage out of context is dangerous. And those that teach it also get sick. If we can name and claim healing as these preachers say we can, then why aren’t they in hospitals and other places ridding this world of sickness? We are only promised eternal life but we will suffer and we do. We are humans whose bodies are constantly growing older. We will and do get sick. It’s part of life in a fallen world.

Ignore what people are saying and go straight to the scriptures. Stop listening to pastors and teachers without searching the Bible for yourself to see if you’re being taught correctly. Please be sober and be vigilant!