Isaiah prophesied that YHWH would personally come to redeem Israel from all their transgressions, since YHWH was unable to find any mere creature worthy enough to work through for this purpose:
“So it is that truth is missing; And he who turns aside from evil makes himself plunder. Then Yahweh saw, And it was evil in His eyes that there was no justice. And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him. He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle. According to what they deserve, so He will pay in full, Wrath to His adversaries, what is deserved to His enemies; To the coastlands He will pay what they deserve. So they will fear the name of Yahweh from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun, For He will come like a rushing stream Which the wind of Yahweh makes flee.
“‘A Redeemer (goel) will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,’ declares Yahweh. ‘As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says Yahweh: ‘My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your seed, nor from the mouth of your seed’s seed,” says Yahweh, “from now and forever.” Isaiah 59:20-21
It is clear from the pronouns that the One coming to Zion to redeem is YHWH himself, and not another. Seeing that he could find an agent good or righteous enough to assist him, YHWH was forced to do this alone.
Even Jewish translations agree that it is God who is the Redeemer that comes to Zion:
וּבָ֤א לְצִיּוֹן֙ גּוֹאֵ֔ל וּלְשָׁבֵ֥י פֶ֖שַׁע בְּיַֽעֲקֹ֑ב נְאֻ֖ם יְהֹוָֽה׃
“[God] shall come as redeemer to Zion, To those in Jacob who turn back from sin—declares GOD.” Isaiah 59:20 Revised JPS, 2023
Isaiah provides further corroboration that YHWH is Zion’s Redeemer, since he applies the Hebrew word ga’al to the true God all throughout his inspired writings:
“‘Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel; I will help you,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and your Redeemer (go’alek) is the Holy One of Israel.’” Isaiah 41:14
“But now, thus says Yahweh, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you (ga’altika); I have called you by name; you are Mine! Isaiah 43:1
“Thus says Yahweh your Redeemer (go’alkem), the Holy One of Israel, ‘For your sake I have sent to Babylon, And will bring down those who fled—all of them, Even the Chaldeans—into the ships in which they shouted for joy.’” Isaiah 43:14
“‘I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud And your sins like a cloud. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you (ga’altika).’ Shout for joy, O heavens, for Yahweh has done it! Make a loud shout, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it; For Yahweh has redeemed Jacob And in Israel He shows forth His beautiful glory. Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer (go’aleka), and the one who formed you from the womb, ‘I, Yahweh, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth all alone,’” Isaiah 44:22-24
“Our Redeemer (go’alenu), Yahweh of hosts is His name, The Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 47:4
“Hear Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last. Also, My hand founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I call to them, they stand together. Assemble, all of you, and hear! Who among them has declared these things? Yahweh loves him; he will carry out His good pleasure on Babylon, And His arm will be against the Chaldeans. I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have called him, I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful. Draw near to Me, hear this: From the first I have not spoken in secret, From the time it took place, I was there. So now Lord Yahweh has sent Me, and His Spirit. Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer (go’alka), the Holy One of Israel, ‘I am Yahweh your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go.’” Isaiah 48:12-17
“Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare with the sound of joyful shouting, cause this to be heard, Bring it forth to the end of the earth; Say, ‘Yahweh has redeemed (ga’al) His servant Jacob.’” Isaiah 48:20
“Thus says Yahweh, the Redeemer (go’el) of Israel and its Holy One, To the despised One, To the One abhorred by the nation, To the Servant of rulers, ‘Kings will see and arise, Princes will also bow down, Because of Yahweh who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.’” Isaiah 49:7
“I will feed those who mistreat you with their own flesh, And they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine; And all flesh will know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior And your Redeemer (mooshiek wa’go’alek), the Mighty One of Jacob.” Isaiah 49:26
“You will also suck the milk of nations And suck the breast of kings; Then you will know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior And your Redeemer (mooshiek wa’go’alek), the Mighty One of Jacob.” Isaiah 60:16
“For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is Yahweh of hosts; And your Redeemer (go’alek) is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth.” Isaiah 54:5
This is where it gets interesting.
There are rabbinic sources that identify the Redeemer of Isaiah 59:20 as the Messiah!
גואל
Redeemer, that is, Messiah. (Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 59:20)
ובא לציון גואל. אז יבוא הגואל לציון והוא מלך המשיח:
And a redeemer shall come to Zion. Then the redeemer will come to Zion, and he is the King Messiah:
ולשבי פשע ביעקב. ר״ל גם אותם מבני יעקב שיצאו מן הכלל וישובו מפשעם גם להם יבוא המשיח ויגאלם:
“And to those in Jacob who turn from transgression.” That is to say: even those among the children of Jacob who went astray from the community and return from their transgression—the Messiah will also come to them and redeem them. (Metzudat David on Isaiah 59:20:1)
ובא ל’ציון ג’ואל ו’לשבי פ’שע ב’יעקב נ’אם ה’ ו’אני. רמז רבינו האר”י ז”ל ר”ת לגוף בניו כמשז”ל אין בן דוד בא עד שיכלו כל הנשמות שבגוף:
“And a redeemer shall come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob, says the Lord, and I.” Our teacher the Ari, of blessed memory, hinted through the initials “לגוף” (“to the body”) regarding his sons, as our sages of blessed memory said: “The son of David will not come until all the souls in the Guf are exhausted.” (Chomat Anakh on Isaiah 59:20:1)
סנהדרין צ״ח א:י׳
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אִם רָאִיתָ דּוֹר שֶׁמִּתְמַעֵט וְהוֹלֵךְ, חַכֵּה לוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְאֶת עַם עָנִי תּוֹשִׁיעַ וְגוֹ׳״. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אִם רָאִיתָ דּוֹר שֶׁצָּרוֹת רַבּוֹת בָּאוֹת עָלָיו כַּנָּהָר, חַכֵּה לוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כִּי יָבֹא כַנָּהָר צָר רוּחַ ה׳ נֹסְסָה בוֹ״, וּסְמִיךְ לֵיהּ: ״וּבָא לְצִיּוֹן גּוֹאֵל״.
Rabbi Yoḥanan says: If you saw a generation whose wisdom and Torah study is steadily diminishing, await the coming of the Messiah, as it is stated: “And the afflicted people You will redeem” (II Samuel 22:28). Rabbi Yoḥanan says: If you saw a generation whose troubles inundate it like a river, await the coming of the Messiah, as it is stated: “When distress will come like a river that the breath of the Lord drives”(Isaiah 59:19). And juxtaposed to it is the verse: “And a redeemer will come to Zion” (Isaiah 59:20)…
אָמַר רַבִּי אֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרִי: רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי רָמֵי, כְּתִיב: ״וַאֲרוּ עִם עֲנָנֵי שְׁמַיָּא כְּבַר אֱנָשׁ אָתֵה״, וּכְתִיב: ״עָנִי וְרֹכֵב עַל חֲמוֹר״. זָכוּ – עִם עֲנָנֵי שְׁמַיָּא, לֹא זָכוּ – עָנִי וְרוֹכֵב עַל חֲמוֹר.
Rabbi Alexandri says: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi raises a contradiction between two depictions of the coming of the Messiah. It is written: “There came with the clouds of heaven, one like unto a son of man…and there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom…his dominion is an everlasting dominion” (Daniel 7:13–14). And it is written: “Behold, your king will come to you; he is just and victorious; lowly and riding upon a donkey and upon a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). Rabbi Alexandri explains: If the Jewish people merit redemption, the Messiah will come in a miraculous manner with the clouds of heaven. If they do not merit redemption, the Messiah will come lowly and riding upon a donkey. (Sanhedrin 98a:10)
A redeemer will come to Zion and to those who turn away from transgression in Jacob, says Hashem.
A large number of verses, collectively known as “Uva L’Tziyon” (from this verse) is recited at the end of the morning service. The redeemer is the moshiach (the messiah) and Tziyon (Zion) refers specifically to the Temple mount, or more generally to Jerusalem. Rashi explains that the moshiach will not come when Jerusalem lies in ruins. (Please note that in our day, Jerusalem is not in ruins!) (Rabbi Jack Abramowitz, Isaiah 59:20 – One+One; emphasis mine)
Jesus: Jacob’s Divine Messiah
What makes this identification rather intriguing is that the NT also applies Isaiah’s prophecy to the Messiah, namely, Jesus:
“For I do not want you, brothers, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.’ ‘And this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.’” Romans 11:25-27
According to the blessed Paul, the One who came from heavenly Zion to earthly Zion to redeem, and the One who return in the latter days to save the Israel of God is Jesus Christ:
“Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, ‘Therefore I will give praise to You among the Gentiles, And I will sing to Your name.’” Romans 15:7-9
“Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the Law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the servant-woman and one by the free woman. But the son by the servant-woman had been born according to the flesh, while the son by the free woman through the promise. This is spoken with allegory, for these women are two covenants: one from Mount Sinai bearing children into slavery; she is Hagar. Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.” Galatians 4:21-26
“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.” Hebrews 12:22-24
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.” Revelation 21:1-2
“But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will repay to each according to his works… on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.” Romans 2:5-6, 16
“For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you view your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, to Me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” Romans 14:9-12
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:10
“so that you are not lacking in any gift, eagerly awaiting the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, beyond reproach in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:7-8
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,” Galatians 1:3-4
“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Galatians 2:20
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by His working through which He is able to even subject all things to Himself.” Philippians 3:20-21
“For they themselves report about us what kind of an entrance we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
“Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman who is pregnant, and they will never escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief, for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not appointed us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10
“This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. Since it is right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give rest to you who are afflicted and to us as well at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, executing vengeance on those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our witness to you was believed.” 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10
“Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” Hebrews 9:26-28
“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to his work. He who bears witness to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:12, 20
Hence, Jesus is the God whom Isaiah prophesied would come to redeem Jacob from all his transgressions!
Further substantiation for this comes from the book of Isaiah, where YHWH describes himself as Israel’s Redeemer in the context of being the First and the Last:
“Thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel and his Redeemer (wa’ḡo’alo), Yahweh of hosts: ‘I am the first, and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.’” Isaiah 44:6
And yet Jesus in the Apocalypse identifies himself as that very First and Last who came to release believers from their sins by sacrificial death!
“and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the might forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Yes, amen… And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not fear; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.’” Revelation 1:5-7, 17-18
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: This is what the first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says:” Revelation 2:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelation 22:20
Israel’s Triune Redeemer
The other remarkable aspect of Isaiah’s witness is that the prophet explicitly points to the Redeemer being Triune in nature since he refers to Yahweh as the Father of Israel who employed the Angel/Messenger of his Presence/Face and his Holy Spirit to save and redeem his people:
“I shall bring to remembrance the lovingkindnesses of Yahweh, the praises of Yahweh, According to all the ways that Yahweh has dealt bountifully with us, And the abundant goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has dealt bountifully to them according to His compassion And according to the abundance of His lovingkindnesses. And He said, ‘Surely, they are My people, Sons who will not deal falsely.’ So He became their Savior. In all their distress He was distressed, And the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them (ga’alam), And He lifted them and carried them all the ancient days. But they rebelled And grieved His Holy Spirit; Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy; He fought against them.
“Then His people remembered the ancient days, of Moses. Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them, Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, Who split the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name, Who led them through the depths? Like the horse in the wilderness, they did not stumble; As the cattle which go down into the valley, The Spirit of Yahweh gave them rest. So You led Your people, To make for Yourself a glorious name.
“Look down from heaven and see from Your holy and glorious habitation; Where are Your zeal and Your mighty deeds? The tumults within You and Your compassion are restrained toward me. For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us And Israel does not recognize us. You, O Yahweh, are our Father, Our Redeemer (go’alenu) from everlasting is Your name.” Isaiah 63:7-16
Note that it is YHWH, his Angel and his Holy Spirit that are fully responsible for saving Israel and granting them rest.
Therefore, Israel’s Redeemer is not the unipersonal God of the unitarians such as Arians, Modalists, or Socinians. Rather the Redeemer of all mankind is the Triune God of Father, the Divine Angel became Man, and the Holy Spirit.
What a truly astonishing prophet and book!
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