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Isaiah 9:1-2
"Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebullum and ...Napthali (Capernaum's boarders), and afterward did more grievously afflict her (Israel)...The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they shall dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined."
Matt 4:13-16 13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: 14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. (KJV)
Christianity says these two verses show that Jesus was referred to in prophesy in this when Jesus went to Capernaum and ministered there.
Answer for yourself: Is Christianity's interpretation of Isa. 9:1-2 correct and is Matt. 4:13-16 a Messianic Prophecy and was it fulfilled by the coming of Jesus to Capernaum?
For the writer of the Gospel of Matthew to assume that Jesus fulfilled this prophecy only shows his ignorance of the Jewish Bible and of Jewish history. The words come from Isaiah 8.22 and Isaiah 9.1. These verses are speaking about the king of Assyria who did not become weary of oppressing Israel. The first time he came against Israel he dealt mildly with the land of Zebulun and Naphtali. He carried them away into exile and then he returned and dealt harshly by the way of the sea, and the other side of the Jordan. In this second conquest the Assyrians took all 20 cities in Galilee and those dwelling by the sea (Sea of Galilee). Note that Isaiah is stating facts, he is telling what had already happened, and the kingdom of Judea was to learn a lesson from this. Jerusalem had not yet fallen, it and the interior of the land of Judea were still left. The inhabitants of Jerusalem were afraid of falling into Sennacherib's hands, thus the people walked in darkness but as they sat in the shadow of death, light shone upon them, Isa 9.1. Not the light of Jesus as Matthew claims, but the great light was the news of Sennacherib's defeat. This all happened in the 15th year of Hezekiah's reign, as seen in 2 Kings ch 15-17.
That Jesus went to Capernaum and that Christianity calls him the "light" has no bearing on Isaiah.
First, it should be noted that the New Testament incorrectly places these verses together. They really are verses 8:23 and 9:1, separated in style of writing, one prose and one poetry, as well as in subject matter. Reading the original Hebrew makes this quite clear.
The word "light" used in this context by Isaiah means deliverance, not enlightenment. Another Scripture verse which uses "light" in this same way is Esther 8:16, "The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honor." And even if it were the meaning of enlightenment, it is the nation of Israel which is the "light" G-d has given to the world. For example read Isaiah 49:3, 6, ". . . Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. . . . I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth."
I have shared with the reader the traditional interpretation of the child of Isa. 7 which turns out to be the "G-dly son" of Isa. 9. I have in those prior articles shown the reader that in the passage of Isaiah 9:6-7 under the title "The Mighty G-d" that the child in question is Hezekiah who would rule as King of Israel during this miraculous deliverance. He is the deliverer who brought safety to the people of Israel, defeating the enemy with G-d's help. Capernaum, except for bordering on the land under discussion, and Jesus, except for having gone to Capernaum in the New Testament, have nothing to do with the passage from Isaiah.
Again we have a classic case of the New Testament writer not only combining two different verses which have completely different contexts and meanings and using the new mixture of verses to serve the agenda of the writer, but we also have the use of both verses completely out of context and the original intention of the Prophetic writer is lost. But such is the fruit of Scriptural manipulation when religio-political agendas take priority over the truth.
Bennoah1@verizon.net