The Isaiah 53:5 Error

One of the worst misunderstandings of Scripture is the idea that Isaiah 53:5 means physical healing. Closely examining the verse shows that it's a spiritual healing of the rift between sinners and God.

Isaiah 53:5 (BBE) reads, "But it was for our sins he was wounded, and for our evil doings he was crushed: he took the punishment by which we have peace, and by his wounds we are made well."

The whole chapter is a prophecy about Christ's atonement. Certainly verse four speaks of him healing physical illnesses when he was incarnated. But the next verse uses healing as a metaphor of closing the gap between us and our holy God.

Look at the verse logically. The first part of it talks about Christ taking on the punishment for our sins. And as with Hebrew writing, the second part amplifies the first half. Therefore, his punishment healed the wound of our relationship with his Father. It has nothing at all to do with the physical healing in the previous verse.

This error of incorrectly reading Hebrew literature has caused believers to use Isaiah 53:5 as if it were some magic mantra that invokes God's healing. This is in fact putting God to the test.

Matthew 4:7 (BBE) reads,  "Jesus said to him (Satan,) Again 'it is in the Writings, You may not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

This quote comes from Deuteronomy 6:16 (BBE) which commands, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did in Massah."

As I've written before, some Christians tend to use verses as magic spells to make God give them whatever they want. This is blasphemy, as the above verse shows. Israel doubted God, even as these charismatics doubt the Father's ability to provide what they need.

I'll be writing about this error in You Think You're Going to Heaven? Trying to force God to give us whatever we want is disrespectful to his nature.

On Saturday, I'll post about China and the spiritual darkness in that oppressed land.