#5 — The End Of Exile And Messiah's Sacrifice
The Rambam says in Mishneh Torah also that Messiah will gather all the exiles.
Again, his view aligns with Scripture.
God Himself promises to His servant the Messiah:
I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages, saying to prisoners, ‘Come out,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear’
And so…
...the ransomed of HASHEM shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away
Isaiah 35:10; also Isaiah 51:11
But again there is something we should realize.
Just as the rebuilding of the Temple is return from exile not a simple thing. A true end of the exile is more than a mere return to the land of Israel.
What is exile according to the Torah?
It is the curse that followed disobedience of G-d’s commandments. A real end of the exile means a reversal of that curse.
This can only take place when the cause of exile is dealt with. This means Israel’s sins have to be atoned for.
In Isaiah 51 the prophet calls upon the arm of HASHEM to awake so the ransomed of HASHEM shall return (Isaiah 51:10-11).
In Isaiah 52 we learn this will happen indeed. The good news will be proclaimed that “HASHEM has laid bare his holy arm.” In other words, G-d will intervene to bring an end to the exile (Isaiah 52:7-12).
But then G-d immediately calls our attention to His special servant.
“Behold my servant shall prosper, he shall be high and lifted up and be very exalted” (Isaiah 52:13).
This is the same special servant of HASHEM who was addressed in Isaiah 49:8-9. This servant is the one who will reverse the exile.
It is therefore not without reason Targum Jonathan renders Isaiah 52:13 as, “Behold my servant the Messiah will succeed.”
Just a few verses later this very special agent of G-d is identified with the arm of HASHEM (Isaiah 53:1).
Messiah is the arm of HASHEM since it is through the Messiah that HASHEM intervenes to give salvation.
But then the prophecy takes an unexpected turn. Isaiah complains Israel will have difficulty recognizing G-d’s intervention through the Messiah. He says: “Who has believed what we have heard and to whom has the arm of HASHEM been revealed?” (Isaiah 53:1)
Why is it so difficult to see G-d’s arm?
Isaiah explains it: because the Messiah comes without outer glory. He is rejected and is “a man of suffering.” He is like the lamb led to the slaughter; he is cut off from the land of the living (Isaiah 53:2-8).
This suffering servant is nevertheless G-d’s greatest intervention ever in human history. Those whose eyes are opened, those to whom the arm of HASHEM is revealed can see it.
He was pierced for our transgression
and he was crushed for our iniquities.
Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace.
And with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray.
We have turned – everyone – to his own way
but HASHEM has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Messiah gives his soul as a guilt offering for us (Isaiah 53:10). In this way Messiah deals with the root cause of the exile: our sins.
Yes, our sins are the real problem causing the exile. But now Messiah provides the needed atonement, so a real end of the exile is possible. On the basis of the merit of Messiah’s suffering Israel will come home.
But it gets even better; on the basis of the merit of Messiah’s sacrifice, G-d’s covenant with Israel will be fully restored. Heaven and earth will be reunited.
Not only has it been prophesied the Messiah would die for our sins; this prophecy has already been fulfilled. The Messiah has already given His life for us. This all happened before the destruction of the second Temple (as prophesied in Daniel 9:26).
And there is more good news.
Messiah not only died but also rose from the dead (Isaiah 53:10, Psalm 16:10, 21:4). He has ascended to heaven to be the eternal priest at G-d’s right hand (Psalm 110, Zechariah 6). From there He will come with the glory of heaven to reign forever as king (Daniel 7:13-14).
All who take refuge in Him, the Messiah makes righteous. Those who place their trust in Him are the ransomed of HASHEM.
Even if those who believe in Messiah die before His return in glory to rule in Jerusalem, they rest assured they will be raised from the dead and share in the glory He will bring (Psalm 2:12, Isaiah 53:11, Isaiah 25:8, 26:9).
They, the ransomed of HASHEM will experience the final end of exile, coming home in the Jerusalem that will be full of joy under Messiah’s righteous rule.
Knowing the Messiah already came; knowing Messiah is sitting now at the right hand of G-d; and knowing that right now “the counsel of peace” is between G-d and the Messiah until He comes with great glory, we can say with even more confidence than before:
I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah, and though he may tarry, still I await him every day.
NEXT READ: ISAIAH 53: THE GATE TO SHALOM