FIRST,NETZER(branch) IS A MESSIANIC TITLE:
The rabbis agree.Why?Because the word appears in the following(ALL considered by them to be Messianic):
Two Times in Isaiah
Isaiah 4:2-3:
“In that day the NETZER of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. 3 Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem.”
Isaiah 11:1-2:
“A shoot will come up from the stump of JESSE;from his roots a NETZER will bear fruit.The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him,the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,the Spirit of counsel and of power,the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.”
JESSE:he was the father of king DAVID(1 SAMUEL 16:1-13).
Two Times in Jeremiah
Jeremiah 23:5-6:
“The days are coming,” declares the LORD,”when I will raise up to DAVID a righteous NETZER,a KING who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety.This is the name by which he will be called:The LORD Our Righteousness.”
Jeremiah 33:14-18:
” ‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.” ‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous NETZER sprout from DAVID’s line;
he will do what is just and right in the land.
In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety.This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.’
For this is what the LORD says: ‘David will never fail to have a man to sit on the THRONE of the house of Israel,nor will the priests, who are Levites, ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.’ ”
The Targum
When the Jews returned from the Babylonian captivity in 537 BC they no longer spoke HEBREW but ARAMAIC,very similar, like Portuguese-Spanish are today.So when the OT was read in Hebrew it would be orally translated/interpreted/summarized.In the 1st century AD it was finally written down,the TARGUM(Hebrew for “interpretation”).
SO?
The TARGUM says Isaiah 53 and Isaiah 9 are about the Messiah(today the rabbis say no).The Targum also says these ZECHARIAH passages are Messianic:
Zechariah 3:7-8:
“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in my ways and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.
” ‘Listen, O HIGH PRIEST JOSHUA(Note:Joshua was high priest around 520 BC)and your associates seated before you, who are men SYMBOLIC of THINGS to COME: I am going to bring MY SERVANT,the NETZER.”
SO?
JOSHUA is HEBREW,in ARAMAIC it’s YESHUA(Jesus).Joshua-Yeshua are symbolic of the future,and it mentions NETZER(Messiah).
THEN….NETZER’S NAME=JOSHUA-YESHUA
Zechariah 6:9-12:
“The word of the LORD came to me:”Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon. Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah.
Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of the high priest, JOSHUA son of Jehozadak.Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘HERE is the MAN(Note:Joshua) whose NAME is NETZER, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD.”
Analysis
It says the NETZER’s(Messiah’s) name is JOSHUA.Simple.
A Great Suggestion
MARY JO SHARP has very well-written articles in her website:
http://confidentchristianity.com/
One is “The Fraudulent Claims of the Jesus Myth Theory”(that he never existed):
http://confidentchristianity.com/articles/Fraudulent_Claims_of_the_Jesus_Myth_Theory.html
A vrai dire 