'Staring at Him in Amazement'

How will the nations and their rulers react to the exalted Messiah?  If we momentarily skip the parenthetical comment in  the second part of verse 14, the prophecy reads: "To the extent that  many have stared at him in amazement . . . he will likewise startle many nations. At him kings will shut their mouth, because what had not been recounted to them they will actually see, and to what they had not heard they must turn  their consideration." ( Isaiah 52:14a, 15)  With these words  Isaiah describes, not the Messiah's initial appearance, but his final confrontation with earthly rulers. 

When the exalted Jesus comes to execute judgment on this ungodly system of things, earthly rulers will 'stare at him in amazement.'  True, human rulers will not literally see the glorified Jesus.  But they will see the visible evidence of his power as a heavenly  Fighter for Jehovah.  (Matthew 24:30)  They will be forced  to turn their consideration to what they have not heard recounted by religious  leaders -that Jesus is the Executioner of God's judgments !  The exalted Servant of whom they will encounter will act in a way that they do not expect. 

According to the parenthetical comment in verse 14, Isaiah says:  "So much was the disfigurement as respects  his appearance more than that of any  other man and as respects his stately form more than that of the sons of mankind. (Isaiah 52:14b)  Was Jesus physically disfigured in any way?  No. Although the Bible does not give details about what Jesus looks like, the perfect Son of God no doubt  had a pleasing appearance  and countenance.  Evidently, Isaiah's words  refer to the humiliation that Jesus experienced. He boldly exposed the religious leaders of his day as hypocrites, liars and murderers; and they responded by reviling him.  ( 1 Peter 2:22, 23)  They accused him of being a lawbreaker, a blasphemer, a deceiver, a seditionist against Rome.  Thus, those false accusers painted an utterly disfigured picture of Jesus.

Today, the misrepresentation of Jesus continues.  Most people picture Jesus as a babe in a manger or as a tragic figure nailed to a cross, with his face distorted  in agony under a crown of thorns.  Christendom's clergy have encouraged such views.  They have failed to present Jesus  as the mighty heavenly King with whom  nations will have an accounting.   When human rulers  confront the exalted Jesus in the near future, they will have to deal with a Messiah who has 'all authority in heaven and on the earth!' -Matthew 28:18.

Next time: Who Will Put Faith in This Good News?

From the Book Isaiah's Prophecy Light for all Mankind, 2001