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Blasater, you give us your take on these OT texts, mostly Isaiah, but has it ever occurred to you that Christ’s 12 disciples, Paul, and the entire early church until Acts 10, were strict monotheist Jews also? They were fully aware of all these texts you used.

Yes, of course it has occured to me. I can tell you they didnt know the scriptures though. Have you ever investigated the errors in the book of Matthew? They are astonishing. The other gospels as well have tons of scriptural errors. And Paul? I dont want to offend you but if he was a student of Gamaliel, he had something wrong with his brain when he had that seizure on the way to damascus. His reasoning is very poor and not Pharaiscal at all.

You are Johnny come lately that has set yourself up as the last word on OT monotheism.

Not at all. I can read the scriptures for myself. I know Hebrew and I know the reasoning of my forefathers going back 2500+ years. The scriptures, in Hebrew are different than in English at key passages. The English spins the interpretation as christological, the Hebrew scripture do not. In context, it is easy to see the Hebrew is the correct interpretation.

Your God is ensconsed afar off in his unique oneness, with no transcendence of himself to mankind.

I am glad you said that. Nothing could be further from the truth! I have and enjoy a personal relationship with HaShem (YHVH) the G-d of the universe. He is my Father, Friend, Master, King, Creator. I dont need a god-man hybrid mediator! When I pray, I am plugged in directly! No where in scripture, (OT) does it say we need a mediator...that has never been a part of G-ds plan.

What you can’t see, and what your fellow Christian Jews of the early church did see, is that the Messiah’s name, Immanuel, really did mean God with us. This unique and far-distant-from-man God of Judaism (that you espouse) closed the distance by becoming “with us.” Mattthew, your fellow Jew, understood Isa. 7:14 aright, the Messiah was the Son of God born of a virgin, Immanuel, God with us.

Not at all. No Jew has ever interpreted Isaiah 7:14 as messianic! Then or Now! Isaiah &:14 is a prophecy that was fulfilled at the time of King Ahaz. It has nothing to do with a messiah.

The word in the passage in Hebrew is HaAlma, which means "the young woman" not virgin! And the sign given, was not the birth of the child, or his name, but the age of the child! When he became old enough to discern right from wrong two enemy kings would be killed. What good would a sign be to King Ahaz of a birth that wouldnt take place for 700 years in the future? None!

Furthermore, Jesus was never named Immanuel, his Jewish name was Joshua. And it matters not that Immanuel means G-d-with-us. Many many Jewish names have G-d as part of the name, it is not unusual at all.

this remote God of yours, totally remote from mankind, became identified with suffering mankind, he became “with us.”

Ask Abraham if He was remote...Issac, Jacob, Moses, Hezekiah, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Ruth, Jeremiah, Jonah, All the characters of the "OT". Do you think they thought G-d was remote? That is absurd. You dont think G-d can understand us or get near us without becoming a man? Thats absurd! He made us! He knows our every thought! He knows every hair on our head! But somehow Christians feel the need to make him into a man. Even though G-d tells us again and again, I HAVE NO FORM (Deut 4:15)

15 You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, 16 so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman,

So what do Christians do? They make god into a god-man Jesus, which is an image...formed like a man.

Exactly what G-d forbids.