Christian Solomon Deutsch, ‘About whom is Isaiah speaking?’ (1734–1797)

Christian Solomon Deutsch

Solomon Deutsch was born in Hungary. In the Jewish environment in which he grew up, it was obvious that he would give all his attention to studying the Talmud. He married very young, as was the custom in that time and he moved in with his father-in-law. Board and lodging were now taken care of and Solomon could devote himself more deeply to the study of the Jewish Scriptures. However, the more he learned about the Talmud, the more he realised that he neglected the Word of God itself. His conscience troubled him and he decided to improve his life.

Escape from home

When his interest started to go further than the Tanakh, the New Testament began to fascinate him and this did not go unnoticed. The local rabbi was alerted and was very disturbed, ordering Solomon to divorce his wife or to speak out against this ‘Christian heresy’. On the other hand, priests from the church came to try to convince him to join them. Solomon saw only one escape. Praying for God’s guidance, he left in 1762 for Prague and on the way he studied the Scriptures daily. By the time he reached Dresden he had begun to read Isaiah 53 for the first time. This passage was a great mystery for him.

About whom is Isaiah speaking?

He visited a local rabbi to find an answer to the burning question, “About whom is the prophet Isaiah speaking here?” The rabbi made an appointment with Solomon to discuss this chapter with him in private. He was astonished when the rabbi told him honestly that he believed that Jesus of Nazareth had fulfilled this prophecy. Then Solomon went to Leipzig, Berlin, Amsterdam and London while looking further for the truth. In 1763, after his recovery from a serious illness, Solomon decided to return to Holland. On his way by ship to Arnhem, he met a Swiss Christian and in the conversations that followed, his eyes were opened to Jesus, the Messiah of Israel.

Theologian and pastor

Solomon was baptized in Amsterdam on June 25th 1767, after he handed in a 175-page written confession of his faith: ‘The Lord is glorified through the acknowledgment of the true Messiah, Jesus Christ, evidenced from the writings of the Prophets, Evangelists, and Apostles.’ Later Solomon wrote a three-volume work called ‘Israel’s redemption and eternal salvation’ (Israel’s Verlosinge en eeuwige Behoudenis). Christian Deutsch, as he wanted to be called, decided to study theology. He stayed in Holland to serve and became a pastor and until his death in 1797, he laboured faithfully in Mijdrecht and with love and dedication preached the salvation in the Messiah.