My warning to Gentile Christians who misappropriate Scripture spoken specifically to the Jewish people is this, do not steal from your older brother those things which God has given directly to him (ethnic, religious Israel), rather be satisfied with that which God has given you and enjoy the benefits of being under the promises given to your older brother, remembering that as soon as you attempt to come out from under those promises in order to usurp him (ethnic, religious Israel), you are no longer under the shadow of those promises, and have therefore, made yourselves subject to retribution. HaShem disciplines the ones He loves. Be discerning in your use of Scripture. Introduction:
Having illuminated the character of the Servant-Redeemer in Isaiah 53, the prophet now resumes his message concerning the redemption of the people of Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical). The present chapter picks up where 52:12 left off, beginning with a song of rejoicing at the restoration of Zion in the favour and actionable love of God, Who has maintained His unbroken love for her throughout her wayward journey of discipline. We should remember that these words were spoken to Israel prior to her exile in Babylon and refer to that yet future time when she will be returned to the Land of Israel following her captivity. In turn, these are prophetic words that reach beyond Israel’s ancient history and into the future in order that they might be truly complete in the redemption of Israel through Messiah Yeshua. We are witness to days when weapons are being formed against Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical), in the land and in the diaspora. These weapons are manifest in many forms, arms, media, political rhetoric, ideologies, spiritual theologies and many more. Worse still, some of these weapons are the fruit of so called “Christian” ministries, NGOs and members of governments and church councils (WCC, EAPPI). It is timely therefore, that we warn of the fate awaiting those who form weapons against God’s chosen ethnic people the Jews, Israel. Isa 54:1 “Raniy Overcome, cry out, shout for joy, akarah barren one, who did not yaladah bear, give birth (a breaking forth from the womb); pitzchiy break forth, break out rinah into a ringing cry ve’tzahaliy and a shrill cry, you who have not chalah, travailed in labour! Kiy rabiym For many are beneiy-shomeimah the children of the desolate, devastated, stunned, deflowered a.mibeneiy as opposed to the children ve’ulah of those under the rule of husbands (baaliym) alt. a. will be more than the children of her who is married,” says HaShem (YHVH: Mercy). “Sing praise, O Jerusalem, which was as a barren woman that bears not;'' -Targum Yonatan (2 Century CE) Both the Targum and the commentator Iben Ezra agree that the remnant of Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical) are being referred to here. To be barren in ancient Jewish culture was a thing of great shame. The bearing of children and in particular male heirs who would continue the family name, was at the forefront of ancient cultural norms. Thus, the ancient Hebrew reader of Isaiah is significantly impacted by this figure of the barren woman and the resulting restoration of her womb and the fruit that comes forth from her. This is perhaps the ultimate illustration of true prosperity as understood by the ancient Jewish mind. As a result of her sin and in the discipline of her captivity Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical) was like a rejected wife. Though, as I made clear in my commentary on Isaiah 50, she had not been utterly divorced (re: Judah has never been given a certificate [Get] of divorcement). Therefore, the returning exiles are pictured here as the restored barren woman who now has children more numerous than the woman (Israel prior to exile living in the land) who had been married (albeit under false husbands, the Ba’aliym). In other words, disobedient Israel had fathered children while worshipping false gods in the land and as a result had been sent into captivity where she became barren, physically, emotionally, spiritually. However, her return to God, her true Ba’al (Husband), will mean that she bears more children, physically, spiritually, and fills the promised land given to her forebears by God’s everlasting covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In the end, due to God’s mercy, she will become greater in number than she was prior to her exile (Isa.49:19-20). This is unheard of. We have seen it time and again throughout Israel’s history of exile and return. We witness it today as the population numbers of Jews grow toward 14,700,000 after being reduced to 9,500,500 following the pogroms and Shoah (holocaust) of the early 20th century CE. “No longer will you be termed ‘Forsaken’, no longer your land termed ‘Desolate’. Instead you will be called, ‘My Delight is in Her’ and your land, ‘Married’. For Adonai delights in you, and your land will be married.” -Isaiah 62:4 (TLV) In his letter to the Galatian believers (Gal. 4:27) Rav Shaul (Paul the Apostle) explains the present text of Isaiah as an allegory for the figurative son bound by the consequences of sin according to the Torah (Ishmael) and the figurative son set free from sin according to the Spirit of God (Isaac). Thus, the Rav shaul retrospectively shows that it is redeemed Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical) that is being referred to by the prophet Isaiah as being once barren (in sin) and now fruitful (in right action) through the redemptive work of the Servant-Redeemer of the previous chapter. The figure of the barren woman is used throughout Scripture (Genesis.11:30; 16:1-2; 25:21; 29:31; Judges 13:2; 1 Sam 1:1-5; Luke 1:7) and is ultimately referring to Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah, the matriarchs of Israel (Gen.11:30; 16:1-2; 25:21; 29:31; ). Therefore, it’s fitting that it be used here in reference to collective Israel (ethnic, religious) and her restoration. Jewish commentators understand this prophecy to refer to our (Jews) deliverance from our present condition by the Messiah; and of the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and the prosperity of it (Tishbi, p. 227; Lexic. Talmud. col. 996, 2229). While this understanding sees a physical restoration (Which is of course part of what has happened and will be made complete in the future), it is not opposed to a spiritual restoration (Which is of course necessary). Those commentators who demand one interpretation over the other offer nothing more than a false choice that seeks to place limits on the redemptive work of God. Like children we must accept the truth that both outcomes are true, cohesive and made manifest in the eternal present according to God’s will. Isa 54:2 “Harchiyviy Enlarge, widen, grow mekom a place oholeich of your tent, viyriyot and let the curtains mishkenotayich of your dwellings (from mishkan) be yatu stretched out, extended; lo-tachshochiy do not hold back; lengthen your cords and chazekiy strengthen your stakes. Once again the enlargement of Israel’s Tent (worship centre), the stretching out of her dwellings, and the securing of her cords by staking them in the land, is both literal and figurative, physical and spiritual. It applies to exiled Israel’s (ethnic, religious) final return to the land of Israel and at the same time to the coming of the eternal Jerusalem out of the heavens. The physical restoration and the spiritual restoration will converge at the second coming of the King Messiah. “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when the city shall be rebuilt for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. And the measuring line shall go out farther, straight to the hill Gareb, and shall then turn to Goah. The whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be sacred to the LORD. It shall not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever.” -Jeremiah 31:38-40 (ESV) The Hebrew “mekom” place, denotes Ha-Makom (The Place), a reference to the Temple Mount. Likewise, the Hebrew “mishkenot” dwellings, denotes Ha-Mishkan (The Dwelling, The Tent of Meeting). Therefore, by way of remez we see an allusion to the connection between the Holy Mountain and the faith of the individual, the family, and collective Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical) within their own dwellings. The drash that is born from this is one that encourages the practice of being constantly aware that wherever we are we are in the presence of God. Our tents (families, bodies) are, through the Servant King Messiah, an extension of the Tent (Mishkan) of meeting. Thus, we are to strengthen our diligent actions in the practice of worshipping God in spirit and in truth. The enlargement and extension, the strengthening and securing of our tents as an extension of God’s tent, will result in the Gospel of redemption possessing the nations for their good. “Behold Zion, the city of our appointed feasts! Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an untroubled habitation, an immovable tent, whose stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken.” -Isaiah 33:20 (ESV) Isa 54:3 For yamiyn by the right hand usemol and to the left side tifrotziy you will break through, burst over, breach, abroad, ve’zar’eich and your offspring goyim yiyrash will possess, inherit the nations and ve’ariym and the cities (full of terror) neshamot made desolate, yoshiyvu they will inhabit, dwell in. This is not a spreading out that results from captivity and diaspora, rather this is a spreading out of the kingdom of God from Israel (both the land and the people) to the nations of the world. This is a precursor to the Olam Haba (World to Come), and of the continued ministry of Israel through the Messiah. The possession of the nations is for the benefit of the nations, that they might receive God’s redemptive offer through the King (Servant) Messiah Yeshua. “On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.” -Genesis 15:18-21 (ESV) “For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.” -Psalm 37:9-11 (ESV) “Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified.” -Isaiah 60:21 (ESV) “I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah possessors of my mountains; my chosen shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there.” -Isaiah 65:9 (ESV) The phrase “break through…” is a poetic allusion to the breaking forth of children (Gen.38:29; Hosea.13:13) from the fruitful womb of the restored people of Israel represented by the figure of the once barren woman in verse 1. Thus, the spiritual fruit that gave birth to the physical fruit, will in turn bring spiritual rebirth to Israel (ethnic, religious) and from Israel life will proceed to the nations. Isa 54:4 “Al-tiyriy No Fear, kiy because you will not teivoshiy be put to shame; ve’lo tikalmiy and no humiliation, confusion, reproach, kiy because you will not be disgraced; for voshet the shame of your youth you will forget, and the scorn of your widowhood you will not remember od perpetually, going round, continually. “Al-tiyriy No Fear, kiy because you will not teivoshiy be put to shame…” This will be a physical, emotional, mental reality for the returned and restored captives of Israel. Furthermore, it is a profound spiritual truth. The Shaliach (Sent one) Yochanan (John) writes: “This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Yeshua. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.” -1 John 4:17-19 The Hebrew text of Isaiah 54:4 does not say “Fear not” rather it says, “No fear”. This is a statement of fact and not a commandment. There is no fear because, “you will not be put to shame.” This is the counterpoint to those who will be ashamed at the judgement for lack of repentance and because they have no covering for their sin. Therefore, the present verse of Isaiah (while also a physical historical reality) is a word to the elect remnant of repentant Israel (ethnic, religious). It is an illumination of what the Servant King Messiah has birthed among them. They will have no fear because they have been redeemed, forgiven, covered, restored in Him, and will not be put to shame, nor confused or disgraced as a result of sin. “The shame of your youth you will forget…” The past sins of the nation of Israel, both individual and corporate will be forgotten both by God and by Israel because of the saving vicarious sacrificial death and the resurrection of the Servant King Messiah (referred to in the previous chapter). “So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.’” -Isaiah 28:16 (NIV) “The shame of your youth” is probably a reference to Israel’s Egyptian bondage, and “the scorn of your widowhood” to her exile in Babylon. “I warned you when you felt secure, but you said, ‘I will not listen!’ This has been your way from your youth; you have not obeyed me.” -Jeremiah 22:21 (NIV) “Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, Lord, are good.” -Psalm 25:7 (NIV) “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: “This is what the Lord says: “‘I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the wilderness, through a land not sown.” -Jeremiah 2:2 (NIV) Isa 54:5 Kiy For vo’alayich your Husband (from Ba’al) osayich (from asah fashion from something) is your Maker, HaShem (YHVH: Mercy) Tze’vaot Who goes warring (of hosts) shemo is His name; ve’goaleich and your (Kinsmen) Redeemer Kedush Yisrael the Holy One of Israel, Eloheiy the God chol-ha’aretz of the whole earth (land) yikarei He is called. There is a depth of poetic irony in the counter distinctions of this verse that can be easily lost to those who either don’t know Israel’s history of prostitution to false husbands (Ba’aliym) or are unaware of the Hebrew idioms present. The prophet Hosea, who began his ministry prior to Isaiah, and for a short time, a contemporary of Isaiah, writes: “There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. ‘In that day,’ declares the Lord, “you will call me ‘Iyshiy my man (Husband)’; you will no longer call me ‘Ba’aliy my master (Husband).’ I will remove the names of the ha-ba’aliym (Husbands, masters, false gods) from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked.” -Hosea 2:15-17 “Your Ba’al Husband (Master) is your Maker” HaShem makes clear to Israel that He is her true Husband (Ba’al, Master) as opposed to the false Husbands (Ba’aliym) she has been worshipping. HaShem alone is Israel’s Maker. The Hebrew here is “osayich” (from asah fashion from something). Thus, Israel the ethnic people through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, were fashioned from humanity (Bara, created from nothing). God draws Israel’s attention to His character as it relates to her transformation. Ancient Israel, like so many modern Christians, had submitted her faith to the popular worldview of her time rather than allowing her faith to transform her and the world around her. In the present verse HaShem identifies Himself to Israel in the following ways:
Following these Names, the Hebrew text says, “yikarei” He is proclaimed! Because He has placed His name on Israel (ethnic, religious), His reputation is both soiled and honoured in her. Thus, discipline always begins with her. She must be made aware of Who He is and in repentance receive His love for her, so that all humanity might behold the One true God YHVH.
“Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder.” -Zephaniah 3:9 (NIV) Isa 54:6 Kiy-cheishah For a woman (wife) azuvah forsaken, desolate va’atzuvat and grieved, in pain, ruach of spirit: HaShem (YHVH: Mercy) has called you, ve’eishet and like a wife ne’uriym of youth when she is timaeis rejected, cast off, amar says Elohayich your God. The imagery here is that of a woman who has been left to fend for herself in a hostile climate. In Israel’s case God had left her in this situation as a result of her sin and by means of discipline. This is why the text refers to the woman being “grieved of spirit”. This grief is that of a realisation of the sinful nature as a result of the grief of the flesh (earthly life). HaShem has identified Israel this way. In other words, He sees her grief and the potential of her repentant heart. Israel is also seen as a woman cast off in youth who did not please her husband, however, as I mentioned in the introduction to this chapter in reference to my commentary on Isaiah 50, Israel had not been utterly divorced (re: Judah has never been given a certificate [Get] of divorcement) [see my commentary on Isaiah 50:1]. “I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion.” -Hosea 2:19 God’s betrothal to Israel (ethnic, religious) is an everlasting one that is maintained by His faithfulness and not subject to Israel’s failures. “For as a woman forsaken, and afflicted in spirit, the Shekinah, the Lord, met thee, like a woman of youth which was forsaken, says thy God.” -Targum Yonatan (2nd Century CE) It is interesting to note that the 2nd Century Targum sees the “Shekinah” (A Talmudic Hebrew word denoting the feminine manifest presence of God) as being present with Israel in her forsaken state. This fits the spirit of the text which clearly shows that even in her seeming abandonment, God was present, observing and guiding Israel toward redemption and restoration. Isa 54:7 Be’rega katan In a brief (small) moment (wait a moment) azavtich I forsook you, uverachamiym gedoliym but with great compassion (like that of a mother’s womb) akabetzeich I will gather you. “Be’rega katan In a brief (small) moment (wait a moment) azavtich I forsook you…” What seemed to Israel to be a long period of suffering is none the less called “small, brief” by HaShem, Who in the eternal view of redemption considers the 70 year time frame of Israel’s Babylonian exile to be nothing more than a moment. In light of the restoration of Israel and the life awaiting those restored ones in the Olam Haba (World to Come), the exile is truly brief. In truth God was present during Israel’s exile and the word “forsook” is an expression that conveys the perspective of the captive Israelites. “With great compassion (like that of a mother’s womb) I will gather you.” The juxtaposition of the Hebrew is delightful. The katan (small) moment of forsaking is compensated for by gedoliym (greatness, expanses) of compassion. The compensation is not equitable to the suffering of discipline, for HaShem “does not repay us as our sins deserve” (Psalm 103:10). How is this possible in light of His justice? It is possible because He has paid the price that is owed for our sins through His Son our Servant King Messiah. Thus, though we suffer the consequences of our sin for a short (katan) time, we who in repentance have received Him will none the less be gathered in great (gedoliym) compassion. In Yeshua, this great compassion is continually offered to all who would believe, first and always for the Jew and also always for the nations. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” -Matthew 23:37 (TLV) Isa 54:8 Beshetzef In a flood ketzef of anger histartiy panay I concealed My face rega for a moment (wait a moment) mimeich from you, u’ve’chesed but in loving kindness, faithfulness, olam everlasting richamtiych I will have compassion, mercy on you,” says goaleich your (Kinsmen) Redeemer HaShem (YHVH: Mercy). “For a little moment I removed the presence of my Shekinah, yea, for a short time from thee, but with everlasting kindness, which shall not cease, will I have mercy on thee, says the Lord thy Redeemer.” -Targum Yonatan (2nd Century CE) The Targum alludes to the removal not of God’s presence but rather of His manifest presence (Shekinah). Thus, all things exist in God and He manifests Himself within time and space in order that we might come to realise what this truly means. We note that the Hebrew speaks of a flood of anger. This is because there is a poetic comparison being made with the flood of Noah mentioned in the following verse. “I concealed My face for a moment (wait a moment) from you” God’s face is ever present but our ability to perceive His countenance is limited by our sin. Thus, we are reliant on His loving kindness everlasting compassion and mercy in order to behold Him in His glory. And this is made possible only because He acts as our Redeemer, giving of Himself in the manifest form of His Son the King Messiah. There is a sense in which God is speaking to us in our captivity and saying, “Wait a moment, I’m coming” while at the same time being present, even closer than breathing (Deut.30:14). Once again the use of Hebrew conveys the immenseness of God’s Mercy and compassion when compared to our temporary (seeming) isolation as a result of our sin. He is angry for rega (a moment), but as a result of His loving action (chesed) He affords us olam (everlasting) compassion, faithfulness, wellbeing. All because He is our Redeemer (As Messiah, our kinsman) Mercy (YHVH) Himself. In anger God allowed Israel’s temporary disciplining. However, because His love and mercy precede His judgement, and because He has placed His Name on the people of Israel, His compassion will bring about the promised Messianic reign. The repentant remnant of Israel once given into the hands of the nations, will one day rule over all the nations under the greater son of David, the King Messiah Yeshua. “Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.” -Daniel 7:27 (NIV) “The Lord will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Foreigners will join them and unite with the descendants of Jacob.” -Isaiah 14:1 (NIV) Isa 54:9 “Kiy For meiy the waters Noach (rest) of Noah zot so is this liy to Me: asher which nishbatiy as I have sworn me’avor no more going over the meiy-Noach waters of Noah od perpetually, continually al -haaretz on the earth (land), Ken yes, of course true, so nishbatiy I have sworn miketzof that I will not be angry allayich with (on) you, umigeor-bach and rebuke you. The waters of Noah (the flood) are here compared to the flood of God’s anger against rebellious Israel in the previous verse. Put simply, “In the same way that I have promised to never flood the earth again, I also affirm that upon your repentant return I will never withdraw from you in anger again.” This is an allusion to the final redeemed state of the remnant of Israel who accept the Servant King Messiah and come under the atonement of His vicarious sacrifice. We note that in reference to the removal of anger the Hebrew says “od” perpetual, going round forever. The Targum Yonatan further illuminates the means for the removal of God’s anger from Israel (ethnic, religious) by using the figure for Messiah from John 1, “Word” D’var (The Word), Messiah Himself. “This shall be before me as the days of Noah, when I swore by my Word, that the waters of the deluge, which were in the days of Noah, shall no more pass over the earth; thus I swear by my Word, that my anger shall not be hurled upon thee, neither will I reprove thee.” -Targum Yonatan (2nd Century CE) The Babylonian Talmud interprets Isaiah 54:9 as referring to the times of the Messiah (Talmud. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 99. 1.). Therefore, it is clear that this verse refers to that time following the fullness of the nation’s when all the remnant of Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical) will be saved (Romans 11:25). Isa 54:10 For hehariym the mountains yamushu may depart (be removed) u’hagevaot and the hills temutenah be shaken (overturned), ve’chasdiy and my loving kindness, steadfast love, faithfulness will mei’iteich lo-yamush not depart from you, u’veriyt and the covenant (cutting) shelomiy of My peace (wholeness, wellbeing, security) will lo tamut not be shaken, overturned, removed,” says merachameich the One Who outworks mercy, has compassion on you, HaShem (YHVH: Mercy). The opening phrase is an allusion to the removal of the sin affected created order and the restoration of all things. “The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.” -Revelation 6:14 (ESV) HaShem assures Israel’s remnant that even at the passing away of the known world His love and faithfulness will remain as it always has. Included in this eternal promise is the covenant that brings Israel everlasting peace, wholeness, wellbeing. This is the covenant made in the blood of the Servant King Messiah (as explained in the previous chapter) bears the fruit of eternal peace. “Covenant of My Peace” finds its origin in the text of the Torah and is given to Phinehas, who is a type for the Messiah. “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’” -Numbers 25:11-13 (ESV) Isa 54:11 “Aniyah afflicted one, so’arah storm-tossed and lo nachamah not comforted, hineih behold, now, pay attention, anochiy I marbiytz will lay bapuch antimony (A lustrous sparkling grey metalloid) avanayich as your stones vi’sadtiych and your foundations basapiyriym in sapphires. Iben Ezra suggests that the “afflicted storm tossed one” refers to Jerusalem. This is consistent with the remainder of the verse which clearly talks about a future manifestation of Jerusalem reconstructed with precious stones. This future Jerusalem is described in the Revelation of Yeshua to Yochanan (John): “The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,” -Revelation 21:19 (ESV) The Hebrew “Hineih” calls the reader to attention. In response to the afflicted one who is devoid of comfort, Hashem speaks of walls (security) made of precious immovable stones. This is both literal and figurative. The Jerusalem promised to redeemed Israel will offer eternal protection in the presence of God Himself made manifest on the new earth at the end of the age. Isa 54:12 Ve’samtiy And I will make (appoint) kadchod agates (a translucent variety of microcrystalline quartz) shimshotayich your windows, pinnacles (sun reflecting objects), u’shearayich and your gates leavneiy ekdach of fiery glowing stones, ve’col-gevuleich and all your borders, territory leavneiy of stones cheifetz that are precious, delightful, longed for, desirable. The ramparts of the future Jerusalem will reflect the light of God and shine as a beacon to the nations. The gates of the future Jerusalem will be fiery, symbolising the judgement through which all will enter. That fire symbolising that which warms the redeemed and destroys the wicked. The New Jerusalem of Revelation is described as follows: “18 The material of the wall was jasper (red); and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper (purple: Gad); the second, sapphire (blue: Simeon); the third, Carnelian (translucent multi-coloured: Reuben); the fourth, emerald (deep green: Zebulun); 20 the fifth, sardonyx (red laced black: Issachar); the sixth, sardius (red: Judah); the seventh, chrysolite (yellow: Dan); the eighth, beryl (light green multi-coloured: Asher); the ninth, topaz (greyish blue: Naphtali); the tenth, chrysoprase (greenish yellow: Ephraim); the eleventh, jacinth (deep blue: Manasseh); the twelfth, amethyst (violet: Benjamin). 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 I saw no Sanctuary in it, for HaShem (Merciful) God (Judge) the Almighty (Shaddai) and the Lamb are its Temple.” -Revelation 21:18-22 Each of the jewels listed here represent the jewels embedded on the High Priests breastplate. They each represent a tribe of Israel but are listed in an unusual way. The traditional birth order of the tribes of Israel is: Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Ephraim and Manasseh. The order of the tribes as they appear on the priestly breastplate is: Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin, Dan, Asher, Naphtali. We’re told that the foundation stones have the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb on them. In other words the foundations of the apostolic ministry, the tribes of Israel, have the apostles’ names written on them in the same way that the messengers of the twelve gates have the names of the twelve tribes written on them. The purpose of these patterns is to illuminate the meaning of God’s dwelling with humanity based on the premise that He gave a pattern of foreshadowing in the encampment of Israel during her desert wandering. Shaliyachim (Apostles) Shevetiym (Tribes) 1.) Simon Peter (Shimon Kefa) HE HAS HEARD/ ROCK Reuben BEHOLD A SON 2.) Andrew MANLY Simeon HEARS AND OBEYS 3.) James (Yaakov Ben-Zavdai) FOLLOWER Judah PRAISE 4.) John (Yochanan) G-D IS GRACIOUS Issachar REWARD 5.) Philip FRIEND Zebulun DWELL, HONOUR, GIFT 6.) Bartholomew (Bar-Talmai) COVENANT SON OF FURROW Benjamin SON OF MY RIGHT HAND 7.) Thomas (T’oma) TWIN Dan JUDGE 8.) Matthew (Levi) JOINED Naphtali WRESTLE 9.) James (Yaakov Bar-Halfai) FOLLOWER Gad PROVIDENCE 10.) Thaddaeus (Taddai) COURAGEOUS HEART Asher HAPPY 11.) Simon the Zealot (Shimon) HE HAS HEARD Ephraim FRUITFULL 12.) Paul INQUIRED OF G-D Manasseh FORGET (Shaul [Paul] replaces Judas Iscariot by heavenly edict) So why are the jewels representing the tribes listed contrary to the birth order? The answer is in the connection between the priesthood (breastplate), the encampment (tribes/jewels) and the Mishkan, dwelling of God with His people (Rev. 21:3). The order of the jewels corresponds to the order of the tribes as per their encampment around the Mishkan (Tent of meeting) in the desert, beginning with Gad at the south west corner of the camp, followed by the remaining tribes in an anti-clockwise direction, circling the tent of meeting and ending with Benjamin alongside Gad on the opposite side of the south west corner. All of this is a beautiful and elaborate way of connecting God’s temporal dwelling with Israel in the desert to His eternal dwelling (New Jerusalem, new heavens and new earth) with humanity in the Olam Haba (world to come). The names of the apostles combine with the tribes of Israel to unite the people of G-d in an eternal priesthood born of the redemptive work of G-d through His Son, our Messiah Yeshua. The Rabbis agree with Yochanan’s vision of a New Jerusalem with gates made from pearls: “The Holy One, Blessed is He, will in the Olam Haba (World to come), bring precious stones and pearls which are 30 cubits by 30 cubits and will cut out from them openings which are 10 cubits by 20 cubits, and will set them up in the gates of Jerusalem.” –Baba Bathra 75a The transparent gold/glass streets emphasise the flawless state of the city. The reason for there being no Sanctuary (holy place) in the city is that the city itself is the Holy of Holies (cube, foreshadowed by the Holy of Holies of Solomon’s temple). G-d Himself and the Lamb are its temple, and the redeemed are the bricks of the temple: “Don’t you realize that all of you together are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God lives in you (both corporately and individually)?” –1 Corinthians 3:16 The trifold title of G-d, “HaShem (Merciful) G-d (Judge) the Almighty (Shaddai)” emphasizes His primary attributes: He is merciful, just and all powerful. Isa 54:13 Vechol-banayich And all your children limudeiy will be taught by HaShem (YHVH: Mercy), ve’rav and great will be shalom the peace, wholeness, wellbeing of banayich your children. “And no longer shall each one teach his neighbour and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” -Jeremiah 31:34 (ESV) This speaks of a time when God will make Himself the personal teacher of everyone who receives Him. This is made possible through the Servant King Messiah. Redeemed Israel will be taught by God through His Messiah and through the Spirit. The result will be everlasting peace, wholeness and well-being. A midrash applies this verse to the times of the Messiah, when all Israel will learn the Torah directly from the Lord (Midrash Tillim, apud Yalkut in Psal. xxi. 1). Yeshua says: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me.” -John 6:43-45 (NIV) Isa 54:14 Bitz’dakah In righteousness (right action) tikonaniy you shall be established, made firm; rachakiy you shall be far meioshek from oppression, because you will lo tiyraiy not fear; u’mimechitah and from terror, destruction, ruin, for it will lo tikrav eilayich not come near you. Without the righteousness of God Israel could never remain firmly established; not in the land, not in faith, not in posterity. The righteousness spoken of here is not the righteousness of Israel’s faithful but the righteousness of God, purchased for Israel by the faithful Servant King Messiah Who is born of her in the flesh and of God in the Spirit. Thus, the righteousness that is the fruit of Messiah’s vicarious sacrifice is the righteousness that will perpetually establish redeemed and restored Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical). “The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.” -Zephaniah 3:15 (NIV) “Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith.” -Isaiah 26:2 (NIV) “And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning…” -2 Samuel 7:10 (NIV) “But I will encamp at my temple to guard it against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch.” -Zechariah 9:8 (NIV) The better translation of “Kiy lo tiyraiy” is, “Because No Fear!” In short, due to the righteousness of Israel in Messiah which firmly establishes God’s eternal kingdom on earth, oppression wont touch you, because, No Fear! “This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Yeshua. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.” -1 John 4:17-19 Isa 54:15 Hein Now, pay attention, gor if a stranger yagur stirs up strife, efes naught (zero), nothing of it meiotiy is from Me; miy-gar whoever stirs up strife itach with you alayich yipol will fall because of you. The shorter form “Hein” carries a similar sense to “Hineih”. Pay attention! This is the second of three “Pay attention” proclamations in this chapter, all of which occur in the latter quarter of the passage. It’s as if God were firmly establishing peace for His people by forewarning her that there is a time coming when it would appear that they are doomed despite God’s promises: however, this would be a last flailing attempt by the enemies of God and of Israel, nothing more than smoke and mirrors. Those who gather against Israel will be destroyed in her midst. “Behold, the captivity of thy people shall surely be gathered unto thee: in the end, the kings of the nations, who are gathered together to oppress thee, Jerusalem, shall be cast down in the midst of thee.” -Targum Yonatan (2nd Century CE) The Targum which reads “Shall be cast down in the midst of you” may well be referring, albeit unwittingly, to Revelation 11:13, where 7000 perish in the midst of an earthquake in Jerusalem, following which Israel gives glory to God. This is probably the catalyst for the time of Israel’s restoration through Messiah to God as an entire remnant nation (Romans 11:25). Iben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, interpret those who stir up strife for Israel in the latter days as being the prophetically significant figurative enemy nations of Gog and Magog. The Revelation of Yeshua to Yochanan (John) describes those who will stir up trouble against Israel in the last days: “And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Ha-Meggido.” -Revelation 16:12-16 This is a transitional warning to the restored remnant. Redeemed Israel is not to allow any perceived temporary threat to cause her fear. Nor is she to doubt the promise of Hashem in regard to her security in His righteousness. Those that appear to have the power to stir up trouble for Israel will be defeated because of her association with Hashem, made manifest in righteousness through the King Messiah. The same God Who has returned and restored Israel will also fully fill all the promises He has made to her. This remains a dire warning today to all those nations who plot against the modern Jewish State and the Jewish people throughout the world. Know this, if you stir up trouble against Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical) you will fall because of God’s devotion to her. Isa 54:16 Hineih Behold, now, pay attention, anochiy I baratiy I have created (from nothing) charash the smith nofeiach who blows be’eish on the fire pecham coals u’motziy and brings out, produces cheliy a weapon, instrument, vessel lemaaseihu for his purpose, work. Ve’anochiy And I baratiy I have created (from nothing) mashchiyt the corrupt, decaying, destroyer le’chabeil to bind; This is now the third and final “Hineih” of the chapter, “Now Pay Attention!” Before God makes it clear that any and all weapons formed against Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical) will be defeated, He reminds Israel that He is the Creator of all things and that her enemies cannot form anything except that which God has allowed them to use. He does this in part to show that the enemies of Israel are formed of the created things but the God Who protects her is all existing, uncreated, everlasting, and relies on nothing and no one in order to act in her defence. This certain and immutable security is given to Israel as a promissory note prior to the events of the latter days. “The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it over the coals, fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. Yet when he is hungry, his strength fails. When he drinks no water, he gets tired.” -Isaiah 44:12 (TLV) “Behold, the Lord GOD helps me; who will declare me guilty? Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up.” -Isaiah 50:9 (ESV) Isa 54:17 Col-keliy All weapons, instruments, vessels yutzar formed alayich against you lo will not yitzlach prosper, succeed, advance vechol-lashon and all tongues, languages takum-itach that rise against you lamishpat in judgement tarshiyiy you shall refute, condemn. Zot This nachalat is the heritage avdeiy of the servants of HaShem (YHVH: Mercy), ve’tzidkatam and their righteousness, justice, vindication mei’itiy is from Me, neum-YHVH declares, reveals, proclaims HaShem (YHVH: Mercy).” “No weapon that is formed against thee, Jerusalem, shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from me, says the Lord.” -Targum Yonatan (2nd Century CE) This promise to Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical) is made to her prior to her exiled state and made perfect in her through her restoration. It applies not only to physical weapons but also to all forms of weaponry, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, political etc. It is important to note that the text reads as a promise to Israel. “No weapon formed against you…” Therefore, the common Christian practice of reframing this promise to apply to the individual believer by paraphrasing the text as, “No weapon formed against me will prosper…” is at best presumptuous and at worst a violation. This promise is made specifically to the ethnic, religious people of Israel and applies to followers of Messiah Yeshua only in so far as they walk in unity with Messiah and in defence of the cause of God’s chosen nation Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical), the Jewish people. When I consider the irony of modern Christian practice with regard to this verse I am at once both incredulous and on behalf of those Christians who misuse this verse, terrified. For example, the Christian that uses this verse to reassure themselves while holding a political position of resistance against the modern Jewish State of Israel (approx. 6.7 million Jews), is in fact cursing themselves. How? By quoting this promise they invoke the contextual, historical and prophetic power of this promise as it applies to the ethnic people of Israel whom they are siding against. Thus, by speaking this promise they bring judgement against themselves as those who form weapons against the Jewish people. It is unwise to make a general paraphrase of a Biblical text in order to personalise it, when the plain historical, contextual meaning does not allow for it. This is a habit that results in tragic misinterpretation of Scripture and is informed by selfish pride rather than selfless submission. We are prone to forcing our faith to submit to our worldview, when in fact we should be humbling ourselves before God and asking Him to transform our world view according to our faith in Him through His King Messiah. We do not critique Scripture, to the contrary, the Scripture critiques us. My warning to Gentile Christians who misappropriate Scripture spoken specifically to the Jewish people is this, do not steal from your older brother those things which God has given directly to him (ethnic, religious Israel), rather be satisfied with that which God has given you and enjoy the benefits of being under the promises given to your older brother, remembering that as soon as you attempt to come out from under those promises in order to usurp him (ethnic, religious Israel), you are no longer under the shadow of those promises, and have therefore, made yourselves subject to retribution. HaShem disciplines the ones He loves. Be discerning in your use of Scripture. “It will be like a hungry man dreaming and behold, he is eating, but awakes with his hunger unsatisfied, or like a thirsty man dreaming and behold, he is drinking, but awakes faint, his soul thirsting. So it will be with the multitude of all the nations warring against Mount Zion.” -Isaiah 29:8 (TLV) “Behold, all who were angry at you will be ashamed and disgraced. Those who quarrel with you will be as nothing and perish.” -Isaiah 41:11(TLV) Copyright 2019 Yaakov Brown When we place our trust in the implementation of immoral legislation and seek entertainment in the den of witchcraft, we are no better than that wicked ancient nation Babylon (confusion). Introduction:
At the time it was first spoken (By Isaiah) and recorded (by Isaiah’s scribe) Isaiah 47 was prophetic of the near future. It is now also a description of history, because the events of Babylon’s demise alluded to in this portion of the scroll of Isaiah literally came to pass (Twice in close succession ref. Cyrus and Darius). Finally, it remains prophetically future, because Revelation 17 & 18 describe a similar destruction that is yet to come upon a revived Babylonian empire in the latter days. Thus, the reality of the nature of Biblical Hebrew prophecy is illuminated yet again. Biblical Hebrew prophecy is God speaking into time and space that which He has already seen complete outside of time and space. Therefore, within time and space Hebrew prophecy appears to take on a cyclical nature. From our purview it is rarely fulfilled once, to the contrary, almost every Biblical Hebrew prophecy has and will have multiple fulfillments within the time and space bound journey of human history. Isa 47:1 Rediy Come down, sink down, descend usheviy and sit, dwell, remain al in, upon afar ashes, rubbish, dust, betulat virgin bat daughter Bavel (Babylon, confusion); sheviy sit, dwell, remain la-aretz on the land eiyn-kisei without a throne, Bat-kasdiym daughter Chaldea (increasing)! Kiy For, because lo no more tosifiy will you increase (be added to), yikreu lach you will be called rakah weak, tender va-anugah and delicate. “Descend and remain in garbage virgin daughter confusion; remain sitting on the ground without any power, daughter of those who increase their wealth at the expense of others. For you will no longer increase your holdings and power, you will be called weak and delicate, vulnerable.” -Authors paraphrase “Descend and sit in the dust, kingdom of the congregation of Babylon; sit on the ground, there is no throne of glory, kingdom of the Chaldeans; for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.” -Targum Yonatan (2nd Century CE) The poetic allusions to virginity and youth are meant to convey the idea that Babylon as a super power, had stood for some time unchallenged and therefore, figuratively speaking had not been deflowered, that is, had its power taken from it. In order to build a platform for avoiding the miraculous virgin birth of the Messiah, many modern Jewish commentators translate the Hebrew Betulat as “fair maiden, young woman etc.” However, with regard to the scroll of Isaiah, our ancient rabbis have always understood Betulah to refer to a virgin (a young woman “that has not been deflowered”-Iben Ezra) in the context of Isaiah. In referencing the current verse, Iben Ezra writes: “Babylon is like a virgin…” Additionally, the rabbis who translated the Hebrew text of Isaiah into Greek as part of the Greek version of the Tanakh (OT), the Septuagint, chose the Greek word “Parthenos”, meaning, a marriageable maiden, one who has never had intercourse, a virgin etc. Babylon would lose her throne to Cyrus and Darius, kings of Persia. Thus she would remain in the dust (close to the earth) and no longer dwell at the height of her power on her throne (elevated, close to the sky). This stark contrast in poetic imagery conveys the prominent Biblical truth, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”(Yaakov 4:6) The Hebrew Kasdiym (Chaldeans) is a plural that comes from the root kesed (increase) and literally means “increasing, increasers”. Thus, the poetic irony of the latter part of verse 1. The daughter of increasers will no longer increase. Revelation 18 details the fall of the yet future Babylon, head of the beast (empire) that opposes God and His tsaddikim (righteous ones, saints). The future Babylon, like the ancient one, will be both literal and spiritual, a world leader in opposition to God and his people Israel (ethnic, religious), and like its ancient seed, it too will be destroyed, this time, never to rise again. Isa 47:2 Take rechayim millstones and grind kamach meal flour, galiy put off your veil, chespiy-shovel strip off your robe, galiy uncover shok your thigh, ivriy pass through neharot rivers. “Receive this calamity and go into servitude; put away the glory of thy kingdom, thy princes are overthrown, the people of thy armies are scattered, they have vanished away like waters of the river.” - Targum Yonatan (2nd Century CE) To work with millstones was the job of the servants and handmaids, thus the mighty will fall and become servants and slaves. The uncovering of the thigh and exposing of the private parts is both a literal description of the raping of women by invaders and a figurative allusion to the deflowering of the kingdom which had been so proud of it’s political virginity. The Targum rightly understands the stripping of the veil to be a figurative allusion to the removal of the crown of Babylon. Likewise, the stripping of the robe is seen as the removal of the princes and the revealing of the thigh, a figure for the removal of the armies of Babylon, leaving the femoral artery of the people (thigh) exposed. The uncovering of the thigh may also be an allusion to the fact that in order to traverse the rivers as they flee, the Babylonians will have to hitch up their clothes exposing their thighs. The rivers in question being the Tigris and Euphrates. Isa 47:3 Your ervatech nakedness will be uncovered, gam also cherpatech your disgrace, reproach, scorn will be seen. I will take vengeance, ve’lo and not efga make intercession for adam a man. The rhyming Hebrew couplet “ervatech” (nakedness) and “cherpatech” (disgrace) emphasise the full extent of Babylon’s shame. It is HaShem Who will take vengeance and will refuse to make intercession for those who have violated, abused, enslaved and murdered His chosen people Israel (ethnic, religious). “Your disgrace will be seen” means that all of the known world will be made aware of Babylon’s demise. The “Whore Babylon” of Revelation 17 will also be left naked and her flesh dined on by the ten rulers of the anti-Messiah empire. HaShem will take vengeance on that future Babylon, which is, and has always been the seat of Satanic power on earth (Rev. 18:20). Isa 47:4 Goaleinu Our Kinsman Redeemer YHVH (HaShem: Mercy) the LORD Tzevaot Who goes warring (of hosts) shemo is His name--Kadosh Yisrael Holy One of Israel (Overcomes in God). Both the prophet and all Israel interject with the words, “Our Kinsman Redeemer, Mercy Who goes warring is His Name, the Holy One of Israel.” God is described as the Kadosh Yisrael, Holy One of Israel. He is the One Who kidush, sanctifies Israel. Isa 47:5 Sheviy sit, dwell, remain dumam in silence, u’voiy and go va-choshekh into darkness, Bat-kasdiym daughter Chaldea (increasing); for you will lo no longer be called ge’veret mistress of mamlachot kingdoms. “Remain in silence” means that Babylon will be defeated and remain a non-entity on the world stage for a very long period of time. This of course will come to a head in the latter days when Babylon will arise once more and meet her final destruction (Rev. 18). “Go into darkness” is figurative of the literal imprisonment of the fleeing Babylonians, as well as a picture of Babylon’s ultimate spiritual destiny. “No longer called mistress of kingdoms” This shows how far Babylon has fallen. We note that Babylon is referred to in the feminine and her punishment correlates to the Whore of Babylon, described in Revelation 17-18. From a Jewish cultural perspective, sitting silently in darkness is associated with mourning. Thus, figuratively speaking, Babylon will go into deep mourning and will remain there. Isa 47:6 I was angry with amiy My people; chilaltiy I profaned, made common nachalatiy My inheritance, heritage, possession; I gave them into your hand; you showed them no rachamiym mercies; upon the zakein ancient (old, aged) you placed your exceedingly heavy ulech yoke (teaching), burden. “Amiy” Notice that HaShem continues to take ownership of Israel (ethnic, religious), even when she disobeys Him and He becomes angry with her. Thus, He uses the Hebrew “amiy”, people belonging to Me. God had allowed Israel to be taken into captivity in order to discipline her, as a father disciplines the son whom He loves. Part of being a talmid (disciple) is discipline. Israel had sinned against God through idolatrous practices and hatred of His covenant with her, and by her refusal to keep the Torah He had given her. However, this did not mean that He saw Babylon as a righteous nation, to the contrary, the actions of the Babylonians had proved true to their character, born of the seat of Satanic power on earth. “Chilaltiy I have polluted, profaned, defiled…” This is the counterpoint to the idolatrous and defiling, polluting, profanity of Israel. The chosen people had desecrated and compromised the cities of Israel by their actions and their rejection of God. Therefore, “I have polluted and made common My possession”. Notice yet again the ownership God takes of Israel, even in the midst of her hatred toward Him. He calls her “common” who was uncommonly chosen to be a light to the nations. This emphasises the depths of her sin and the need for her to repent and return to her true position as the chosen people of God reflecting His glory. “I gave them into your hand…” God now addresses the Babylonians. “You showed them no mercies…” God is by nature merciful, and requires those He employs to discipline His children to show due mercy in their dealings with Israel. Babylon, according to her Satanic root, showed no mercy, for she was and is the daughter of confusion (Bavel), the daughter of increasing darkness (Chaldea). “You placed an exceedingly heavy burden, even on the elderly” The plain meaning revealing the depths of the Babylonian cruelty. The Hebrew zakein can also be understood to refer to the entire nation of Israel, whose origin in God is ancient. Thus, we might read, “You placed an exceedingly (unjust) burden on the ancient people of God”. “Ulech”, your yoke, can be understood literally but is also commonly understood to be a metaphor for a teaching: spiritual, philosophical etc. Thus, we can read, “You placed your own unbearable philosophy, religious belief, ideology on My ancient people”. In other words, the very Satanic ideology that had place Babylon under spiritual bondage, she sought to put onto God’s chosen people Israel. The irony being that Israel had sought out this bondage in spite of the love God had shown her. Isa 47:7 You said, “Le-olam Forever (to worlds) I will be gevaret mistress,” so that you did not lay these things upon libech your heart (inner person), lo nor remember their end. The Babylonian rulers considered themselves gods. They went by the title “King of kings”, a blasphemous claim equitable to El elyon “God over all other gods”. Note that the Hebrew text uses the feminine and exposes this arrogant claim according to ancient cultural norms by calling Babylon “gevaret” mistress rather than “Adon or Ba’al” lord, master. This is an intentional illumination of her subordinate status: exposing her delusional claims. Therefore, due to her self induced delusion, she is unable to lay the truth to heart, nor can she perceive the logical conclusion to her actions. Her power is temporary, her end is destruction. The correlation between the present verse and Revelation 18:7 is incredible to say the least: “As she has exalted herself and indulged herself in luxury, so give her the same measure of torment and grief! For in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen-- I am no widow; I shall never see grief.’” -Revelation 18:7 (TLV) ref. Zephaniah 2:15 Isa 47:8 Ve’atah And you shimiy hear this, zot you adiynah lover of pleasures, hayoshevet who sit, dwell, remain la-vetach securely, who say bilvavah in your inner (collective) heart (inner being), “Ani I am, and there is no one besides me; I will not eshev sit, dwell, remain as an almanah widow or know the loss of children”: The warning continues… Babylon’s arrogant claims and wicked actions provide evidence for the indictment being brought against her. “Lover of pleasures” is an allusion to the practice of sexual immorality and other sensual sin (Rev. 18:4). Describing of Babylon Curtius writes: "no city was more corrupt in its manners, or furnished to irritate or allure to immoderate pleasures. Parents and husbands suffered their children and wives to prostitute themselves to strangers, so that they had but a price.'' -Curtius Hist. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 1. Additionally, both Herodotus and Strabo describe a Babylonian practice that required women (by law) to prostitute themselves publicly (in the temple of Venus) at least once in their lifetime (Clio, sive l. 1. c. 199; Geograph. l. 16. p. 513.). “Dwell securely” emphasises the fact that in her deluded sinful state Babylon truly believes herself to be “Mistress over all”. She is certain in her own eyes that she is invulnerable, never to suffer widowhood or lose her progeny to death. “After all” she thinks, “It is I who make the women of other nations widows and it is I who put their children to death”. Ref. Rev. 18:7. Isa 47:9 These two things shall come to you in an instant, beyom echad in one day; the loss of children ve’almon and widowhood, ketumam fulness, completion will come upon you, in your many sorceries, and beatzemat in the great strength chavarayich meod of your exceedingly binding magic. “But these two things shall come to thee, in an appointed time, in one day, loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection: notwithstanding the multitude of thy sorceries, notwithstanding the great strength of thine enchantments.” -Targum Yonatan (2nd Century CE) The two things mentioned in verse 8 will come upon Babylon by surprise and in an instant. She will suffer as a widow, and she will lose her children to death. Babylon was quite literally bereaved of her king and all her royal household when Cyrus took the city in 539 BCE (Xenophon Cyropaedia, 1. 7. sect. 23.) Additionally, when Darius besieged Babylon (522), the occupants of the city “slew all their own women, wives, sisters, daughters, and all their children, reserving only one wife and maidservant to a man” (Dr. Prideaux Connexion, &c. part 1. B. 3. p. 188, 189.) Darius is said to have ordered three thousand of the principal inhabitants to be crucified. The Hebrew text warns Babylon that, “The completion of your many sorceries (evils) will come upon you…” There is a direct correlation made between sorcery, witchcraft, and the death of husbands and children. The mishleiym (Proverbs) remind us that “An undeserved curse cannot land”, however, in the case of Babylon, the curse is deserved many times over. The curses she has prayed on others will come back upon her. The Chaldeans were famous for their witchcraft, sorcery etc. (Daniel 2:2). Isa 47:10 Vativtechi You trusted ve-ra’atech in your evil; you said, “No one sees me”; your wisdom and your knowledge hiy she (they f.) shovatech has turned on you (perverted you, led you astray), and you said ve’libech in your inner being (heart), “Ani I am, and there is no one besides me.” “You trusted in your evil” Babylon had trusted in her own sinful actions and the fruit thereof. Today within our western democracies we do the same: trusting in laws that give sexual sin pre-eminence and allow euthanasia (the murder of the elderly, infirm, the intellectually and the physically disabled). We trust in the right of a woman to choose to murder her child, and advocate for criminals at the expense of their victims. We are enamoured by witchcraft and sorcery, and have allowed occult spirituality to usurp the sound doctrine of the King Messiah. When we place our trust in the implementation of immoral legislation and seek entertainment in the den of witchcraft, we are no better than that wicked ancient nation Babylon (confusion). Thus, we have entered confusion: depression and mental illnesses varied and debilitating have risen exponentially, our criminals are seen as victims and our victims as criminals, our children cannot decide what sex they are, because we have convinced them they are genderless spirits in human husks, and our modern families are nothing more than club houses for the wickedly like-minded. All who oppose the status quo of Liberalism are kicked out of the tribe-less Universal social engine of world consciousness. In short, we are about to succeed in destroying ourselves, and in the meantime, the armies of the East are rallying in order to wipe us from the face of the earth. On Yom Ha Din (The Day of Judgement), we will not be able to hide behind our democratic system, nor will we be able to justify ourselves by our inaction. When we fail to act against evil we become culpable. “No one sees me” Babylon had convinced itself that its hidden witchcraft and secret political plans could not be seen by any other nation or people. While this may have been true, Babylon had neglected to understand that the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient Creator of the Universe and God of Israel could see and was well aware of her secrets and the ineffectiveness of them. “Your wisdom and your knowledge has turned on you, perverted you.” Neither human wisdom or knowledge are synonymous with truth. Thus, the accumulation of knowledge is no guarantee of a truthful reality. Babylon had gained great knowledge and had acted wisely in her wickedness but that same knowledge, wisdom and wickedness was about to come back on her. She had worked tirelessly only to bring about her own demise. All the while, like a numb navel gazer, she claimed “I am, and there is none besides me!” Isa 47:11 Uva And coming alayich upon you, ra’a evil, you will not know when it will dawn; hovah a ruin will fall upon you, which you will not be able to endure or kaperah atone for; and coming upon you suddenly, a shoah desolation unknown to you. We note that the previous verse says “You have trusted in your own evil (the root being ra’a)”. Now we read, “ra’a (evil) will come upon you”. Like the wicked of the latter days, the Babylonians did not know the day or the hour of their demise. “A ruin will fall upon you, which you will not be able to endure or atone for”. This ruin, while clearly historical, is also a spiritual reality. We note that the Hebrew kaperah (atoning sacrifice) is used. Thus, there is a ruin that will come upon the wilfully unrepentant, a ruin for which there is no further atonement. In other words, “It is appointed unto human beings to die once and then the judgement…” (Hebrews 9:27-28). Therefore, any human being who has not received the atoning sacrifice (Kaperah) of the King Messiah Yeshua before passing into sheol, is left without the necessary atonement to deliver them from eternal punishment. This comes down to the human being exercising his or her free will. God does not send people to eternal punishment, to the contrary, those who end up there will have chosen to go there: their hatred for God being such that they refuse His sacrificial love and reconciliatory offer of redemption. “For if we keep on sinning wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there is no further sacrifice for sins…” -Hebrews 10:26 Isa 47:12 Stand now vachavarayich in your magic (company) uvero and your great keshafayich witchcraft, with which you have laboured from your youth; perhaps you may be able to succeed; perhaps you may inspire fear. “Vachavarayich in your magic (company)” We note that the Hebrew can be understood to mean both magic arts and or a company or club of practitioners of the aforementioned arts. Thus, the prophet calls out that which has been hidden and demands that the occultists stand in the light of God’s judgement. The witchcraft of the Babylonians had been “great, prolific”, it had been a way of life, a religion. Not unlike the many philosophies and practices of our own time, many of which claim to be non-religious but are in fact religious in the worst possible sense, born of the deceiver himself (Satan). “with which you have laboured from your youth;” This is evidence of the sin of the fathers upon the children. Indoctrination from youth had meant the demise of an entire society. “Perhaps you may be able to succeed; perhaps you may inspire fear.” This is not mockery, to the contrary, it is a challenge to the self-deluded and arrogant Babylonians. “Do you really believe that your magic is undefeatable, that your work cannot be torn down, that you can inspire fear in the One Who has swallowed up fear with victory? It is of course a rhetorical question and the answer is “You will not, you cannot!” Isa 47:13 Nileit You are wearied, grieved, impatient, offended bero in your many counsels; let them stand up now veyoshiuch and save (deliver) you, hovereiy those who divide shamayim the heavens, hachozim visioners, seers bakochavim who gaze at the stars, modiyim predictors (knowers) who make known lechodashim at the new moons (months) what will come upon you. “Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let them now rise up, and save thee, who are familiar with the Zodiac of the heavens, who look at the stars, who make known appointed seasons: deceiving thee, saying, Thus it shall happen unto thee each month.” - Targum Yonatan (2nd Century CE) The Targum correctly understands this as an indictment against the magicians, astrologers, false prophets and sooth Sayers of Babylon. We note that the Babylonians had become wearied and grieved by the predictions of their magicians and sooth Sayers. Daniel 2 describes events in the court of Nebuchadnezzar, where the astrologers, magicians and sorcerers were unable to divine the king’s dream. This was the kind of unreliability the Babylonians had come to expect from their spiritual advisors, those who practiced various forms of demonic witchcraft. “let them stand up now and save you” This is similar to the taunt of Elijah when challenging the worshippers of the Ba’aliym to call on their gods to save them. “Who make known at the new moons (months), what will come upon you.” This is a taunt which exposes the inaccuracy of the predictions made by the star gazers (astrologers), particularly in reference to the new moons, the beginning of months. It is frightening to note how closely this describes the teaching of so many eschatological Christian preachers and so called Prophets in the present day. The evidence of their inaccurate predictions has been seen on mass recently when following the arrival and departure of a number of blood moons, none of the things they predicted had come to pass. I have yet to see them held accountable for their false testimony. God will not be mocked. Isa 47:14 Hineih Behold, pay attention, now they have become stubble; eish fire serafatam will burn them; they cannot deliver et-nafsham their souls miyad from the hand (fig. power) lehavah of flame. Eiyn-gachelet No coal to warm nor ur fire (fire emanation, fire light) lashevet to sit, dwell, remain before! “Behold, they shall be weak as stubble. The nations which are as strong as fire shall consume them, they shall not deliver themselves from the hand of the slayers: there shall be no remnant nor escaped of them, yea, not a place, in which one might deliver himself.” - Targum Yonatan (2nd Century CE) Iben Ezra, in agreement with the Targum, reads the Hebrew eish (fire) as a figure for the invading armies. As support for this reading he references Num. 21:28. “Hineih” Now, pay attention, look upon this. A final call to sobriety. The people of Babylon will become as stubble burned up by the invading armies. The prophet writes in the past tense because God has already seen these things complete. “They cannot deliver their souls from the hand (fig. power) of flame.” This is once more both literal and figurative as well as spiritual. The Babylonians will not be able to overcome the flame of those who come to destroy them. In fact, that is exactly what happened on at least two occasions in history. Nor can they deliver their own souls from the flame which emanates from God’s Spirit and judgement. “Nor ur fire (fire emanation, fire light) lashevet to sit, dwell, remain before” This final clause is of great significance and is drenched with irony. Avram (Who became Avraham), the father of Isaac and Jacob, came from Ur of the Chaldees. Our text says that there will no longer be ur (light emanating from fire) for the Babylonians to warm themselves by. They will no longer be privileged to sit by the true ur light emanation that proceeds from God. Their connection to Avram will be snuffed out. Why? Because the seed of Avram (the Jews) are about to be taken from them, and via Darius, returned to the Land that Avraham was promised on oath by God, the land covenanted by God to Avraham and his ancestors (Isaac & Jacob [Israel]) while he slept. Isa 47:15 Kein so (yes) you have become as those who laboured for you, your merchants with you from your youth; ish each man le’evro will go beyond, tau erring, wandering, astray, staggering, none moshiyeich will save you. Babylon became like those she had used, abused and traded with from her infancy. She had been a mistress, now she would be a slave. She had spared no one, now there would be no one to save her. The Hebrew moshiyeich is related to Mashiyach (Saviour, Anointed One). Thus, because she had not known the Mashiyach, she “erred, wandered, went astray, with none moshiyeich to save her”. “The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning;” -Revelation 18:15 (ASV) Copyright Yaakov Brown 2019 “Trust ye in the Word of the Lord for ever and ever: thus ye shall be saved by the Word, who is the fear of the Lord, the mighty One to eternity.” -Targum Yonatan (approx.. 2nd Century CE) Introduction:
Isaiah 26 is a song of the redeemed people of ethnic-religious Israel. Who, at the time of their individual and national redemption at the end of the age “In the Day”, will reflect on the Lord’s love and protection over them and rejoice; soberly acknowledging that though other lords “adoniym”, have ruled them in their disobedience, a remnant has always sought the one true God of Israel HaShem (YHVH), her King of Mercy. Thus, having received her own Messiah Yeshua, in “The Day” (Last Day: time period) she will rejoice and sing of God’s goodness and judgement against His enemies. NB: This chapter is not, as some foolishly assert, a song of or about, the Church. It is worth noting that the Holy Personal Name of God YHVH, which denotes mercy, is used 12 times in this portion of scripture. A portion that details a song of the redeemed 12 tribes of Israel. A people whom God calls, “Ami” (My people). Isa 26:1 Bayom In the day, that (he) one, singing the song, this one, be’eretz in the land of Yehudah (Judah: Praise): A city of strength to us; yeshuah salvation appointed as a wall and fortress. “At that time they shall sing a new song in the land of the house of Judah: ‘We have a strong city, salvation and mercy shall be established upon her walls.’” -Targum Yonatan (approx.. 2nd Century CE) “Praise HaShem (YHVH). Sing unto HaShem (YHVH) a new song, and praise Him in the congregation of Chasidiym faithful ones.” -Tehillim/Psalms 149:1 “The city of Jerusalem, which was always our strength from time immemorial, the Savior shall place salvation for its walls and its bulwark.” -Rashi “A city of strength” refers to Jerusalem, both earthly and new (now and not yet) [Revelation 21:2]. NB: A bulwark is a smaller wall of defence that precedes the main city walls. Iben Ezra notes that this city is Jerusalem, and that Jerusalem is strength to “us”, that is, to Israel (religious, ethnic, empirical). He further states that “God will appoint salvation.” Jerusalem, the meaning of which is “Flood/downpour of Peace”, is our present strength and our future hope. It is our present strength because in Messiah Yeshua we receive the flood of Peace that comes with the seal of His redemptive sacrifice and resurrection. This peace is imparted to us through the Spirit of the Father and the Son, the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit). Jerusalem is also our future hope because we are currently bound to time and space. We look to the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2), something the writers of the Targum also looked toward. That Jerusalem is prepared for us outside of time and space and will descend at the coming of the Messiah. God has appointed our salvation (yeshuah) in Himself. His name is Yeshua, and He is the King Messiah of Israel. Isa 26:2 Open His gates, ve’yavo and enter in goy a nation tzadik righteous shomeir keeping, guarding, awaiting emuniym faithfulness, trusts, trusting. A city is usually referred to in the feminine, therefore, the opening phrase “Open His gates” is likely a referance to the Lord because the nearest subject is the walls which are also feminine. Thus, it seems that it is the New Jerusalem that is alluded to here, the city whose gates belong to HaShem. This is why the masculine is used. The righteous nation mentioned is none other than redeemed ethnic-religious Israel (redeemed through Yeshua the Messiah). She is pictured here as the nation who guards, keeps, awaits, and carries the emuniym, eternal trust and faithfulness of God. This trust is in the One Who both birthed her and is born of her, that is Yeshua the Messiah. While the more common usage of shomeir is “Guard, keep” etc. Rashi alludes to its use in other parts of Scripture in the sense of “awaiting”: “Shomeir-waiting. Compare Gen 37:11, ‘And his father awaited (shomeir) the matter.’ Similarly Deut. 7:12, ‘And the Lord, your God, shall await (shomeir) the covenant for you.” -Rashi The Rabbeinu Bahya on Shemot (Exodus) 19:6:2 explains that the phrase “goy kadosh” (Holy nation) is possessive and can be rendered as “Nation belonging to the Holy One”. It further states that a similar construction is used in Isaiah 26:2, “goy tzadek” (Nation belonging to the Righteous One). It explains that these constructions are in reference to ethnic-religious Israel’s role in the Olam Haba (world to come), whereas the construction “mamlechet kohaniym” (Kingdom of Priests [Exodus 19:6:2]) represents Israel’s role in the Olam Hazeh (present world). Iben Ezra, says that “The gates of that city should only be opened for righteous people”. We know that no one is truly righteous but God, and that it is only through God the Son that we can be made righteous. Therefore, those who are made righteous through Messiah, both Jew and Gentile, will enter this city; which is the New Jerusalem. Isa 26:3 Yitzer forming, purposing samukh rest titzor to watch over him in shalom, shalom peace, peace (wholeness, wholeness, immutable peace, peace firmly established, eternal peace), because in Him he batuach firmly places trust, feels secure, safe, without care. “In a perfect heart they shall preserve peace: peace shall be wrought for them, because they have trusted in thy Word.” -Targum Yonatan (approx. 2nd Century CE) Notice that it is God Who forms and purposes rest, and that God’s rest watches over the believer in immutable (perfect and perpetual) peace as a result of the believer responding to God’s love with a continual act of temporal trust (batuach). Temporal meaning, this world is temporal. Thus, we trust in Him daily until we enter the Olam Haba (world to come). The word "perfect" is not in the Hebrew text, rather the text says, "shalom, shalom (peace, peace)". This doubling of the word shalom denotes the fact that peace has been firmly established for those who trust (betach) in HaShem. This peace is immutable and corresponds to the eternal trust/faith (emunah) received by those who act in perpetual temporal trust (betach) as a response to God’s redemptive offer of eternal life through His Son Yeshua. Isa 26:4 Bitchu His trust, Ba’YHVH is in HaShem (Mercy) adeiy-ad beyond perpetuity (for ever and ever); for beYH in Yah (YHVH: Mercy) HaShem (YHVH: Mercy), tzur is rock, cliff face, olamiym everlasting, worlds perpetual. “Trust ye in the Word of the Lord for ever and ever: thus ye shall be saved by the Word, who is the fear of the Lord, the mighty One to eternity.” -Targum Yonatan (approx.. 2nd Century CE) Note that the Targum Yonatan ( an ancient non-messianic paraphrase) alludes to the fact that the Word of the Lord is the One Who saves. Compare Yochanan (John) chapter 1. The fact that the Holy personal name of God is used three times in this verse is significant given that it is a verse which explains the kind of temporal trust action that leads to eternal security in God. We read that HaShem is like a “rock, cliff face”, which is a metaphor for immovable strength. and he has been the Rock of His people ethnic-religious Israel in olam hazeh this world, and in ha-olam haba the world to come. The Talmud explains that “He that trusts in HaShem has a refuge in this world, and in the world to come.” [Talmud. Bab. Menachot. Fol. 29. 2.] Isa 26:5 For He has brought down them that dwell on high, the lofty city: He lays it low, He lays it low even to the ground; He brings it even to the dust. Here, the proud and lofty city is alluded to in contrast to the city of God where the righteous will dwell. The lofty city is a figure for the seat of Satan’s temporal power on earth, that is Babylon. In a wider sense it refers to any city that rejects God and His people. Rashi compares the lofty city with Tyre and Rome, a city which later Jewish commentators see as a subsequent manifestation of Babylon. Iben Ezra says that “Them that dwell on high, etc. This refers to the heathens.” And adds that “He will continually lay it low.” Speaking of Babylon in the previous chapter Isaiah says, “And the high place of your fortress walls He brought down to strike the soil, ground, land until it turned to dust.” In both cases “dust” is a metaphor for death and destruction. Isa 26:6 The foot shall tread it down; the feet of the poor, and the steps of the lowly. Kimchi explains that these are the poor of Israel. Therefore, this follows the theme of the previous chapter and Israel ruling over those who had oppressed her. “He will bring it so low, that it will be trodden not by the foot of the noble but by that of the poor.” – Iben Ezra Yarchi interprets the “feet of the poor” as referring to the feet of the King Messiah, according to Zechariah: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King comes to you: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon a donkey, and upon a colt the foal of a donkey.” -Zechariah 9:9 Isa 26:7 Orakh A path la’tzadik to the righteous: meiyoshariym upright ones, a straight magal track, entrenchment tzadik a righteous tepaleis balance, justice, ponderance, weighing. “The paths of the righteous are right: thou wilt establish the works of the ways of the just.” -Targum Yonatan (approx.. 2nd Century CE) “They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.” -Jeremiah 31:9 Once again the prophet refers to righteous redeemed Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical). When compared to the words of Jeremiah we see that the Lord entrenches the paths of the righteous in living waters that flow toward the goal He has set for them. In Him the path of the righteous leads to a merciful judgement that weighs love on the scales of justice and finds in favour of the redeemed. His path is clear and straight, there is no wavering in it. Isa 26:8 Indeed, in the path of Your judgments, justice HaShem (YHVH: Mercy), kiveynucha we hope expectantly, waiting; for Your name, for Your remembering, ta’avat is the desire, longing of our nafesh entire being (Soul). “He shows His Word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.” -Tehillim/Psalms 147:19 We note that the individual (Yaakov: follower) who seeks redemption is shown the Word (D’var: Yeshua) of the Lord, and that the corporate body born of the follower (Yaakov) and named for her salvation, that is Israel (Yisra-overcome El-in God/the Judge), is guided by His ordinance and right judgements. Many misunderstand the Hebrew word “nefesh” (soul). While it can refer to that which is eternal in every created living being, it also encompasses the mechanisms and material elements of the body and its functioning within this world. Therefore, it is better to translate nafesh as “entire being”, meaning, from conception unto eternity. Note that it is in the path of God’s ordered guidelines and His manifest justice that the faithful place their hope, and not in the temporal and flawed justice and rules of humanity. Not only does the servant of God hope in His justice and instruction, the servant also waits patiently and expectantly for the fullness of God’s justice. Waiting expectantly for the Holy Name of Mercy YHVH and remembering His attributes. This is the unquenchable desire and longing of the entire being of the faithful servant of HaShem. Isa 26:9 Nafshi My entire self (Soul) iviytiycha desires, sighs, wants, longs for You balaylah in the night; indeed, ruachi my spirit, breath within me ashacharecha diligently, earnestly seeks for you early, because when Your judgments, justice are laaretz in the land/earth, tzedek righteousness Lamdu is learned by he who dwells in the teiveil world. While the Hebrew words “nefesh” and “ruach” are associated with all living creatures, the convergence of the two is unique within the human being and is referred to in Hebrew as “neshamah” (breath, spirit, panting of flesh, soul and spirit as one). The divisions of soul and spirit in the present text should not lead us to conclude a disunity within the soul as a complete entity. The purpose of the distinction is to reveal the unique and intimate nature of humanity in relationship to the Creator God. Animals and plant life do not share the neshamah of humanity, rather they are created to be cared for by humanity as an expression of humanity’s likeness to the Creator Who is the singular uncreated relational being. “My soul longs for You at night” is both literal and figurative. Israel, both as individuals and as a redeemed nation long for God at night time. In addition, the night can refer to a state of captivity and distress (Yarchi). Therefore, we can read “My soul longs for You when I am in captivity”. “My spirit within me earnestly seeks for You early” is again both literal and figurative. Literal in the sense of morning prayer (Sacharit) and figurative in the sense of rejoicing in freedom from captivity, symbolized by the breaking of dawn and the morning light. Thus, with all of his being both soul and spirit the faithful servant of HaShem seeks Him “evening and morning” according to the pattern of creation (Compare Genesis 1). “When Your judgments, justice are laaretz in the land, tzedek righteousness is learned by he who dwells in the world.” In other words, “When the righteousness of God dwells in the hearts and lives of redeemed Israel in the land of Israel, the other nations witness it and learn to fear, honour and worship the God of Israel. The Hebrew teiveil refers to the inhabited parts of the earth. Isa 26:10 Yuchan Though grace, unmerited favour is shown to the wicked, yet he refuses to learn righteousness; in the land of nechokhot straightness he acts wrongfully, and refuses to see the majesty of HaShem (YHVH: Mercy). This verse while speaking specifically of the wicked who act shamefully against the land and people of Israel and her God, also applies to the wicked at large. God does not send wicked people to eternal punishment, rather, due to their own self worship and stubborn refusal of God’s love, they are left with no other destination. Therefore, although they are shown and offered grace they refuse it and spit on the goodness of God in order to promote themselves. God’s majesty is seen throughout creation, but they refuse to see it. The Jewish commentator Yarchi interprets the “land of straightness” as Jerusalem, and the temple, and sees the wrongful acts as being perpetrated by Israel’s enemies, who spoil, plunder, and destroy the holy hill. The Talmud (T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 6. 1.) interprets the wicked as being Esau, who is a figure for the Romans, the destroyers of Jerusalem and the land of Israel in the latter part of the first century CE/AD. Isa 26:11 HaShem (YHVH: Mercy), Your hand is lifted up, and yet they don’t see: but they will be put to shame when they see Your zeal for the people; indeed, fire will devour, burn up, consume Your, enemies. “O Lord, when thou shalt be revealed in thy power to do good to them that fear thee, there will be no light to the enemies of thy people: the wicked shall see it, and shall be confounded. The vengeance of thy people shall cover them; yea, fire shall consume thy enemies.” -Targum Yonatan (approx.. 2nd Century CE) In the latter days fire will come from God’s prophets and consume His enemies: “And if any man will hurt them, fire will proceed out of their mouth, and devour their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.” -Revelation 11:5 Notice that the enemies of God (the wicked) will be put to shame, when they see God’s zeal for His people Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical). Isa 26:12 HaShem (YHVH: Mercy), You will establish shalom peace for us; for You have also made all our works (deeds) in us. All that has, is, and will be done in Israel, has been purposed by the hand of God for His glory and her established peace. In other words, “You have always done for us that which we did not know how to do.” Isa 26:13 HaShem (YHVH: Mercy) Eloheinu our God (Judge), other adoniym lords besides You have had dominion over us; but by You only will we make mention of Your name. In other words, “We won’t associate Your Name with inferior lords”. The Targum interprets this to refer to the unfaithful Jewish governors who had ruled over Israel. It may also refer to the Assyrians and Babylonians, and can certainly represent any and all anti-Messianic lords and rulers who seek to oppress Israel. It probably does not refer to the worship of the baaliym (husbands, masters, false gods) or else the Hebrew would have been “baaliym” rather than “adoniym”. However, the reason for the choosing of “adoniym” may have been to use a title that encompassed both human and demonic rulers. In which case “baaliym” can be interpreted implicitly. This is less likely though, given the following verse which speaks of the lords being dead, something that is not appointed for demonic entities until the judgement and subsequent eternal punishment. Isa 26:14 They are dead, they will not live; they are deceased, they will not rise: therefore You have visited and destroyed them, and made all remembrance of them to perish. The fact that the lords of the previous verse are dead, will not live, and are deceased; they will not to rise, means that they are wicked human rulers who are destined for the second death of eternal punishment. Thus there will be no remembrance of them and they will perish in the lake of fire alluded to in the Revelation. Additionally, they no longer have power over Israel because she has been redeemed by HaShem and she will give Him glory alone forever. Isa 26:15 You have added increase to the nation, HaShem (YHVH: Mercy), You have added increase to the nation; You are glorified; You have enlarged all the borders of the aretz land. The “Nation” is Israel, who has previously been called “The righteous nation” (Isaiah 26:2). and the borders are of Israel’s aretz land. Once again the repetition denotes the fact that God has firmly established this outcome. Isa 26:16 HaShem (YHVH: Mercy), in distress they have sought You; tzakun they poured out, melted into lachash whispering when Your discipline was upon them. The whispering prayer is of the weak and penitent, the desperate and remorseful. Notice that the distress which Israel had suffered causes her to melt and be poured out, resulting in these whispered prayers of supplication. Isa 26:17 Like a woman with child, that draws near to the time of her delivery, and is in pain and cries out in her pangs; so we have been before You, HaShem (YHVH: Mercy). This is an analogy that denotes great expectation, hope and anticipation on the part of the nation of Israel. Isa 26:18 We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not accomplished any yeshuot salvation in the aretz land/earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. Israel had thought herself pregnant with the hope of a redemption born of her own piety, only to find that her own piety was nothing but flatulence. What she thought to be her deliverance was nothing more than worthless air devoid of salvation. She was not able to obtain salvation in her own land, nor were those in the inhabited world able to obtain salvation. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Salvation cannot be accomplished by human beings, it must be received. No effort on our part will bring about redemption, but God Himself will redeem (Just as the Passover Haggadah proclaims, “I have redeemed you: I Myself, and no other!” Isa 26:19 Your dead will live; my dead body will arise. Awake and sing, you that dwell in the dust; for your tal dew (night mist) is oraot lights, talecha your night mist, vearetz and the land/earth will cast forth the dead. This is one of the places in Scripture from which the Jewish belief in the resurrection is proved; a belief that predates Hellenistic thought by at least 400 years. This verse is also applied to the times of the Messiah, and to the resurrection in His days (Talmud. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 90. 2, & Cetubot, fol. 111. 1. Midrash Kohelet, fol. 62. 3. Targum in loc.). “Your dead will live” is an allusion to the resurrection of the righteous and specifically to the resurrection of the righteous of Israel. “My dead body will arise” is firstly a personal testimony of the prophet himself and secondly the prophetic testimony of the Messiah. The first person singular should not be interpreted to refer to multiple people. “Awake and sing, you that dwell in the dust” is a metaphor for the resurrection of the dead. This is a poetic repetition like the couplets of the psalms which seeks to remind the reader that these matters are firmly established. “for your tal dew (night mist) is oraot lights, talecha your night mist:” This is an allusion to the present glory of God in the convergence of the resurrection. The Shekhinah or k’vod HaShem, a mist or dew of lights that raise the dead. Water (dew) and light are pictured together here as the mechanisms for bringing forth the plant that grows from that which had perished. As Rav Shaul says: “For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” – 1 Corinthians 15:53 Isa 26:20 Come, ami My people, enter into your innermost chambers, and shut your doors: hide yourself for a little moment, until the za’am indignation, rage, has passed over. HaShem now speaks gently to His beloved chosen people Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical), saying, “Ami” (My people). Israel is being asked to do as she did during the plague of the firstborn in Egypt, “enter into your innermost chambers, and shut your doors: hide yourself for a little moment, until the za’am indignation, rage, has passed over.” The indignation and rage are that of HaShem against the wicked. Therefore, He once again hides Israel “in the cleft of the Rock” as it were. This concerns the latter days and a time when HaShem will once again shield Israel, this time as a redeemed nation through Yeshua the King Messiah. Hashem’s messenger (Angel) will once again pass over and see the blood of the Pesach Lamb (Yeshua) on the doorframes of the houses of Israel and she will be spared while her enemies and those who have hated HaShem will suffer His rage. “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.” -Daniel 12:1(NIV) Isa 26:21 For, behold, HaShem (YHVH: Mercy) comes forth out of His place to punish the inhabitants of ha-aretz the land/earth for their iniquity: ha-aretz the land/earth also shall reveal her blood, and will cover her slain no more. "and the earth shall reveal the innocent blood that is shed on it, and shall no more cover her slain.” -Targum Yonatan (approx.. 2nd Century CE) “For, behold, the Lord comes forth out of His place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.” -Micah 1:3 God, being omnipresent, is everywhere, however, the Hebrew text uses picture language to convey a sense of God’s immutable authority over all things, thus, He comes forth from the heavens, out of His dwelling place, His throne, and descends to the highest places of the earth, showing them to be figuratively, far beneath His heights. Thus, He justly punishes iniquity. At the coming of God in power at the end of the age, the land will reveal all the innocent blood shed from the blood of Abel to the last of the martyrs, that is those who have died “Kadosh Hashem” sanctifying the Holy Name. “And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.” -Revelation 18:24 “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until You judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sister, were killed just as they had been.” -Revelation 6:9-11 How long, Sovereign Lord of Mercy? © 2018 Yaakov Brown |
Yaakov BrownFounder of the Beth Melekh International Messiah Following Jewish Community, Archives
February 2024
|