Chapter 54 - The Problem
With What Many Teach
Chapter 54: 1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break
forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with
child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children
of the married wife, saith the LORD.
It seems tome that most commentaries conclude since Paul quotes this
verse in Galatians 4:27 (For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren
that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for
the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an
husband.) Isaiah 54:1 must be speaking to the New Testament church
which is made up of mainly gentiles. (Paul went to the gentiles with
the gospel) so they both must be about the Gentile church either
replacing the Israel and gaining the promises made to Abraham or
becoming spiritual Jews by being adopted or grafted into Gods
family.
[Verse 1: Rejoice: This verse is quoted in Gal. 4:27 and applied to
the church which is the spiritual Israel and corresponds to heavenly
Jerusalem or Zion. There is little doubt that the Apostles
understood that the church of Christ is the fulfillment of the
prophecies of the restoration of Zion under Messiah Jesus. Fred P
Miller]
The teaching that the church will merge with Israel or replace
Israel leads to their teaching that 54:2-3 = Enlarge the place
of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine
habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy
stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the
left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate
cities to be inhabited. Is about the Jews inheriting the
gentiles who respond to the gospel (the universal church) and so the
Jews, nation of Israel will be busting at the seams and inhabit the
cities of the world.
Problem 1- Galatians 4:27 is used in an allegory (Galatians
4:24) - Paul is writing to Christians in Galatia - not to Old
Testament Jews. Paul is distinguishing between being free through
faith or in bondage to the flesh. Gal 4:27 is identified with the
Jerusalem from above (Galatians 4:26) not the Jerusalem of Isaiah's
time or today. The Jerusalem spoken of in Gal 4:26 is the New
Jerusalem that comes down after the 1000 kingdom is over. What are
we as Christians looking for (Titus 2:13) - Why are we not looking
for the New Jerusalem - Once raptured we are in the heavenly
Jerusalem and will be there before is comes to earth.
Problem 2 - There is no Gentile church or Jewish church in
the before it is empowered at Pentecost, there was no Gospel before
the death burial and resurrection.
Problem 3 - There are no church where the Jews are welcoming
great masses of gentiles inside it's walls
Problem 4 - This position tends to have all of Revelation as
an allegory, with no pre-tribulation rapture of the Church, no
actual 7 year judgment, and the Jews and Gentile Christians both
waiting for the Christ coming down subdue the wicked and claim His
kingdom. New Jerusalem coming down
Problem 5 - Isaiah 54:5 , the Maker in context with Israel
and Jerusalem never seen in the Testament. the word maker is seen
only once on Hebrew 11 (verse 10) which is speaking of Old Testament
Hebrews whose faith was accounted unto them for righteousness. LORD
with all capital letters is only used with the nation of Israel. (In
Gal 4:27 Paul does not end the verse with , saith the LORD Paul is
dealing with New Christians being seduced into placing themselves
under the bondage of the law.
There is a problem when you merge Jews with the New testament
Church. While it is true the first church was made up of saved Jews
with some gentiles. is it that way today? How many churches are
mostly Jews? Are the Jews having to build lager structures to
accommodate a great mass of gentiles today?.
Problem 6 - This merger of gentiles into the nation of Israel
seems to do away with the distinction between the Jews and gentiles.
So there will be just one big nation. Gen 22:17 sand and stars speak
of entire human race not just Abraham’s seed. Nations are mentioned
at the end of the 1000 Kingdom.
For next week read : Isaiah 54: Isaiah 30:1, 31:1: Jeremiah 3
(noting 1, 14, 19); Isaiah 10:20-22 Zechariah 14 (noting 16) |