Tanak Foundations-Concepts in Isaiah-Chapter 4

Isa 4.1-6 is a very short chapter but it is full of eschatology, as we shall see. So, we will discuss the Peshat (literal, historical) level along with the Sowd (secret, hidden) eschatological level. In the Peshat, this chapter carries on with the theme of Chapters 2 and 3 and the judgment of God that was coming with the Assyrians, the Babylonians, Romans, and the False Messiah later. Because of war and captivity, there are very few men left but the Lord will preserve a remnant and bless them and they will be fruitful. Yehovah will wash away the sins of the people, and then he will create a protection for them and they will be safe in the presence of Yehovah.

However, the chapter is also very eschatological and it alludes to the Birth-pains (tribulation) and the coming of the Messiah. So, we are going to look at the verses at the Sowd/eschatological level now. This chapter needs to be understood in Jewish eschatological terms.

There is what is called the “Seven Thousand Year Plan of God” and this can be understood in the following terms. Before creation, we have what is called the “L’ Olam Vaed” ( eternity past) and it is also called the Olam Haba and Gan Eden. Beginning at creation to Abraham, we have a two-thousand-year period called “Tohu” meaning “void, waste, empty.” From Abraham to Yeshua we have another two-thousand-year period called “Torah” meaning “instruction, guidance.” This followed by another two-thousand-year period called the “Yomot Mashiach” or the “Days of the Messiah.” Yeshua did come after 4000 years from creation. We are currently at the end of this period now. This six-thousand-year period overall is called the “Olam Ha Zeh” or “This Present Age” (Matt 24.3). The last one-thousand-year period is called the “Atid Lavo” meaning “The Coming or Future Age.” It is also known as the Messianic Kingdom, the Day of the Lord, “in that day”, the Lord’s Day, and the Sabbath of God. In Christian eschatology, it is called the Millennium.

After this seven thousand-year period we enter into eternity’s future, called the Olam Haba or the ‘World to Come” (Heb 6.5). So, the seven thousand years are bookended by the L’ Olam Vaed/Olam Haba because we are moving forward to the past.

This small chapter will carry the themes of the fall festivals of Rosh Ha Shanah (marriage), Yom Kippur (to restore atonement/covering) and Sukkot (the Kingdom, God’s presence with the people) that have not been fulfilled yet and teach the second coming of Yeshua. The spring festivals of Passover, Hag ha Matzah, Bikkurim, and Shavuot were fulfilled in the first coming of Yeshua.

v 1…For seven women (alluding to the seven thousand year plan of God, the number of completion, the congregation of believers is complete) will take hold of one man (alluding to the Messiah who will be revealed to the remnant) in that day (the day of the Lord, Atid Lavo) saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us (the bride) be called by your name, and take away our reproach” (these are Rosh Ha Shanah terms because it is about a marriage. Jer 23.5-6, and Jer 33.15-16 talks about the name of the Lord and a marriage. Deut 28.10 uses these same concepts where it says his name “is called over you.” So we have a marriage between the Messiah and his eschatological bride here).

v 2…In that day (again we have a time period being referred to and it is the day of the Lord, or when Messiah comes in Jewish thought), the Branch (Hebrew “tzemach” and a term for the Messiah in Zech 6.12-13, and it is usually in the masculine in Hebrew, but not here. It is in the neuter tense, or masculine/feminine sense. He is one with the bride) of the Lord (Yehovah) will be beautiful and glorious (salvation has branched out, growing with life and will be seen in all its glory) and the fruit of the earth (the bride is parallel with the Branch in Isa 27.6, 37.31, 55.12, 61.3) will be the pride and adornment of the survivors of Israel (the remnant-Isa 1.9, 27.12-13, 66.18-22; Jer 31.7; Zech 13.8-9; Matt 24.30-31; Rom 11.26).

v 3…And it will come about that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy (“wedded” or has a kedusha as the set apart bride-Jer 33.15-16), everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem (the book of life and more Rosh Ha Shanah terms).

v 4…When the Lord (Yehovah) has washed away the filth (now we have Yom Kippur terms) of the daughters of Zion (the believers), and purged the blood of Jerusalem (in the Temple there was a conduit called the “Amah” and it brought water into the Temple courts. This was stopped up and the courts could be washed down from all the blood of the korbanot every seventh day. This also alludes to the Niddah who is a woman cleansed from her blood flow-Lev 15.19-24) from her midst by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning (this is a Hebrew parallelism alluding to the purity rituals and a major theme of Yom Kippur-Joel 2.16; Matt 24.30; Eph 5.26-27).

v 5…The Lord (Yehovah) will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies (Hebrew root is “mikrah”-Lev 23.2) a cloud (Hebrew “anan” symbolizing the Shekinah or presence of God and also alludes to the believers in Isa 60.8. These are Sukkot terms) by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night, for over all the glory (kivod, radiance) will be a canopy (marriage chupah because there has been a wedding).

v 6…And there will be a shelter (Hebrew “sukkah”) to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and rain (continuous protection-Isa 25.6-7;Psa 27.5; Rev 7.15-17).

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

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