The Triumvirate of Israel, Egypt and Assyria: Isaiah 19

Isa 11.11-16; 19.16-24; cp. Ps 47.8-9.

Isa 19.23-25:

“In that time Israel will be a third with the Egyptians and the Assyrians, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying: ‘Blessed are my people whom I brought forth from Egypt; because they sinned before me I exiled them to Assyria, and now that they repent they are called my people and my heritage.’” Targum, Isa 19.25.

Isaiah 13-39: A Commentary, Otto Kaiser:

“…the people of God now includes Israel, Egypt, and Assyria [Isa 19.16-24].”

Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah, Volume 1, Franz Delitzsch:

“Israel thereafter is no longer alone God’s people, God’s creation, God’s inheritance, but Egypt and Assyria are all these three things as well as Israel. To express that, the three titles of Israel are commingled, and each of the three nations obtains one of the precious names, that applied to Israel…”

Isaiah, John N. Oswalt:

“The language of Isaiah 19.20-22 appears to have been consciously chosen to demonstrate that Egypt will share the same kind of relationship with the Lord as Israel did. The final expression of God’s positive plans for Egypt is, if anything, even more shocking that the previous two. He is not merely going to deliver Egypt and Israel from the Assyrian oppressors, he is going to join the three countries together in the common worship of the Lord! ...Israel will fulfill the function that God promised to Abraham for his descendants (Gen 12.3). They will be a blessing to the world, a means whereby the blessings of God can come to all peoples, a means whereby the election of Israel is extended to everyone (‘Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork’, Isa 19.25).”

A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New, G. K. Beale:

“…the Egyptians will be identified as Israelite Semites [v.18], a likely way to connote that such allegiance indicates that one is to be reckoned as a native Israelite [Hebrew speaker]. In addition, that Egypt is also called ‘My people’ adds to this impression, since ‘My people’ (‘ammi) virtually without exception occurs elsewhere with reference to God’s people Israel [outside of 19.25 refers to Israel every other time, 25X]. Similarly, the expression that Assyria is ‘the work of My hands’ may have the same connotation, since the phrase ‘work of My hands’ (or virtual equivalents with different pronouns) occurs only 4 times elsewhere in Isaiah, 3 of which refer to Israel as God’s work.”

An exposition of the Old and New Testament Vol: 2:

“[Egypt & Assyria] shall be as welcome to God as Israel. They are all alike his people, whom he takes under his protection: they are formed by him, for they are the work of his hands; not only as a people but as his people. They are formed for him, for they are his inheritance, precious in his eyes, and dear to him, and from whom he has his rent of honour out of this lower world…they shall all share in one and the same blessing.” 

Matthew Poole Annotations Upon the Holy Bible:

Isa 19.24: “[Israel will be] the third party, to wit, in that sacred league, whereby all of them oblige themselves to God. [Egypt & Assyria] are here put synecdochically for all the Gentiles.”

Isa 19.25: “[Israel, Egypt, and Assyria] of whom he speaks as of one people, in the singular number, because they are all united into one body and church. My people: this title, and those which follow, that were peculiar to the people of Israel, shall now be given to these and all other nations of the world.”

Has the Church Replaced Israel? Michael J. Vlach:

“…even though ‘Israel’ language will be applied to other nations it is not done so at the expense of national Israel’s identify…The nations who are blessed are not incorporated into Israel, but they are blessed alongside Israel. Spiritual unity does not cancel national distinctions.”

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary, Isa 19.24:

third—The three shall be joined as one nation.

blessing—the source of blessings to other nations, and the object of their benedictions.

Matthew Poole’s Commentary, Isa 19.24:

“The third; the third party, to wit, in that sacred league, whereby all of them oblige themselves to God.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible, Isa 19.24:

“There shall be a triple alliance between them; Jew and Gentile shall be made one, the middle wall of partition being broken down; yea, Israel, or the Jews, shall be the third, or the Mediator between them both, or the means of uniting the Gentiles together, since the Gospel of peace was to go out from them, as it did.”

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, Isa 19:

24. shall Israel be the third]—member of the Messianic League.

Psalm 47.9: Benson Commentary:

“…almost all the ancient versions and more modern translators render the former clause of this verse, The princes of the nations are incorporated with the God of Abraham: similar to which is the version of our Liturgy; The princes of the people are joined to the people of the God of Abraham. “In this prophetical sense,” says Dr. Dodd, “which seems most proper, the princes of the people mean the heathen princes, who were to be converted to Christianity, and to join themselves to the people of the God of Abraham; that is, to the Jewish converts under the dominion of Christ.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible:

“even the people of the God of Abraham; whom the God of Abraham has chosen for his people, taken into covenant, given to his Son, and who are redeemed by his blood, and effectually called by his grace; and who, though Gentiles, belong to the same covenant and the same covenant God as Abraham did, and have the blessing of Abraham upon them; and are indeed his spiritual seed, being Christ's. The Targum is, "the people that believe in the God of Abraham". The words may be rendered in connection with the former clause, "gathered together unto the people of the God of Abraham" (h); and so denote the association of the Gentiles converted with the believing Jews, as was at the first times of the Gospel, and will be at the latter day, 1 Corinthians 12:13.”

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges:

“The Massoretic text of the next line must be rendered with R.V., ‘To be the people of the God of Abraham’: a bold phrase, reaching the very climax of Messianic hope, and hardly paralleled elsewhere. For though the nations are frequently spoken of as attaching themselves to Israel in the worship of Jehovah (Isaiah 2:2 ff; Isaiah 11:10; Isaiah 56:6 ff; Isaiah 60:3 ff.; Zechariah 8:20 ff.; &c, &c), they are not called “the people of God.” This title is reserved for Israel, and only in the N.T. are the promises made to Israel extended to the Gentiles (Romans 9:25). Yet see Isaiah 19:25, where Egypt receives the title ‘my people.’

The rendering of R.V. marg. ‘Unto the people,’ is scarcely legitimate. It is however to be noted that the consonants of the word ‘am’ ‘people’ are identical with those of ‘im, ‘with,’ and the LXX read them as the preposition (with the God of A.). It is a natural conjecture that we should restore the preposition and render;

The princes of the peoples are gathered together, along with the people of the God of Abraham.

the God of Abraham] The title recalls the promises of blessing to the nations made through Abraham (Genesis 12:2 f. &c.).”

Pulpit Commentary:

“The princes of the people (literally, princes of peoples) are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham; rather, to be the people of the God of Abraham (Revised Version) - i.e. to form, together with Israel, the one people, or Church, of God (comp. Isaiah 49:18-23).”

The Restoration of Pagan Nations: Commentaries

Ezek 29; Isa 11.11-16; 19.16-24; Jer 46.26; 48.47; 49.6, 39; cp. Ps 47.8-9.

 

“The promise of a future repopulation of Egypt comes as something of a surprise in view of the unrelieved doom and disaster proclaimed against her in the preceding oracles…the similar passages in 48.47; 49.6; 49.39 [shows that] a reversal of fortunes is promised to Moab, Ammon, and Elam…The promise of restoration for Egypt must still be seen in a broader context: the similar passages in Isa 19.18-25 and Ezek 29.13-16. In the latter passage Egypt was to be restored and exiles returned, but the new Egypt was to be so small and weak that never again could she be a reliance for the people of Israel.” WBC, Jer. 46.26.

“The proclamation of judgment upon those nations which invaded and plundered Judah is expected, but his proclamation, like that of Amos 1-2, takes an unexpected turn: Judah will also experience exile (so Rudolph). Perhaps even more shocking is the promise to restore the other nations along with Judah, if they will learn the ‘way’ of God’s people (cf. 10.2).” WBC, Jer. 12.14-17.

“Moreover Yahweh’s sovereignty over other nations was such that he could promise to restore them to their own inheritances in the aftermath of the Babylonian ravages if they would turn to him, in terms that mirror the promise made to Israel in the same context (Jer 12.14-17). So the conquest of Canaan, through which Israel gained possession of what had been the inheritance of other nations (Ps 111.6, nahalat goyim [inheritance nations]), was not unique in itself…What made it unique was the context of election, redemption, covenant, and law that surrounded the events (Ps 111.7-9; cf. 147.19-20; also Deut 4.32-38).

The ultimately universal goal of these realities in the blessings of the nations themselves explains the paradox of the summons to the nations in Ps 47 to rejoice in the conquest by which God gave their land to be Israel’s inheritance (47.3-4[4-5]). It was part of a history through which, eventually they, the nations, would belong to the very people of Abraham themselves (47.9[10]; cf. 82.8; Isa 19.24-25, and 3, below). Hence, note the baffled grief when that history seemed to have been thrown into reverse by the nations’ entering into Israel’s inheritance, not in eschatological blessing, but in destructive violence and divine judgment (Lam 5.2). Beyond that judgment, however, the climax of God’s purposes is seen by Paul to be the inclusion of the nations into the people of God through the gospel and in the Messiah, Jesus—a reality he describes using the strongly OT inheritance language (Eph 3.6; cf. 2.11-22).” #5706, NIDOT.

Isa 19.23-25:

“In that time Israel will be a third with the Egyptians and the Assyrians, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying: ‘Blessed are my people whom I brought forth from Egypt; because they sinned before me I exiled them to Assyria, and now that they repent they are called my people and my heritage.’” Targum, Isa 19.25.

Isaiah 13-39: A Commentary, Otto Kaiser:

“…the people of God now includes Israel, Egypt, and Assyria [Isa 19.16-24].”

Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah, Volume 1, Franz Delitzsch:

“Israel thereafter is no longer alone God’s people, God’s creation, God’s inheritance, but Egypt and Assyria are all these three things as well as Israel. To express that, the three titles of Israel are commingled, and each of the three nations obtains one of the precious names, that applied to Israel…”

Isaiah, John N. Oswalt:

“The language of Isaiah 19.20-22 appears to have been consciously chosen to demonstrate that Egypt will share the same kind of relationship with the Lord as Israel did. The final expression of God’s positive plans for Egypt is, if anything, even more shocking that the previous two. He is not merely going to deliver Egypt and Israel from the Assyrian oppressors, he is going to join the three countries together in the common worship of the Lord! ...Israel will fulfill the function that God promised to Abraham for his descendants (Gen 12.3). They will be a blessing to the world, a means whereby the blessings of God can come to all peoples, a means whereby the election of Israel is extended to everyone (‘Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork’, Isa 19.25).”

A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New, G. K. Beale:

“…the Egyptians will be identified as Israelite Semites [v.18], a likely way to connote that such allegiance indicates that one is to be reckoned as a native Israelite [Hebrew speaker]. In addition, that Egypt is also called ‘My people’ adds to this impression, since ‘My people’ (‘ammi) virtually without exception occurs elsewhere with reference to God’s people Israel [outside of 19.25 refers to Israel every other time, 25X]. Similarly, the expression that Assyria is ‘the work of My hands’ may have the same connotation, since the phrase ‘work of My hands’ (or virtual equivalents with different pronouns) occurs only 4 times elsewhere in Isaiah, 3 of which refer to Israel as God’s work.”

An exposition of the Old and New Testament Vol: 2:

“[Egypt & Assyria] shall be as welcome to God as Israel. They are all alike his people, whom he takes under his protection: they are formed by him, for they are the work of his hands; not only as a people but as his people. They are formed for him, for they are his inheritance, precious in his eyes, and dear to him, and from whom he has his rent of honour out of this lower world…they shall all share in one and the same blessing.” 

Matthew Poole Annotations Upon the Holy Bible:

Isa 19.24: “[Israel will be] the third party, to wit, in that sacred league, whereby all of them oblige themselves to God. [Egypt & Assyria] are here put synecdochically for all the Gentiles.”

Isa 19.25: “[Israel, Egypt, and Assyria] of whom he speaks as of one people, in the singular number, because they are all united into one body and church. My people: this title, and those which follow, that were peculiar to the people of Israel, shall now be given to these and all other nations of the world.”

Has the Church Replaced Israel? Michael J. Vlach:

“…even though ‘Israel’ language will be applied to other nations it is not done so at the expense of national Israel’s identify…The nations who are blessed are not incorporated into Israel, but they are blessed alongside Israel. Spiritual unity does not cancel national distinctions.”

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary, Isa 19.24:

third—The three shall be joined as one nation.

blessing—the source of blessings to other nations, and the object of their benedictions.

Matthew Poole’s Commentary, Isa 19.24:

“The third; the third party, to wit, in that sacred league, whereby all of them oblige themselves to God.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible, Isa 19.24:

“There shall be a triple alliance between them; Jew and Gentile shall be made one, the middle wall of partition being broken down; yea, Israel, or the Jews, shall be the third, or the Mediator between them both, or the means of uniting the Gentiles together, since the Gospel of peace was to go out from them, as it did.”

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, Isa 19:24. shall Israel be the third]—member of the Messianic League.

Psalm 47.9: Benson Commentary:

“…almost all the ancient versions and more modern translators render the former clause of this verse, The princes of the nations are incorporated with the God of Abraham: similar to which is the version of our Liturgy; The princes of the people are joined to the people of the God of Abraham. “In this prophetical sense,” says Dr. Dodd, “which seems most proper, the princes of the people mean the heathen princes, who were to be converted to Christianity, and to join themselves to the people of the God of Abraham; that is, to the Jewish converts under the dominion of Christ.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible:

“even the people of the God of Abraham; whom the God of Abraham has chosen for his people, taken into covenant, given to his Son, and who are redeemed by his blood, and effectually called by his grace; and who, though Gentiles, belong to the same covenant and the same covenant God as Abraham did, and have the blessing of Abraham upon them; and are indeed his spiritual seed, being Christ's. The Targum is, "the people that believe in the God of Abraham". The words may be rendered in connection with the former clause, "gathered together unto the people of the God of Abraham" (h); and so denote the association of the Gentiles converted with the believing Jews, as was at the first times of the Gospel, and will be at the latter day, 1 Corinthians 12:13.”

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges:

“The Massoretic text of the next line must be rendered with R.V., ‘To be the people of the God of Abraham’: a bold phrase, reaching the very climax of Messianic hope, and hardly paralleled elsewhere. For though the nations are frequently spoken of as attaching themselves to Israel in the worship of Jehovah (Isaiah 2:2 ff; Isaiah 11:10; Isaiah 56:6 ff; Isaiah 60:3 ff.; Zechariah 8:20 ff.; &c, &c), they are not called “the people of God.” This title is reserved for Israel, and only in the N.T. are the promises made to Israel extended to the Gentiles (Romans 9:25). Yet see Isaiah 19:25, where Egypt receives the title ‘my people.’

The rendering of R.V. marg. ‘Unto the people,’ is scarcely legitimate. It is however to be noted that the consonants of the word ‘am’ ‘people’ are identical with those of ‘im, ‘with,’ and the LXX read them as the preposition (with the God of A.). It is a natural conjecture that we should restore the preposition and render;

The princes of the peoples are gathered together, along with the people of the God of Abraham.

the God of Abraham] The title recalls the promises of blessing to the nations made through Abraham (Genesis 12:2 f. &c.).”

Pulpit Commentary:

“The princes of the people (literally, princes of peoples) are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham; rather, to be the people of the God of Abraham (Revised Version) - i.e. to form, together with Israel, the one people, or Church, of God (comp. Isaiah 49:18-23).”

Zech 14.16f.

“Like Ezekiel before him (Ezek. 46:9–12), Zechariah envisages ongoing festival worship in renewed Israel but broadens this to include those from beyond Israel’s bounds.”

“While Ezekiel seemed to have understood that foreigners could become members of the covenant community (e.g., Ezek. 44:9; but cf. 37:28), Zechariah depicts them as simultaneously retaining their distinctive identities (cf. Zech. 8:20–23; also Isa. 19:23–25).” ESV

The Restoration/Conversion of Pagan Nations in the KOG

Zechariah visions close with the restoration of Israel & surrounding pagan/enemy nations:

14.16 “Then everyone who survives of all the nations [from God’s plagues, vv.12-15] that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, YHWH of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths [cp. Ezek. 46.9-12]."

Fulfillment of the Abrahamic/Gospel promise:

Gen. 12.1-3: YHWH said to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

Gal 3.8: In Scripture it is foreseen that God makes right the non-Jews who believe Him. Thus the Christian Gospel was preached to Abraham ahead of time with these words: “With faith like yours, Abraham, all the nations will be blessed.”

Compare:

Zech. 8.12b-13: “Then I will allow the remnant of my people to possess all these things. Furthermore, house of Judah and Israel, even though you used to be a curse among the nations, now I will surely save you, and you will be a blessing.”

Jer. 4.1-2: “If you return Israel, says YHWH, return to me: put away your abominations out of my sight and no longer stray away. You must be truthful, honest and upright when you take an oath saying, 'As surely as YHWH lives!' If you do, then the nations will be blessed, and they will be honored by me."

Ps 72.1, 17: “YHWH, give your judgment to the King and your righteousness to the King's son…Let his name be blessed forever and endure longer than the sun: and all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.”

Isa 65.15b-16: “My servants [from the nations? v.1] will be called by a new name which shall be blessed on the earth; for they shall bless the true God: and they that swear upon the earth shall swear by the God of truth.”

God’s Judgment restores their inheritance/blessings: Deut. 2:5, 9, 15

“Don’t go to war with [Edom], because I am not giving you any of their land, not even a footprint, for I have given Mount Seir as an inheritance for Esau…Do not ye quarrel with the Moabites, and do not engage in war with them; for I will not give you of their land for an inheritance, for I have given Aroer to the children of Lot to inherit…And when you enter the land of the Ammonites, the descendants of Lot don’t bother them or start a war with them. I have given the land of Ammon to them as their inheritance, and I will not give you any of their land.”

NOTE: “The umbrella term for Israel’s restoration, [‘reverse the fortunes’, (lit. ‘turning the turning’), sub sebut], is also the umbrella term for Yhwh’s restoration of Moab, Ammon & Elam (Jer. 48.47; 49.6; 49.39), and for Sodom and Samaria (Ezek. 16.53). After Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion, Egypt ‘will settle down as in former days’ (Jer. 46.26).” Old Testament Theology, v2: Israel's Faith, John Goldingay, p 819.

Ezek. 16.53: “But someday I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and Samaria, and I will restore you, too.”

Ezek. 29.13-16: “For this is what the Lord GOD says: At the end of 40 years I will gather the Egyptians from the nations where they were dispersed. I will restore the fortunes of Egypt and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin. There they will be a lowly kingdom. Egypt will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself over the nations. I will make them so small they cannot rule over the nations. It will never again be an object of trust for the house of Israel, drawing attention to their sin of turning to the Egyptians. Then they will know that I am the Lord Yahweh.” Cp. Jer. 46.26; Moab, 48.47; Ammonites, 49.6, 39

The people of God now include restored pagan nations as His inheritance: Isa 19.

16 On that day Egypt will be like women. She will tremble with fear because of the threatening hand of YHWH of Hosts when He raises it against her.

17 The land of Judah will terrify Egypt; whenever Judah is mentioned, Egypt will tremble because of what YHWH of Hosts has planned against it.

18 On that day 5 cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear loyalty to YHWH of Hosts. One of the cities will be called the City of the Sun.

19 On that day there will be an altar to YHWH in the center of the land of Egypt and a pillar to YHWH near her border.

20 It will be a sign and witness to YHWH of Hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to YHWH because of their oppressors, He will send them a savior and leader, and he will rescue them.

21 YHWH will make Himself known to Egypt, and Egypt will know YHWH on that day. They will offer sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to YHWH and fulfill them.

22 YHWH will strike Egypt, striking and healing. Then they will return to YHWH and He will hear their prayers and heal them.

23 On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. Assyria will go to Egypt, Egypt to Assyria, and Egypt will worship with Assyria.

24 On that day Israel will form a triple alliance with Egypt and Assyria — a blessing within the land.

25 YHWH of Hosts will bless them, saying, “Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance are blessed.”

NOTE: This does not cancel national distinctions:

Ps 22.27-31 [future generations…yet unborn];

Ps 47.9: “The princes of the nations are incorporated/joined with/to the people of the God of Abraham.”

Ps 67.4-5: “Let the nations rejoice and shout for joy, for You judge the peoples with fairness and lead the nations on earth. Let the nations thank you, O God!”

Isa 2.1-4: “In the future the mountain of YHWH’s temple will endure as the most important of mountains, and will be the most prominent of hills. All the nations will stream to it. People from many nations will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of YHWH, to the house of Jacob's God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.’ For YHWH’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem.”

Jer. 16.19-21: YHWH, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in a time of distress, the nations will come to You from the ends of the earth, and they will say, "Our fathers inherited only lies, worthless idols of no benefit at all." Can one make gods for himself? But they are not gods. "Therefore, I am about to inform them, and this time I will make them know My power and My might; then they will know that My name is Yahweh."

NOTE: “While Ezekiel seemed to have understood that foreigners could become members of the covenant community (e.g., Ezek. 44:9; but cf. 37:28), Zechariah depicts them as simultaneously retaining their distinctive identities (cf. Zech. 8:20–23; also Isa. 19:23–25).” ESV Bible Study

The conversion/restoration of the nations will be as a result of Israel's restoration:

Romans 11.11 So am I saying that [the Jews] stumbled and consequently failed completely and permanently? Not at all! But as a result of their spiritual failure, salvation has come to other nations, to “make Israelites jealous.”

12 Now if their failure benefits the world, and their loss profits the nations, how much more beneficial it will be if they were to completely fulfill what they were meant to be.

13 Now let me speak to you nations. Insofar as I am a missionary to the nations, I promote what I am doing for God,

14 that somehow I might make my physical relatives jealous and save some of them.

15 If the result of God’s rejection of them is that the world becomes God’s friends, the result of God’s acceptance of them will be like the dead coming back to life.

NOTE: “Israel will fulfill the function that God promised to Abraham for his descendants (Gen 12.3). They will be a blessing to the world, a means whereby the blessings of God can come to all peoples, a means whereby the election of Israel is extended to everyone (‘Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork’, Isa 19.25).” Isaiah, John N. Oswalt.

The final point: as the seed of Abraham we must understand God’s gospel plan so that we can prepare ourselves now to qualify to be in that great Day coming:

1Peter 1.7 The point of your current trials is the testing of your faith, which is more precious than gold which perishes even though it is refined by fire. The object is that your faith may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the 2^nd coming of Jesus the Messiah.

Rom. 2.7 Those who have persisted in doing what is right will receive glory and honor, and immortality in the Age to Come. 

Get ready to inherit your reward: Matt 19

27 Peter asked Jesus, “We left everything to follow you. What’s in it for us?”

28 And Jesus replied, “When I, the Messiah, sit upon my glorious throne in the Kingdom when the world is reborn, you my disciples shall certainly sit on 12 thrones to govern the 12 tribes of Israel.

29 And anyone who gives up his home, brothers, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, or property, to follow me, shall receive a 100 times as much in return, and receive immortal life in the Age to come.

So, what are we exactly working towards in faith?

The theological hope behind Romans

The church as the new Olive Tree, Israel of God. That is, “God has chosen and called a people to himself out of all peoples, as Abraham was called out of Ur, and believers have been called by the gospel…As such they are his beloved, and they are holy, placed on God’s side and separated from the world. Just as the name ‘church’…takes the place of Israel as the historical people of God…And all this because of the gracious character of God’s election and because of Christ, who is the seed of Abraham as well as the second Adam: the one in whom the whole church [Jews/Gentiles], has become one body and one new man.” Ridderbos, Paul: An Outline of His Theology, p 333, 361.

 “A second striking feature of Paul's talk of the gospel of Jesus Christ is his concern to insist that this gospel was not an unexpected turn in God's purposes. Quite the contrary. His opening statement in Romans immediately defines "the gospel of God" as that "which was promised beforehand through his [God's] prophets in the holy scriptures" (Rom. 1.1)...the final catena of scriptures (15.9-12) was for Paul no doubt the most fitting way to round off his whole argument… Of course, Paul speaks throughout not only as a theologian, but as an apostle, as a missionary. And his preaching was not simply the impartation of information ("knowledge") that his hearers were spiritual beings who only needed to know the facts for their destiny to be secure. Paul preached for a decision, "with a view to the obedience of faith among all the nations" (Rom. 1.5)…the preacher must be sent to preach so that the hearers may believe (10.14-17)…the ambassador must plead on behalf of Christ,” Dunn, Apostle Paul, p 169, 324.

Romans 15

4 “For whatever was written in former days [i.e., in the OT] was written for our instruction [i.e., us Christians].” [NOTE: the LXX is scripture!]

7 Therefore welcome one another, as Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God.

8 I maintain that Messiah became a diakonos of the circumcision [Jews] to show God’s truth, the God who guarantees the promises He made to their forefathers.

9 He also came so that the nations could praise God for His mercy, as Scripture says,

“Therefore I will praise you among the nations; I will sing praises to your name.”

10 And also: “Nations, celebrate with His people!”

11 And again: “All you nations, praise the Lord; let all peoples [laoi] praise him.” [LXX, Ps 116.1]

12 And again, Isaiah says, “Jesse’s descendant will come to rule the nations, and place their hope in him.” [Isa 11.10, LXX; cp. “descendant of David”, Rom 1.3]

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing [faith], that you may overflow in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

·       Paul’s favorite prophet: 80+ throughout his letters; almost 20 in Romans [Bible Exposition Commentary: Prophets, p 13; Moyise, Menken, Isaiah in the NT, p 117f.].

·       Nation [ethnos] used 6 times; in this case means all nations in distinction from Christians [v.11], “the true Israel of God…according to the spirit” [Gal 6.16; cp. “true circumcision”, Phil 3.3].

LXX references:

1.     v. 3 [Ps 68.9];

2.     v. 8-9 [2Sam 22.50; Ps 17.49-50, David’s song of praise for conquering the nations];

3.     v. 10 [“son of Moses”, Deut. 32.43; cp. Ps 67.3,5];

“Rejoice with him, you heavens, and let all of the sons of God [gods, ESV] worship him [NLT following LXX]; Praise [Worship, proskyneo] his people, O you nations [RSV; cp. DRB; “about His people”, CJB], and let all angels of God [NLT] strengthen themselves in him...”

“For the Greek turned the triumphalist Hebrew ("Praise his people, O you nations" — RSV) into something much more to Paul's point: "Rejoice, nations, with his people." The "with" provides just the note of integration which Paul evidently sought.” Dunn, Apostle Paul, p 530. 

4.     v. 11 [Ps 116.1, nations will worship];

5.     v. 12 [Isa 11.10, Davidic descendant rules the nations];

6.     v. 21 [Isa 52.15, suffering servant will be exalted/victorious over the nations].

Why the LXX?

Scattered Jewish-Christians preferred it because it retained its Hebrew flavor and the common [Koine] Greek was easy to understand. Thus, it appeals to both literate and illiterate classes.

The OT theme “alludes to the fact that David will praise the Lord in the presence of the defeated nations when they, as his subjects, bring their tribute payments. Ideally God’s chosen king was to testify to the nations of God’s greatness.” [NET Bible]

“Paul returns to the theme in what is in fact the climactic statement of the gospel and theology expounded in the letter.” Dunn, Apostle Paul, p 529-530.

“Paul takes OT language, which might more naturally hold out hope of (now dispersed [v.9]) Israel’s ultimate dominance over the Gentiles (under the royal Messiah, [v.12]), in fulfillment of God’s covenant faithfulness (v.11), and acknowledged (submissively) by the nations (v.10)… [transforming] it into an expression of [an ideal humanity] (Gentile and Jew) united in worship of the same God and by hope in the same Christ.” WBC, Romans 15.7-13.

·       The Jewishness of Jesus, the Davidic Messiah, is most prominent [v.12]. Why?

“…it means that God’s promises to the fathers are likewise still in place, still secure, even if complete fulfillment is not yet; And the promises of God thus confirmed to Israel were precisely the promises that Abraham would be ‘heir of the world’ and ‘father of many nations’…”

WBC, Romans 15.7-13.

Isa 10.20-34

·       Isa 10.20: an individual foreign [Assyrian?] dictator [antichrist?].

·       Isa 10.22: typical “good news [remnant], bad news [destruction for most]” prophecy; cp. Rom. 9:27–28 using LXX.

·       vv.27-34: The Assyrians on the march towards Zion. [They eventually would destroy Samaria & Northern Israel, c. 720s BC.].

NOTE: context calls for a near fulfillment [“in yet a little while”, vv.25-26].

The theme: “When kings rule by the guidelines of their own ambition and power, God’s purposes are thwarted and judgment awaits.” WBC, Isaiah 11.1-10.

Isa 11

·       v. 1 [cp. v.10]: “root of Jesse” “root of David”; that is, the descendant [WBC, vol. 52, Part 1]; “stump” descriptive of a broken/cut off dynasty recognizing the severely reduced status of the Davidic throne.

·       vv. 2-5: skills needed to reign: “wisdom/understanding, counsel-strategy/heroism-might [cp. el-gibbor, cp. Isa 9.6] and fear/obedience” [basic terms for faith]. A lack of knowledge is a grave sin [Isa 1.3; cp. Hos 4.6]

NOTE: The Assyrian claimed these for himself [power/strength, wisdom/understanding, mighty/valiant one, 10.13].

The theme is one of unbiased justice and rule!

·       vv. 6-9: once fierce creatures [wolf, leopard, cobra], symbolizing the nations, at peace with the saints [lamb]; cp. Dan 7. As well as the restored/re-created world of Eden, from “royal/holy Mount Zion/Jerusalem” to the rest of the world [“waters cover the sea”].

·       v. 10, 12 Messiah as “the signal flag/banner [glory] for all nations to seek”.

“These verses remain among the most beautiful examples of monarchic ritual and poetry in Messianic literature. They shine as a luminous light. The problems come from the generations, including our own, that ‘do not know, do not understand’, who have ‘eyes but do not see, ears but do not hear’, with whom God has to work to reach these goals.” WBC

·       vv. 13-16 God uses the nations to inaugurate the rule of them by His people. The reunification of Israel miraculously removes natural barriers [sea/streams dry up].

NOTE: “That day” 10.20, 27; 11.10-11; Heb. “in the end of the days” [Isa 2.2] yet undetermined future!

True and False Narratives

By Anthony F. Buzzard

God has a Kingdom of God or Restoration movement under way as His Project for man, Plan for Man. This is God’s response to the failure and disobedience of the first Adam. This Gospel (Good News) of the Kingdom project (God’s logos) is an invitation to all who choose to participate. The narrative goes like this. Each participant must embrace the challenge by first believing in the project (“unless you repent and believe the Kingdom of God Gospel as a child, you won’t enter it”); then he must be forgiven for his past. He must then embark on the journey that ends in immortalization and corulership of the new world order which will be the world inaugurated at the last trumpet to be blown as in Rev 11:15 -18. This is the future return of the Messiah to the earth.

For the narrative to be true, the characters in the narrative must be identified correctly. The Man Messiah Jesus is the pioneer participant in the Kingdom project. He is also the announcer of the Project, the Gospel preacher. And he died to forgive all who believe, on his terms. The God who plans and directs the entire project is the God of Israel. of Abraham (Gal. 3:8 ) and Isaac and Jacob, the God of Jesus. Candidates to participate in the Kingdom Project are men and women of all nations, not just Jews.

False narratives are those which do not match the only true narrative, the Biblical one; False narratives fail because they miss the biblical climax by diverting the narrative, taking a wrong turn, by offering the participants a false hope of disembodied existence in “heaven” at death.
This destroys the actual objective of the Kingdom project, which is to govern and administer the world with the Messiah Jesus, when he comes back. Jesus and his associate administrators will be empowered and authorized to subdue the world, that is, the Messiah’s enemies, led by a final antichrist.

The book of Revelation is a concentrated account of that future encounter of Messiah with hostile, resistant man. This is the climax of the whole Kingdom movement, the object and conclusion of the True Narrative and Project. Psalm. 2, in 12 verses, reveals in advance the end-point of the Kingdom project. The hostile world is bidden to submit to the Messiah whom God will have then placed (at the second coming of Jesus) on Mount Zion. Verse 10 bids the hostile world submit to the authority of the arriving Messiah, and not to resist him, lest they be destroyed by the overwhelming authority of God’s agent the Messiah.

Appropriately then v. 9, “the Messiah will break them with a rod of iron and shatter them like earthenware” is recalled 3 times by Jesus in the book of Revelation (2:26, 27; 12:5; 19:15). These passages declare the goal and reward of the Kingdom project: and they remind the reader of the need for human subjection to the great Kingdom project of the one God of Israel. They also describe the authority conferred on Jesus and the saints, recalling Dan. 7:14, 18, 22, 27 (“obey them”) and Dan. 2:44, 45, the Kingdom or world empire which replaces all rivals. All former nation states will then accept the Kingdom of the Messiah and his saints.

The biblical true narrative is falsified when it is never allowed its climax. The project is falsified when it is reduced, shrunk, to a “dying and rising” Messiah project, which allows for no denouement of the grand project -- which is the subjection of rebellious man and governments to the risen and exalted, and returning Messiah and his saints. Thus Ps. 2 finds its fulfillment as the vision of the returning Messiah who takes control of chaotic human societies and turns them (at the future 7th trumpet. Rev. 11:15-18) into the Kingdom of God, which is the end-game of the entire Kingdom project. This is the Gospel as announced by Jesus (Heb. 2:3) and all the NT Christians.

Briefly, any attempt to describe the Biblical narrative without its climax at the future return of Jesus and the resurrection of all the saints (I Cor 1r:23) is a failed and inadequate narrative. not fully true to the Bible.

Bible Study 12.14.14: "Begotten not Made"?

The Origin of the Son of God vs the Incarnation of “God the Son”

 

Ray Brown, Birth of the Messiah: “In Luke 1.35 the begetting is not quasi-sexual as if God takes the place of a male principle in mating with Mary. There is more of a connotation to creativity. Mary is not barren, and in her case the child does not come into existence because God cooperates with the husband’s generative action and removes the sterility. Rather, Mary is a virgin who has not known man, and therefore the child is totally God’s work—a new creation…And this double expression of God’s activity makes it clear that when the child is called “holy” and “Son of God”, these designations are true to what he is and to his origins.”

Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke: “The idea of Incarnation is foreign to Luke, as to Matthew. [In Luke 1.35] ‘Therefore (dio kai)’ expresses a causal connection between the virginal conception and the divine Sonship. It is another indication that Luke does not have a notion of Jesus’ preexistence.”

J.D.G. Dunn, Christology in the Making: “In his birth narrative Luke is more explicit than Matthew in his assertion of Jesus’ divine sonship from birth [1.32-35; 2.49]…it is sufficiently clear that it is a begetting, a becoming, which is in view, the coming into existence of one who will be called and will in fact be the Son of God—not by the transition of a preexistent being to become the soul of a human baby or the metamorphosis of a divine Being into a human fetus…Similarly in Acts there is no sign of any Christology of pre-existence.”

D. Hare, Matthew, Interpretation: “Not only was [Matthew] referred to among Greek-speaking Jews as Genesis but also his phrase ‘the book of the genesis of Jesus Christ’ is strongly reminiscent of the Greek version of Gen 5.1, ‘the book of the genesis of human beings’, and Gen 2.4, ‘the book of the genesis of heaven and earth’…in Jesus Christ, God had made a new beginning. To borrow from the language of Hollywood, the First Gospel could be billed as ‘Genesis II, the Sequel’.”

W.B. Tatum: “Now the origin of Jesus Messiah was thus” (1.18a). Following these words, the First Evangelist demonstrates that the circumstance surrounding Jesus’ origin—both genealogical (1.18b-25) and geographical (2.1-4.16)—are in fulfillment of OT prophecies about the Davidic Messiah.”

N.H. Snaith, The Distinctive Ideas of the Old Testament: “Neither Catholic nor Protestant theology is based on Biblical theology. In each case we have a domination of Christian theology by Greek thought."

 

So What Happened?

“The holy, pre-existent Spirit, that created every creature, God made to dwell in flesh, which He chose.” Hermas, Similitudes, V.6.5.

“For just as, when John says, The Word was made flesh, John 1.14 we understand the Spirit also in the mention of the Word.” Tertullian, Praxeas, Ch 26.

“The Word and Son of God…enters into a virgin; being the Holy Spirit…He us endued with flesh; God is mingled with man.” Cyprian, Idol. Treatise 6.

“The Holy Ghost, descending from above, hallowed the Virgin's womb, and…mingled Himself with the fleshly nature of man...” Hilary, On Trinity, 2.26.

“There is one only physician, of flesh and of spirit, generate and ingenerate, God in man…Son of Mary and Son of God, first created and then uncreated, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Ignatius, Eph. 7:2

“Christ the Lord who saved us, being first spirit, then became flesh…” 2 Clement 9.5.

Athanasius, The Incarnation. “Just as the astronaut, in order to operate [in space] puts on an elaborate space-suit which enables him to live and act in this new, unfamiliar environment, so the Logos put on a body which enabled him to behave as a human being among human beings. But his relation to this body is no closer than that of an astronaut to his space-suit.”

On First Principles, Origen described Jesus as “the only-begotten Son, who was born, but without any beginning…His generation is eternal and everlasting. It was not by receiving the breath of life that he is made a Son, by any outward act, but by God’s own nature.”

Hence Wilberforce: “Origen introduced the phrase ‘the Son’s eternal generation’” and W. Pannenberg, Systematic Theology: “Only with Origen’s doctrine of the eternal begetting of the Son did the concept emerge of an eternal trinity in God.”

Complete WordStudy Dictionary: “The designation of this relationship by words with a temporal notion [“this day have I begotten you”, Ps 2.7] has troubled theologians, who have proffered various explanations. Origen understood this as referring to the Son's relationship within the Trinity and was the first to propose the concept of eternal generation.”

J.O. Buswell Jr. “The notion that the Son was begotten by the Father in eternity past, not as an event, but as an inexplicable relationship, has been accepted and carried along in the Christian theology since the 4^th-century. We have examined all the instances in which ‘begotten’ or ‘born’ or related words are applied to Christ, and we can say with confidence that the Bible has nothing whatsoever to say about ‘begetting’ as an eternal relationship between the Father and the Son.”

Adam Clarke: “the doctrine of the eternal Sonship of Christ is, in my opinion, anti-scriptural, and highly dangerous…To say that he was begotten from all eternity, is, in my opinion, absurd; and the phrase eternal Son is a positive self-contradiction.”  

Cut to: Christ-Mass

The New Encyclopedia Britannica, v. 13, 15^th ed. 1990: “Christian festival celebrated on December 25, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ and also a popular secular holiday…was celebrated in Rome by AD 336…In Jerusalem, opposition to Christmas lasted longer, but it was subsequently accepted. In the Armenian Church, a Christmas on December 25 was never accepted… The reason why Christmas came to be celebrated…Christians wished the date to coincide with the pagan Roman festival marking the “birthday of the unconquered sun” (natalis solis invicti); In the Roman world the Saturnalia (December 17) was a time of merrymaking and exchange of gifts. December 25 was also regarded as the birth date of the Iranian mystery god Mithra, the Sun of Righteousness. On the Roman New Year (January 1), houses were decorated with greenery and lights, and gifts were given to children and the poor. To these observances were added the German and Celtic Yule rites when the Teutonic tribes penetrated into Gaul, Britain and central Europe. Food and good fellowship, the Yule log and Yule cakes, greenery and fir trees, gifts and greetings all commemorated different aspects of this festive season. Fires and lights, symbols of warmth and lasting life, have always been associated with the winter festival, both pagan and Christian. Since the Middle Ages, evergreens, as symbols of survival, have been associated with Christmas. Christmas is traditionally regarded as the festival of the family and of children, under the name of whose patron, St. Nicholas, presents are exchanged in many countries.

Tree worship, common among the pagan Europeans, survived after their conversion to Christianity in the Scandinavian customs of decorating the house and barn with evergreens at the New Year to scare away the devil and of setting up a tree for the birds during Christmastime; it survived further in the custom, also observed in Germany, of placing a Yule tree at an entrance or inside the house in the midwinter holidays. The Germans set up a Paradise tree in their homes on December 24, the religious feast day of Adam and Eve. They hung wafers on it (symbolizing the host, the Christian sign of redemption); in a later tradition, the wafers were replaced by cookies of various shapes. Candles, too, were often added as the symbol of Christ. In the same room, during the Christmas season, was the Christmas pyramid, a triangular construction of wood, with shelves to hold Christmas figurines, decorated with evergreens, candles, and a star. By the 16th century, the Christmas pyramid and Paradise tree had merged, becoming the Christmas tree.”

Rick Warren, Christianity Today posted 12/19/2008: “The entire reason for Christmas is the love of God. God loves you so much that he came to earth as a human so you could get to know him and learn to trust him and love him back. Theologians call this the Incarnation. God became one of us, a human being, so we could understand what he is really like.”

R.H. Stein, Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ: “The essence of the Christmas story is not that Mary conceived as a virgin. Nor is the Christmas story a sentimental ode to motherhood. The essence of Christmas is that God’s Son came into the world in human form and dwelt among us. It is the “fact” of the incarnation that is the key to Christmas, not the “how” by which this was brought about…For orthodox Christianity that is self-evident. The Son of God did not come into existence through virginal conception. The Son of God was, is and always will be…”

Karl Rahner: “The representation of a god’s becoming man is mythological, when the ‘human’ element is merely the clothing, the livery, of which the god makes us in order to draw attention to his presence here with us, while it is not the case that the human element acquires its supreme initiative and control over its own actions by the very fact of being assumed by God…The persistence of this idea [ought to make us realize that it] probably still lives on in the picture which countless Christians have of the ‘Incarnation’, whether they believe it or not.”