Biblical Studies*The Mystery of His Will (1:9)

Thrust Statement: God wants His people to understand the mystery of His will.

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14

Ephesians 1:9

As one reads verse 9 in the first chapter of Ephesians, one is introduced to new vocabulary—“the mystery of his will.” Within this mystery, one discovers election, redemption, forgiveness, grace, blood, wisdom, and understanding. Paul incorporates all of these blessings of grace under the umbrella of the word mystery. Paul is now getting ready to launch off into a detailed explanation of his purpose in writing this short Epistle. When Paul speaks of mystery (musthvrion musthrion), he is using this term in order to unravel God’s plan of salvation for humanity to both Jews and Gentiles. This mystery is not something mysterious in that it is hard to understand, but rather it is the revelation that the Gospel is available to both Jews and Gentiles. On the other hand, one may speak of this mystery as Jesus (u^Wvy} y@vWu^ ). In Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians, he goes right to the heart of this mystery and removes all underbrush:

My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, ³in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:2-3).^[1]

However one views the term mystery, it is still bound up with Christ (Cristov" Cristos as translated in the LXX from the Hebrew word j^yv!m* m*v!‚^j, “anointed one”). Both Ephesians and Colossians should be read together. Of the one hundred and fifty-five verses in Ephesians, one observes approximately seventy-three parallels. Ephesians 1:9 and Colossians 2:2 are classic examples of parallelism. Colossians 2:2 goes straight to the point, without development. On the other hand, in Ephesians, Paul develops in great detail this mystery that had been kept hidden from ages past (3:9). As one reflects upon the word mystery, one discovers that the word mystery may be used of the Gospel, that is to say, “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (3:6).

The term mystery is employed in the sense of the unity between Jews and Gentiles through the death of Christ upon the Tree. In 3:4, Paul calls this harmony between Jews and Gentiles the mystery of Christ (musthvrion tou' Cristou' musthrion tou Cristou). Even though Paul employs the term mystery with various insights, nevertheless, one is ever conscious of God’s eschatological act in Christ—reconciling the world unto Himself in Christ (see also 2 Corinthians 5:17-21). Paul, in his First Epistle to Timothy (63/65 AD), writes: “Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: Heappeared in a body,was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory” (1 Timothy 3:16). The “mystery of godliness” is used here, so it seems, for the Gospel, that is to say, God’s scheme of salvation. This “mystery of godliness” had been kept hidden from ages past. Paul speaks of this mystery to the Colossians: “The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. ²⁷To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:26-27).

There appears to be substitution of the words gospel (eujaggevlion euaggelion) and mystery (musthvrion musthrion) in Ephesians and Colossians. In the Book of Ephesians, the word gospel appears five times^[2] and the word mystery appears seven times.^[3] On the other hand, in the Book of Colossians, the word gospel appears four times^[4] and the word mystery appears four times.^[5] In the Book of Galatians, Paul does not utilize the word mystery, but he does use the word gospel twelve times.^[6] The following chart lists the Scripture citations from the Book of Colossians in order for one to quickly grasp Paul’s use of the words gospel and mystery:

COLOSSIANS: GOSPEL

1:5

1:6

1:23

The faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel

That has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.

If you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

COLOSSIANS: MYSTERY

1:26, 27

2:2

4:3

²⁵I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— ²⁶the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. ²⁷To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

²My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ.

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.

Paul begins the Colossian Epistle with their having already heard about the “word of truth, the gospel” (1:5), and he concludes this Epistle with a prayer about God opening a door for his message in order that he might “proclaim the mystery of Christ” (4:3), for which he was in chains. This Gospel, or Mystery, had been kept hidden for “ages and generations” (1:26). But God had chosen to disclose this mystery to His saints. In this disclosure, God chose to make known to the Gentiles also this mystery (not just to the Jews), which Paul identifies as Christ—“this mystery, which is Christ in you the hope of glory” (1:27). Yet again, Paul desired that the Colossians would come to understand fully God’s love in making known “the mystery of God, namely, Christ” (2:2).

As one reads the Book of Ephesians, one discovers that Paul unfolds the implications of this Mystery, or Gospel, in order to bring about unity within the community of faith. Christ’s purpose was to create within Himself one new man. Thus, Paul could write: “And in this one body to reconcile both (Jew and Gentile) of them to God through the cross” (2:16). Following this revelation about God’s mystery in Christ, he asserts something of the richness of God’s grace revealed through the unfolding of this mystery. He strips away all the trappings by saying:

Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, ³that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. ⁴In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. ⁶This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. ⁷I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. ⁸Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, ¹¹according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence (3:2-12).

In 3:2, he speaks of the mystery that he had written about. Surely this brief explanation of God’s mystery is found in 1:3-14. Paul, in just a few words set forth the very heart of the mystery of God. The full implications of this mystery were hidden from prophets and angels. According to Peter, not even the angels of God understood this mystery, which was eventually revealed through God’s community on earth. Even though the prophets wrote about Christ, they still did not understand when the events would transpire. Peter, in his First Epistle, writes:

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, ¹¹trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. ¹²It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things (1 Peter 1:10-12).

The “angels long (ejpiqumevw epiqumew) to look (parakuvptw parakuptw) into these things,” according to Peter. The word long, or desire, carries within its bosom the idea of passionate desire (epiqumew, “desire, long for; lust for, after”). This desire, on the part of the angels, was so great that Peter employed a word that signifies “to bend over, to stoop down, to look into” in order to capture the intensity of this longing to understand this grace. The English word look is a translation of parakuptw, which comes from two Greek words: parav (para, “aside”) and kuvptw (kuptw, “to bend forward”). Luke uses this same word (parakuptw) when he describes Peter’s reaction to the women’s testimony concerning the resurrection of Jesus. Luke says:

But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. ¹²Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over (parakuptw), he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened (Luke 24:11-12).

The idea of angels desiring to bend over, or to stoop low, was to understand something of the mystery of God unfolded in and through Jesus ( jIhsou'" Ihsous; Hebrew: u^Wvy} y@vWu^, “Joshua,” which means “Jehovah is salvation”). Once more, the mental image of stooping low is graphically portrayed through the use of a human illustration. For instance, one stands on the edge of a cliff (for example, Lookout Mountain) and bends over and looks over the edge of the cliff in order to see what is going on below. The angels wanted to understand something of the mystery that had been kept hidden from ages past. Paul, so it seems to me, speaks of this very same concept when he writes:

Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; ⁹ And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: ¹⁰ To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, ¹¹ According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Ephesians 3:8-10, KJV).

According to Paul, it is through the church (ejkklhsiva ekklhsia, “assembly, congregation”) that the “principalities and powers” came to understand something of the manifold wisdom of God in working out salvation for sinful humanity. Since this mystery was foretold in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, Paul, in his missionary journey, relied upon the Old Testament prophecies to prove that Jesus is the one whom the prophets foretold. God’s wisdom is displayed in the atonement of Christ. How could God be just and, at the same time, justify sinners—individuals who transgressed His holy Law? Paul addresses this wisdom in his Roman Epistle:

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²²This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— ²⁶he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. ²⁷Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. ²⁸For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. ²⁹Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, ³⁰since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. ³¹Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law (Romans 3:21-31).

As one peruses the writings of Paul, one quickly becomes conscious of Paul’s use of the Old Testament to give credence to his arguments concerning Jesus as the One that the prophets foretold. During Paul’s second missionary journey (AD 49-51), Luke reports the following scenario about his reliance upon the Old Testament to prove that Jesus is the Messiah and that He had to suffer and die:

When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. ²As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ” (Acts 17:1-3).

Following his stay in Thessalonica, Paul went to Berea. Paul’s preaching found great success in this geographical area. As Paul analyzed the Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament, Luke records:

As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. ¹²Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men (17:10-12).

Not only did Paul and Peter rely upon the Old Testament in their proving that Jesus is the Christ, but one also discovers that Matthew, one of the original twelve, began his Gospel with references to some of the prophecies found in the writings of the prophets. One wonders if Matthew’s references to Jesus as the fulfillment of prophetic utterances were not the result of Jesus opening the minds of the eleven disciples in order that they could understand the prophetic nature of the Old Testament. Luke, in his account, gives a glimpse of Jesus’ meeting with His apostles shortly before His ascension:

³⁶While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” ³⁷They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. ³⁸He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? ³⁹Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” ⁴⁰When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. ⁴¹And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” ⁴²They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³and he took it and ate it in their presence. ⁴⁴He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:36-49).

“Every things must be fulfilled” that had been written about Him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms (This division, among Jews, is called Tanakh, which is an acronym for Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim.). In His farewell discourse, did Jesus unfold Genesis 3:15 concerning the “seed” of the woman? Did He discuss Abraham’s “seed” through whom all nations of the earth would be blessed? What about Psalms 2 and 22? Did He talk about Isaiah 2:1-4; 7:14; 9:-1-7; 11:1? Did He make conversation about Joel 2? This essay is not intended as an in-depth study of Old Testament prophecies concerning the “mystery of His will,” but only to stimulate the appetite for further study to understand something of the greatness of God’s love for sinful humanity. In order to fuel one’s comprehension of this Mystery, which is Christ, this study begins with Genesis 3:15 and concludes with a brief statement about Isaiah 11:1.

Genesis 3:15: Seed of the Woman

Just a casual glance of the Book of Genesis reveals the early rays of Messianic glory foretold by Moses as he begins telling the story of creation by the omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient and eternal God. He begins this Book with a glorious statement about creation that is sublime and almost beyond human comprehension: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). After man’s creation and his being placed in the Garden of Eden, Satan (/f*c(, s*f*n, “the adversary”), the great enemy of God and man, wrenched from Adam and Eve their great heritage. In spite of the darkness that came over this couple, God did not leave them without hope of deliverance from their fallen state (3:15). God spoke to the serpent and said:

Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. ¹⁵And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring (seed) and hers; he will crush (strike) your head, and you will strike his heel.” (3:14-15).

This prophecy, the first in God’s written Revelation, sets before the human race the outcome of the conflict between Satan and God—ultimate victory for those who put their trust in Christ (“her seed” = the Seed of the woman). The Seed of the woman will eventually crush the serpent’s head, even though the serpent will bruise the heel of the Seed of the woman by crucifixion. The unique expression employed by God, “the seed of the woman,” or “her seed” never occurs anywhere else in all of Scripture. This expression is very striking. In biblical narrative, posterity is always reckoned after the male, never after the female. Thus, Genesis 3:15 sets the goal toward which all history is moving—the coming of Jesus the Messiah. God announces this great event in a cryptic oracle. In this cosmic battle there would be enmity between Satan’s seed (;u&r+z^ z^ru&k, “your seed”) and Eve’s seed (Hu*r+z^ z^ru*H, “her seed”). Immediately, after stating the enmity between the two seeds, God says, “he” (aWh hWa) “will crush you (your) head (var) r)av),” that is, the Seed of the woman would inflict a mortal blow to Satan. Moses does not stop with Genesis 3:15 concerning the coming of the Messiah, but he continues to give other prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah to redeem humanity to God the Father as he writes, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, about the promise made to Abraham.

Genesis 22:18: The Seed of Abraham

Man cannot remove the curse placed by God upon sinful humanity; only God Himself provides the remedy. God ordained this feat through the One foreordained before the earth was created (see Ephesians 1:4). Jesus was appointed to remove this curse of universal judgment of condemnation (see 2 Corinthians 5:17-21). God preserved a remnant through which the Messiah should come. From Adam to Noah, God continued to protect this promise made in the Garden of Eden. From Shem, one of the three sons of Noah, God preserved the moral, spiritual, and religious realm. Shem was the one through whom the “seed of the woman” would be preserved. It was from the Semitic branch of the race that Abraham sprang. To him (Abraham), God gave the promise that through his seed (ur~z# z#r^u, “seed, descendant”) all nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 22:18). This promise was made three times to Abraham (Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18). Later, God confirmed this promise to Isaac (26:4) and reaffirmed to Jacob (28:14). The following is a citation from Moses concerning the promise (covenant) that God made with Abraham:

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. ²“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (12:1-3).

The promise is more specific in 22:18. In this passage, God speaks of the “seed” (z#r^u) of Abraham. Moses writes about God’s prophetic utterance to Abraham, which is also reminiscent of God’s cryptic oracle to Satan. Listen to the words of God: “In your seed (;u&r+z^b= b+z^ru&I, “by your seed”) all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” (22:18, NKJV). In other words, God foretold that He would bless all the nations of the earth through one of his offspring. It is through this particular seed (offspring) that salvation, or blessing, would come to all who have faith in this Seed. This interpretation also coincides with Paul’s words to the Galatians about the announcement of the Gospel to Abraham:

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” ⁹ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham (Galatians 3:8-9).

This citation from Galatians 3:8-9 is reminiscent of Genesis 15:1-3 and 18:18. The only way a nation can bless itself is through the “Seed” of Abraham, which is Christ. Two thousand years after this promise was made to Abraham, a Jewish convert (Saul/Paul) wrote to the Christians in the province of Galatia the following comments about God’s promise to Abraham as recorded in Genesis 22:18:

Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. ¹⁶The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed (spevrmati spermati). The Scripture does not say “and to seeds” (spevrmasin spermasin, the plural for “seeds” in Hebrew is: <yu!r`z= z+r*u!‚m) meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. ¹⁷What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. ¹⁸For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise (Galatians 3:15-18).

Paul, apparently, cites the Septuagint (LXX, “Greek Old Testament”), which reads: ejn tw'/ spevrmativ sou (en tw spermati sou, “in the seed of you”). The LXX is the Greek translation of the Hebrew. Like the English word seed, the Hebrew word seed (ur~z# z#r^u) may be employed as a singular noun or be utilized in a collective sense. The context is the deciding factor in interpretation. For example, the collective sense appears in the following Scripture citations: (1) “And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants (;u&r+z^ z^ru&k,)^[7] also could be numbered” (Genesis 13:16); (2) “Then He said to Abram: ‘Know certainly that your descendants (z^ru&k, “your seed”) will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years’ (15:13); and (3) “Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants (z^ru&k, “your seed”) as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants (z^ru&k, “your seed”) shall possess the gate of their enemies” (22:17). Even though the singular “seed” is used, nevertheless, the collective sense is obvious.

On the other hand, there are examples in which the Hebrew word seed is singular in meaning. For instance, Moses gives Adam’s statement: “God has granted me another child (ur~z# z#r^u, “seed”) in place of Abel, since Cain killed him” (4:25). Again, one observes the Hebrew word seed employed in Hannah’s prayer to the Lord for a son:

And she made a vow, saying, “O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son (ur~z# <yv!n`a& z#r^u a&n*v!‚m, literally, “seed of men”), then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head” (1 Samuel 1:11).

Once more, one observes that the Hebrew word z#r^u (“seed,”) also translated “son” in 1 Samuel 1:11. Since the word z#r^u has both individual and collective meanings, it is necessary to examine each context in order to ascertain its significance in any given case. The use of the word z#r^u in Genesis 22:18 has its primary meaning in that of an individual of the race who would bring universal blessing and relief from the curse of universal condemnation. It appears, so it seems to me, that this promise to Abraham is but an expansion of the cryptic oracle in Genesis 3:15. The cryptic oracle in Genesis 3:15 and the promise to Abraham in Genesis 22:18 are but fragments (progressive revelations) of that “mystery” that Paul writes about in Ephesians (AD 60):

Genesis 49:10: Until Shiloh Comes

Once more, Moses records another reference to the coming of the Messiah in Genesis 49:10 by calling attention to Jacob’s prophetic utterance. Upon Jacob’s deathbed, he caught a glimpse into the future. He, through the Spirit, gave a general description of the conditions that would spring from his twelve sons in the latter days. He says:

Judah,your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. ⁹You are a lion’s cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? ¹⁰The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs^c and the obedience of the nations is his. ¹¹He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. ¹²His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk (Genesis 49:8-12, NIV).

“Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before you. ⁹ Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?¹⁰ The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh (hl)yv! v!‚l)h) comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. ¹¹ Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes.¹² His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk (Genesis 49:8-12, KJV).

The NIV reads: “until he comes to whom it belongs,” but the NKJV reads: “ Until Shiloh comes.” In the reading of this pericope (49:8-12), one observes that Jacob skipped over the three older sons (Reuben, Simeon, and Levi) and came to Judah, the fourth, through whom the Messiah would come. Some scholars interpret Jacob’s word Shiloh as the name of a town rather than the name of the Coming One. This is based, in part on Joshua 18:9 and 1 Samuel 4:12, where Shiloh is the name of a town. But there is a difference in the spelling of the place name in Joshua (hl)v! v!l)h) and the place name in Samuel (hl)v! v!l)h). On the one hand, this name Shiloh is spelled eight times as (olv! v!lo) and three times as (olyv! v!lo), but, on the other hand, the spelling of the name Shiloh in Genesis 49:10 is different—hl)yv! v!‚l)h. As far as the record goes, Joshua 18:9 is the first mention of a town by the name Shiloh. There is no evidence, as far as I know, of a place in Palestine known as Shiloh prior to the time of Jacob.

Again, this prophecy (Genesis 49:10) is a continuation of Genesis 3:15 and 22:18. Within this prophecy (49:10), one observes that the phrase “until he comes” (du^ ab)y`-yK! K!‚ y*b)a y^d) and the phrase “to whom it belongs” are also found in Ezekiel 21:25-27:

And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, ²⁶ Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. ²⁷ I will overturnoverturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him (KJV).

Ezekiel prophesied about 593 BC, several hundred years after Jacob, concerning the prophecy made by Jacob (Genesis 49:10). Just a casual glance at this citation (Ezekiel 21:25-27) reveals that Ezekiel, looking into the future, saw the course of Israel’s history with the coming of the Messiah—“Until He comes whose right it is.” Yet again, one must state that Ezekiel was acquainted with the Messianic prophecies (Genesis 3:15; 22:18; 49:10) since reference to the coming of the Messiah is found in Ezekiel 34:23. In this passage, he announces the Messianic shepherd that would come to take care of the flock. It is evident from Ezekiel 21:27 that he refers to the Messiah of Israel by the clause “whose right it is.” Once more, one is conscious that Ezekiel too refers to the “mystery” that Paul speaks of in the Ephesian epistle. One objective of this essay is to briefly notice some of the Messianic prophecies, which foretold the coming of the Messiah.

Isaiah 2:2; Micah 4:1; Hosea 3:5; Joel 2: The Last Days

This section of this essay will only cover a few of the Messianic prophecies from the Book of Isaiah in order to set the tone for a Messianic reading of Isaiah. Even though the prophets did not know when the Messiah would come, nevertheless, they prophesied of the events that were first spoken of in Genesis 3:15. Just a perusal of the Book of Isaiah (739 BC) reveals that the Book is a book about the coming of the Messiah. In fact, Isaiah begins this Book with a reference to the coming of the Messiah:

The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. ² Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the Lord ’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.³ Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. ⁴ He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore (Isaiah 2:1-4).

The KJV renders this verse: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, (<ym!Y`h^ tyj!a^b= b+a^j!‚t h^yy*m!‚m, “after the days”) that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established^a in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it (2:2). The “last days” means the days of the Messiah. The literal translation of the Hebrew is “afterward” (/k@-yr}j&a^ a^j&r? k@n), which, in this context, is Messianic in nature. The Septuagint (LXX) renders the Hebrew word as “last days” (ejscavtai" hJmevrai" escatais &hmerais). Whether one uses the expression “afterward,” or the expression “last days,” one should be conscious that this expression in the Hebrew, as well as the Greek, speaks of the Messianic age. As one seeks understanding of Isaiah 2:1-4, one recalls the words of Jesus, as reported by Luke (Luke 24:45-49) as similar to the wording of Isaiah’s prophecy about the coming of God’s kingdom. Joel (835 BC) also prophesied concerning the “last days” in his now famous citation concerning the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-32). Peter, on the day of Pentecost (over 800 years later) cited this prophecy as messianic (Acts 2:14-21). The events that transpired on the Day of Pentecost, according to Peter’s discourse, are the events spoken of by Joel over 800 years earlier.

Matthew/Isaiah: The Virgin Birth

Isaiah 7:14

Not only did Peter rely upon the Old Testament prophecies to prove that Jesus is the One whom the prophets wrote about, but Matthew also relied upon the prophetic element in the Old Testament to prove that Jesus is the Christ. For example, Matthew, following his genealogy of Jesus, calls forth the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 to give validity to his claims that that Jesus is the One whom the prophets wrote about:

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. ²⁰But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins.” ²²All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” ²⁴When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus (Matthew 1:18-25).

If one is to interpret Isaiah 7:14 correctly, one should consider the context of Isaiah chapters 7-12, especially 9:1-7 and 11:1. As just cited above, in Matthew 1:22-23, Matthew says, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” —which means, “God with us.” The Greek text says, “Behold the virgin” (ijdouV hJ parqevno" idou &h parqenos), not “a virgin” as rendered in the KJV. The child born in Isaiah 7:14 is the son born in Isaiah 9:6, and this son born in Isaiah 9:6 is the branch (rod or shoot) in Isaiah 11:1 who comes forth from the stem of Jesse.

Isaiah 7:1-17 is one of the most hotly debated texts within the religious world. Some scholars apply 7:14 to a child of Isaiah, but, on the other hand, there are scholars who apply the Son of this verse to the future King of Israel—Jesus the Messiah. This author (Dallas Burdette) views 7:14 as Messianic. As stated above, this prophecy must be interpreted in light of chapters 7-12 in order to see the implications of this prophecy as messianic in nature. This essay calls attention to use of the singular pronoun in 7:11 and the plural pronouns in 7:13, 14 as well as the phrase “house of David” in 7:13 with the purpose of clarifying more fully the implications of 7:14 as being messianic in character. Isaiah, so it seems, addresses Ahaz as well as the house of David. In 7:14 the “house of David” is addressed, not Ahaz.

Background: Isaiah 7:1-10

Prior to Israel joining forces with Syria (Aram of Damascus), they were bitter enemies. But with the threat of Tiglath-Pileser’s Neo-Assyrian Empire, they joined in an alliance against the Assyrian Empire. Apparently Israel and Syria sought to get Judah to join forces in their fight against the aggression of Assyria, but to no avail. As a result of Judah’s refusal, Rezin (king of Aram) and Pekah (king of Judah) marched against Jerusalem with the intent of forcing Ahaz to join in the coalition. The armies of Aram and Israel set up camp near the borders of Judah, about three day’s march to Jerusalem. When Ahaz learned of this, he and his people were panic stricken. Where upon, Yahweh (hwhy yhwh) spoke to Isaiah and told him to go meet Ahaz, who was looking over Jerusalem’s water supply and making his defense against Aram (Syria) and Israel, and to tell him not to be afraid. In addition to this message from Yahweh, the LORD told Isaiah to take his son Shear-Jashub (“A remnant shall return”), which was the keynote to Isaiah’s message, with him to meet Ahaz (7:1-3).

Ahaz wanted to enter into an alliance with Assyria to protect himself and Judah from Aram (Rezin) and Israel (Pekah), an alliance that God did not approve. Ahaz was told not to be afraid, but rather to rely upon God. God did not want Ahaz to take action in forming a coalition with Assyria; God Himself would take care of the problem. Assyria’s goal was not Jerusalem, but Egypt. Egypt sought to create a buffer zone between itself and Assyria, namely, Aram, Israel, and Judah. In order to calm the fears of Ahaz, God foretold the destruction of both Syria and Israel (7:4-9). Within sixty-five years both governments were overthrown. In 722/721, Assyria took the northern kingdom (ten tribes) captive; Israel ceased to exist as a nation. Yahweh called upon Ahaz to put his trust in Him. If he refused, Yahweh informed Ahaz that he, too, would suffer the same fate as Aram and Israel.

In 7:9, God said: “The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son. If you do not stand firm (Wnym!a&t^ al) <a! a!m l) t^a&m!‚nW, “if you do not believe”)^[8] in your faith, you will not stand (Wnm@a*t@ al) yK! K!‚ l)a t@a*m@nW, “then you will not remain”) at all” (7:9). The pronouns in this verse are plural, not singular. God, no doubt, addressed the men with Ahaz. In other words, the phrase, “if you do not stand firm in your faith,” was directed toward Ahaz and his court. In English, the pronoun “you” can be singular or plural, depending upon the context for meaning. Also, the same form can be either masculine or feminine in English, but not so in Hebrew. In Hebrew, there are four different forms for the second person pronoun—singular or plural and masculine or feminine. In 7:9, one observes that the two pronouns are plural in the Hebrew text, not singular as in 7:11.

In 7:10, Isaiah delivered a second message to Ahaz (zj*a* a*j*z). In this message, God switches from the plural in verse 9 to the singular in verse 11. Pay attention to the words of Isaiah: “Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, ¹¹“Ask (;l=-la^v= v+a^l l+;, “ask for yourself” ) the Lord your God for a sign (toa aot), whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.” The pronoun ;l= (l+;) is a preposition with second person masculine singular suffix. The phrase “ask for yourself” can only refer to the king. He refused to ask for a sign: “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test” (7:12). This outrageous attitude by the king prompted the prophet Isaiah to change his attitude toward the king. As a result of the king’s faithlessness toward God, Isaiah stopped speaking, as it were, to the king and turned toward the future and spoke to the “house of David” (iw]D` tyB@ B?t D*w!d ).

Ahaz versus House of David: Isaiah 7:13-14

In 7:13-14, Isaiah turns his attention to a future generation as if already present. Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also (7:13)? The verbs “hear” (an`-Wum=v! v!muW n*a “listen please”)^[9] and “will you try” (Wal=t^ t^laW, “you make tired”)^[10] are plural in the Hebrew, and the words are spoken to the “house of David” (dw]D` tyB@ B?t D*w!d ). The “house of David” occurs twice in this chapter (7:2, 13). This phrase is significant since it only occurs three other times in the Major Prophets (165 chapters). Two of the other three occurrences of this phrase are also found in Isaiah (16:5; 22:22) and the third occurrence is found in Jeremiah 21:12. In the Minor Prophets, this phrase only occurs in Zechariah (5 times—12:7, 8, 10, 12; 13:1). Ahaz’ reaction appears to be a frontal assault on the “house of David—God’s established the dynasty from which the Messiah (j^yv!m* m*v!‚^j ) would come.

The Lord offered to give Ahaz a sign of supernatural proportions, but Ahaz wanted nothing to do with this sign. Ahaz was prepared to deal with a foreign army to assist him in his fight against Syria (Aram) and Israel rather than put his trust in God. Again, listen to the words of Isaiah:

Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? ¹⁴Therefore the Lord himself will give you^c a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and^d will call him Immanuel (7:13-14).

The pronoun “you” (<k#l* l*k#m)^[11] in verse 14 is plural. Since the pronoun is plural, one understands, at least from the context, that Ahaz was not alone, especially since these remarks are addressed to the “house of Israel.” Once more, one should note the change of the pronoun in verse 16 back to the singular (hT*a^ a^T*h)^[12]: “But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you (a^T*h) dread will be laid waste.”

The supernatural sign was not given to Ahaz, but rather to the dynasty or house of David. The sign refers to the supernatural birth of a son: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin (hm*l=u^h* h*ulm^h) will be with child and will give birth to a son, andwill call him Immanuel (la@ WnM*u! u!mmInW a@l). ” The woman in 7:14 is called “the virgin,” indicating a specific virgin in God’s scheme of redemption. The Son of this virgin is called by one of the most cherished names of God in the Old Testament— la@ WnM*u! u!mmInW a@l. The name “Immanuel” is composed of two words in its three occurrences in Isaiah (7:14; 8:8, 10). The name is composed of the preposition <u! (u!m, “with”) to which has been affixed the first common plural pronominal suffix Wn * (*nW, “us”) and the divine name la@ (a@l, “God”) at the end of the form. Gary D. Pratico writes: “The etymology is easy; the theology of the name is profound.”^[13] Christians cherish this name because it speaks of God’s grace and mercy in that God gives Himself to humanity (see Matthew 1:23; John 1:1-14). Yet again, Pratico writes: “The name la@ WnM*u! has come to symbolize and summarize the story of biblical revelation.”^[14]

Even though Isaiah 7:14 is somewhat veiled before one’s eyes, nevertheless, enough is said in the original context (chapters 7-12) to state with definiteness that 7:14 refers to the Messiah. In Isaiah 7:14, one witnesses a child about to be born, even though future—the “last days.” On the other hand, in Isaiah 9:6, the Son is already born (though future) and proclaimed the divine king; and, in Isaiah 11:1-10, one observes the Messiah ruling (though future). The birth of Immanuel is extremely important in Isaiah 7-8 (8:8, 10). Who is Immanuel? The text does not specifically name the Son in 7:14, but it would be fair to say that the birth of the child relates to the future of the house of David. In 7:14, God specifically says He will give a sign (toa aot) to the house of David, and that sign has to do with the birth of a Son (7:14; 9:6). Reading 7:14 in conjunction with chapters 9-12, one reads about some of the most significant Messianic prophecies in the Bible that focuses on the birth and the supernatural reign of a new Davidic king.^[15]

As one reflects upon Isaiah 7:14, one is immediately conscious that this text is a part of the “mystery of His will” spoken of by Paul in Ephesians. As mentioned previously, Jesus opened the understanding of the Messianic prophecies to His disciples before His final ascension (Luke 24:36-39). What happened to this major Messianic prophecy over time? Seven hundred years after this prophecy, Matthew, following his genealogy of Jesus, calls forth the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 to give weight to the virgin birth of Christ:

Matthew had first-hand knowledge of the Messianic prophecies from the Messiah Himself. There is no indication of a double fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14. Apparently, this prophecy related directly to the coming of the Messiah. Matthew, as well as the angel, understood this prophecy in its purest form as predicting the coming Messiah to save the world. In the first two chapters, Matthew also cites Micah, Hosea, Jeremiah, and Isaiah. The following chart should assist one in quickly grasping the Messianic prophecies in these four Old Testament books, verified by Matthew:

CHART ONE

Micah 5:1-2

Matthew 2:3-6

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clansof Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose originsare from of old, from ancient times.

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christwas to be born. ⁵“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: ⁶“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’

CHART TWO

Hosea 11:1

Matthew 2:14-15

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, ¹⁵where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

CHART THREE

Jeremiah 31:15

Matthew 2:17-18

This is what the Lord says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.”

Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.

CHART FOUR

Isaiah 7:13-14

Matthew 1:22-23

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”

Micah (735 BC), contemporary of Isaiah (739 BC), corroborates Isaiah 7:14. In other words, Micah 5:2 and Isaiah 7:14 are complementary. Isaiah announces the birth; Micah announces the place. The Lord’s angel in Matthew gives the interpretation to be attached to Isaiah 7:14. One should never forget that the origin of Isaiah 7:14 is God. Whether or not one understands the full implications of the Messianic prophecies, nevertheless, one can say that as the “fullness of time” dawned that the Messianic character of the prophecies unfolded with clarity concerning Jesus as the fulfillment. Matthew claimed that Isaiah 7:14 had its fulfillment in Jesus’ birth. Even though this essay cannot focus on all the Messianic prophecies, the prophecy of