Where do you get this stuff from?
In several instances in the scriptures women are used symbolically to represent congregations or organizations of people. They also are employed to symbolize cities. Christ’s glorified congregation is spoken of as his “bride,” also called “the holy city, New Jerusalem.” John 3:29; Revelation 21:2, 9; 19:7;compare Ephesians 5:23-27; Matthew 9:15; Mark 2:20; Luke 5:34, 35.
The prophecy of Genesis 3:15 was addressed to the serpent that had lied to Eve, suggesting to her that she would not die for her disobedience but that she would become independent, a goddess. The serpent thus made Jehovah out to be a liar and insinuated that humans could improve their lot by rejecting His supreme rulership. (Genesis 3:1-5) Jehovah’s sovereignty was challenged and his good name besmirched. The book of Revelation describes how the righteous Judge and Only True God Jehovah, uses the Kingdom rule of his Son, Jesus Christ, to vindicate his sovereignty and clear all reproach from his name. Revelation 12:10; 14:7
Genesis 3:15 speaks of the enmity between Satan and his seed with the woman and her seed. But a long-lasting enmity between Eve and Satan became impossible when Eve died more than 5,000 years ago. Also, since the Serpent addressed by Jehovah is an invisible spirit, we should expect that the woman also belongs to the spirit realm, a spiritual realm that Satan was rebelling against. Revelation 12:1, 2 indicates that this figurative woman is Jehovah’s heavenly organization of spirit creatures. This heavenly organization is the woman and the seed is Jesus Christ working through his Messianic kingdom which consists of 144,000 bought from mankind to be Kings, priests and judges with Jesus in that Messianic kingdom.
The Scriptures at
Isaiah chapter 54 shows the True God Jehovah as picturing his ancient people collectively as his wife, Jehovah shows his tender feelings toward them. Moreover, this chapter of Isaiah helps us to unravel a crucial aspect of what the Bible calls a “sacred secret.” (Romans 16:25, 26) The identity of the “woman” and her experiences foretold in this prophecy shed important light on pure worship today.
The apostle Paul quotes from
Isaiah chapter 54 and explains that the “woman” signifies something far more important than the earthly city of Jerusalem. He writes: “The Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.” (
Galatians 4:26) This “Jerusalem above” is clearly not the city of Jerusalem in the Promised Land. That city is earthly, not “above” in the heavenly realm. “Jerusalem above” is God’s heavenly “woman,” his organization of mighty spirit creatures.
How, though, can Jehovah have two symbolic women, one heavenly and the other earthly? The apostle Paul shows that the answer lies in the prophetic picture provided by Abraham’s family. (
Galatians 4:22-31)
Sarah, “the free woman” and Abraham’s wife, pictures Jehovah’s wife like organization of spirit creatures. Hagar, a slave girl and Abraham’s secondary wife, or concubine, pictures earthly Jerusalem.
With this background, we begin to see the profound significance of
Isaiah 54:1. After decades of barrenness, Sarah bore Isaac when she was 90 years old. Similarly, Jehovah’s heavenly organization went through a long period of barrenness. Way back in Eden, Jehovah promised that his “woman” would produce the “seed.” (
Genesis 3:15) Over 2,000 years later, Jehovah made his covenant with Abraham regarding the Seed of promise. But God’s heavenly “woman” had to wait many, many more centuries before producing that Seed. Still, the time came when the children of this once “barren woman” were more numerous than those of fleshly Israel. The illustration of the barren woman helps us to see why the angels were so eager to witness the arrival of the foretold Seed. (
1 Peter 1:12)
The Only Begotten Son of God who was given the name Jesus at his birth as a human child was certainly an occasion for rejoicing among the angels. (
Luke 2:9-14) But that was not the event foretold at
Isaiah 54:1. Only when Jesus was begotten with holy spirit in 29 C.E. did he become a spiritual son of “Jerusalem above,” publicly acknowledged by God himself as his “Son, the beloved.” (
Mark 1:10, 11; Hebrews 1:5; 5:4, 5) It was then that God’s heavenly “woman” had cause for rejoicing, in fulfillment of
Isaiah 54:1.
