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  • From: LM Barre <l_barre AT yahoo.com>
  • To: Ancient Bible History <AncientBibleHistory AT yahoogroups.com>, b-Hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Isaiah 53 as Zerubbabel's eulogy
  • Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2009 14:44:46 -0800 (PST)

We know from the prophet Haggai that the building of the temple excited
intense messianic fever:
 
2 Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judea, and to Joshua
son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say,
3 Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it
look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? 4 Yet now take courage,
O Zerubbabel, says Yahweh; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high
priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says Yahweh; work, for I am
with you, says Yahweh of Armies, 5 according to the promise that I made you
when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. 6 For
thus says Yahweh of Armies: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the
heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; 7 and I will shake all
the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill
this house with splendor, says the Yahweh of Armies. 8 The silver is mine,
and the gold is mine, says Yahweh of Armies. 9
The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says
Yahweh of Armies; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Yahweh
of Armies.
 
 
And also this prophecy from Haggai:
 
20 The word of Yahweh came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day
of the month, 21 "Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about
to shake the heavens and the earth, 22 and to overthrow the throne of
kingdoms; I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations,
and overthrow the chariots and their riders; and the horses and their riders
shall go down, every one by the sword of his fellow. 23 On that day, says
Yahweh of Armies, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of
She-al'ti-el, says Yahweh, and make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen
you, says the Yahweh of Armies."
 
 
Needless to say, the expectation of Zerubbabel's political Messianism did not
materialize.
 
***
 
It appears that we have a text that relates to the proto-apocalyptic movement
discussed above in Isaiah 53:
 
1 Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of Yahweh been
revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out
of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing
in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected
by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from
whom others hide their faces he was despised and we held him of no account. 
4 Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we
accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was
wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the
punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. 6 All we
like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and Yahweh
has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was
afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is
led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth. 8 By a perversion of justice he was taken away.
Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the
living, stricken for the transgression of my people. 9 They made his grave
with the wicked and his tomb  with the rich,  although he had done no , and
there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of Yahweh to crush
him with pain.  When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his
offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of Yahweh shall
prosper. 11 Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction
through his knowledge. The righteous one, my Servant, shall make many
righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will allot him
a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;
because he poured out himself to , and was numbered with
the transgressors; yet he [actually] bore the sin of many, and made
intercession for the transgressors.
 
 
A key observation I wish to make is that Zerubbabel is called, "my Servant,"
a term that is applied in Isaiah to several parties.  I would identify this
servant with Zerubbabel because the literary genre of this Isaiah text seems
to be one of an official, state eulogy over the fallen ruler.  Verse 8 most
clearly indicates that the subject of the eulogy was arrested, tried and
executed for sedition under the Persians just as Jesus was by the Romans.  
Thus, as with Jesus, we have an earlier instance of failed messianic
proto-Apocalypticism that is remarkably similar.  In both cases, the Temple
played an important and necessary role.  While for Zerubbabel, the building
of the Second Temple signaled the fulfillment of his apocalyptic
expectations, for Jesus the Temple did not need to be rebuilt but rather only
cleansed.  In both cases, the readiness of the Temple was a prerequisite for
the coming Messianic rule.
 
The Isaiah eulogy not only provides a parallel experience to that of Jesus,
it also significantly contributes to the Christian view of Jesus.  According
to Isaiah, the Messianic Age failed to materialize because of the sins of the
people.  As a result, Zerubbabel significance was not to be found ultimately
in his life but in his death .  The Isaiah text explains that he died to
compensate for the sins of his people, and while these sins stopped the
coming of the Messianic Kingdom, it removed an important obstacle, making the
way clear for the coming of the Kingdom at some future time.  The whole
experience has left the author of 2 Isaiah with hope, although no longer an
urgent hope.  His emphasis was rather upon the certainty of the realization
of that hope, rather than its imminence, a shift in thought that is entirely
understandable in light of his historical circumstances.
Comments?

 
Lloyd Barré
http://freewebs.com/lmbarre
 



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1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king
of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. 2 He did evil in the eyes of
the LORD, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
 
[The regnal introductory and concluding formulae are Dtr1]
 
 3 Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been
Shalmaneser's vassal and had paid him tribute. 4 But the king of Assyria
discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So [a] king
of Egypt, and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had
done year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison. 5
The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid
siege to it for three years. 6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of
Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled
them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.
Israel Exiled Because of Sin  7 All this took place because the Israelites
had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt
from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods 8
and followed the practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before
them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. 9 The
Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not
right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in
all their towns. 10 They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high
hill and under every spreading tree. 11 At every high place they burned
incense, as the nations whom the LORD had driven out before them had done.
They did wicked things that provoked the LORD to anger. 12 They worshiped
idols, though the LORD had said, "You shall not do this." [b] 13 The LORD
warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: "Turn
from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the
entire Law that I commanded your fathers to obey and that I delivered to you
through my servants the prophets."
 14 But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who
did not trust in the LORD their God. 15 They rejected his decrees and the
covenant he had made with their fathers and the warnings he had given them.
They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated
the nations around them although the LORD had ordered them, "Do not do as
they do," and they did the things the LORD had forbidden them to do.
 16 They forsook all the commands of the LORD their God and made for
themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They
bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal. 17 They
sacrificed their sons and daughters in [c] the fire. They practiced
divination and sorcery and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the
LORD, provoking him to anger.
 18 So the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from his
presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left, 19 and even Judah did not keep
the commands of the LORD their God. They followed the practices Israel had
introduced. 20 Therefore the LORD rejected all the people of Israel; he
afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he thrust
them from his presence.
 21 When he tore Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son
of Nebat their king. Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the LORD and
caused them to commit a great sin. 22 The Israelites persisted in all the
sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them 23 until the LORD removed
them from his presence, as he had warned through all his servants the
prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile
in Assyria, and they are still there.

Comments?
 
Lloyd Barré
http://freewebs.com/lmbarre
 



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J is Solomonic, ending with the Succession Narrative in 1 Kings 2:46:
 
46 Then the king gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out
and struck Shimei down and killed him.
      The kingdom was now firmly established in Solomon's hands..

E was written about 850 BCE and concludes with Elijah encounter with Yahweh
in the cave where Moses saw the back of Yahweh:
 
 11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the
LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."
      Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered
the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind
there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the
earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire
came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his
face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
      Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
 14 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The
Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your
prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are
trying to kill me too."
 15 The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of
Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint
Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from
Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who
escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the
sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have
not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."
 
The first edition of P was exilic upon the release of the Jews by King Cyrus. 
It was edited during the post-exilic era (P2).  It concludes with the
division of the tribes in the latter part of Joshua.
 
The Torah or Pentateuch was assembled by Ezra the Scribe during the
post-exilic era.
 
Comments?
 
Lloyd Barré
http://freewebs.com/lmbarre
 



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Doug ,
> Hi Harold , another great day of beautiful rain, here in Yeppoon we
> have had a great run of summer rain , boy would Vic' want some of that
> , ok Harold, Hosea wrote a story about a couple whom it seems
> represent God and Israel with Gomer as Israel , and the story seems
> about a woman who knows no sexual boundaries , and she has three
> children , these children seem to be eras of time for Israel , is that
> possible ?

HH: I don't think so. All the children seem to be describing the
contemporary situation of Israel in Hosea's time. All the children of
promiscuity represent the contemporary promiscuous behavior of Israel,
and each child's name represents some fact about how God would treat
Israel or think about them very soon.

Hos 1:2 When the LORD first spoke to Hosea, He said this to him: Go and
marry a promiscuous wife and have children of promiscuity, for the whole
land has been promiscuous by abandoning the LORD. 3 So he went and
married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
4 Then the LORD said to him: Name him Jezreel, for in a little while I
will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu and put an end
to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 On that day I will break the
bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel. 6 She conceived again and gave
birth to a daughter, and the LORD said to him: Name her No Compassion,
for I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel. I will
certainly take them away. 7 But I will have compassion on the house of
Judah, and I will deliver them by the LORD their God. I will not deliver
them by bow, sword, or war, or by horses and cavalry. 8 After Gomer had
weaned No Compassion, she conceived and gave birth to a son. 9 Then the
LORD said: Name him Not My People, for you are not My people, and I will
not be your God. 1
>
> Add to that ,
>
> Is 49:14 speaks of Zion , here we agree is Israel , who is left to
> feel forsaken , but then is returned "aa a bride" , again linked to a
> woman and marrige
>
> Is 50:1 speaks of a woman , who is to be put away for her because of
> her children transgressions
>
> Is 54:1-5 has the same situation , a woman put away who has children ,
> and who returns in a bride situation.
>
> Is 62:5 we have a similar situation where we begin with the subject
> Zion and Jerusalem , both I woud say have application , as you said,
> to "Washington" , they both represent the nation of Israel , and are
> returned as a bride , in this case it gets more interest by the groom
> being "her sons " .

HH: Here the word "marry" can also mean "possess, rule over." There is
wordplay. The sons will possess the land with the fervent attachment
that a young man has as he marries a young woman.
>
> Is 66:6-10 has a mother with child , almost identical to Rev 12:1-3 ,
> I mean how can we say that a woman who bares a male child and then
> more children are different women, not connected .

HH: Yes, hey are connectetd. By verse 8 the Isaiah passage is talking, I
think, about the the glorious kingdom (see the end of chapter 65) by
verse. Most interpreters take Isa 66:7 of the same event, but it is at
least conceivable that it talks about the birth of the Lord JesusMessiah
like Rev 12:1-3. The OT prophecies say that there will be a tribulation
for Israel like mother bearing a child before the blessed kingdom comes,
but Isa 66:7 seems to say that there is no tribulation, seeming to
contradict Daniel 12:1-3. Yet the man child in verse 7, in contrast to
the sons of verse 8, might conceivably be the Messiah, whose first
coming preceded tribulation. There is a male child born (v. 7), and then
a nation and land is born with many sons (v. 8). Is this all the same
birth? It is conceivable, since the land was born all at once, in one
day, which could suggest it being without tribulation. Butt the end of
verse 8 suggests that when Zion travailed, she gave birth. This seems
different than verse 7, where the birth comes before pain came to the
mother. But the mother in Isaiah 66 is Zion, and thus ultimately Israel,
and the mother of the Messiah in Rev 12:1-3 is Israel.

> Jer 3:1-14 we have two "sisters" , Judah and Israel both are compared
> to women in sexual sin, both are married to God , rejected and then
> restored .

HH: Right.


>
> Ezek 16 and 23 we have two women who represent Israel , both in sin ,
> both could be the "Washington" principle .

HH: Really, in chapter 16, the central figure is Judah. There are
allegorically two sisters:

Ezek 16:46 Your older sister was Samaria, who lived with her daughters
to the north of you, and your younger sister was Sodom, who lived with
her daughters to the south of you.

HH: The two women in Ezekiel 23 are like the two women in Jere 3:1-14.
But you're right; the two Ezekiel texts both have the southern and
northern kingdoms as sisters
>
> Then we have the story of Hosea that seems to cover the complete story
> of Israel forsaken for her sin and then restored as a bride.

HH: Right
>
> Add to this is the oft used "metaphor" , allegory , simile style of
> writing of the "bride/city" being an application of people , as your
> "Washington" , when you look at that writing style and realise that
> the "bride" of Rev 21:10 is a city then maybe bells should ring to say
> that we need to learn a bit more about all the allegorical writings.

HH: You are astute to see that the image of Jerusalem as a bride should
not catch us by surprise.
>
> It kind of makes sense that maybe all these "parable" style writings
> are presenting a similar "application" to the same sort of "mystery"
> style the bride, written of as a city.

HH: The figurative language is used a bit differently in these different
texts. Sometimes the woman is Jerusalem. Sometimes the woman is Judah.
Sometimes the woman represents both kingdoms. But the woman always has
some reference to Israel, as you suggest.
>
> This is the message I am getting , I am thinking that all these
> parable/allegorical style pasages as I have mentioned above , do fit
> in with the bride city of Rev 21:10, I mean what is the purpose of
> writing these "scenarios" there must be a purpose, and it would be
> unlikely that all the Prophest were not lined up. Then if you add
> "daughter of Zion" as another "allegorical" style of character then
> all the porphets , or at least the majority have written in this style.
>
> I am wondering have you done a study on this style of writing, and it
> message .

HH: No, I really have not. I have thought a good deal about the idea of
God as the husband, and Israel or the church (or God's people) as the
bride. But the main point is that God compares his relationship with his
people to that of a husband, which is a position of authority, but also
of intense love and some degree of equality.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard





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