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  • From: "JAMES CHRISTIAN READ" <JCR128 AT student.anglia.ac.uk>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Linguistic indication of the temporal scope of Isaiah's prophecies including 7:14
  • Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2007 13:13:36 +0100

Hi All,

JCR:
I think the whole discussion in general on Isaiah's
prophecies could benefit from a little larger
contextualisation while attempting to keep the discussion
well in the bounds of permitted discussion. In an attempt
to keep the discussion linguistic from a semantic point
of view (without going head first into a theological
debate about double fulfillments, lesser and greater, of
prophecy) well within the bounds of permitted discussion
I present the following summary of the linguistic
context of Isaiah's prophecies in an attempt to firmly
establish the temporal range permitted by the semantics
of his words *in context*.

The phrophecy as a whole starts with a summarial
description of the deplorable state of Yah's people:

NWT Isaish 1:2,3
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for Jehovah
himself has spoken: “Sons I have brought up and raised,
but they themselves have revolted against me. 3 A bull
well knows its buyer, and the ass the manger of its
owner; Israel itself has not known, my own people have
not behaved understandingly.”

JCR:
This is followed by a description of the inadequacy of
the present sacrifices to appease Yah' hurt.

NWT Isaiah 1:11
“Of what benefit to me is the multitude of YOUR
sacrifices?” says Jehovah. “I have had enough of whole
burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed
animals; and in the blood of young bulls and male lambs
and he-goats I have taken no delight.

JCR:
This is further followed by a warm invite to forgiveness.

NWT Isaiah 1:18
“Come, now, YOU people, and let us set matters straight
between us,” says Jehovah. “Though the sins of YOU
people should prove to be as scarlet, they will be made
white just like snow; though they should be red like
crimson cloth, they will become even like wool.

JCR:
Slightly later the final end point of the scope of
Isaiah's prophecies is introduced:

NWT Isaiah 2:2-4
And it must occur in the final part of the days [that]
the mountain of the house of Jehovah will become firmly
established above the top of the mountains, and it will
certainly be lifted up above the hills; and to it all
the nations must stream. 3 And many peoples will
certainly go and say: “Come, YOU people, and let us go
up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God
of Jacob; and he will instruct us about his ways, and
we will walk in his paths.” For out of Zion law will go
forth, and the word of Jehovah out of Jerusalem. 4 And
he will certainly render judgment among the nations and
set matters straight respecting many peoples. And they
will have to beat their swords into plowshares and
their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift
up sword against nation, neither will they learn war
anymore.

JCR:
As can be seen above, Isaiah places the end point of
his prophecies in a final state of global peace with
universal worship of the only true god, YHWH, not only
by Isreal but by people from all nations. While it can
be said that YHWH's fame has long stretched far beyond
the confines of geographical Isreal into almost every
culture of the world it cannot be said that such a
state of universal worship has taken place nor can it
be said that a state of global peace has been
achieved by such unity.

The semantics of the entire prophecy of Isaiah place
the temporal scope of his words, therefore, far into
the future (from Isaiah's perspective).

Such a scope is further emphasised by the prophet's
closing words:

NWT Isaiah 66:22-24
“For just as the new heavens and the new earth that I am making are standing
before me,” is the utterance of Jehovah, “so the offspring of YOU people and
the name of YOU people will keep standing.”

23 “And it will certainly occur that from new moon to
new moon and from sabbath to sabbath all flesh will
come in to bow down before me,” Jehovah has said. 24
“And they will actually go forth and look upon “For just as the new heavens
and the new earth that I am making are standing before me,” is the utterance
of Jehovah, “so the offspring of YOU people and the name of YOU people will
keep standing.”

23 “And it will certainly occur that from new moon to new moon and from
sabbath to sabbath all flesh will come in to bow down before me,” Jehovah has
said. 24 “And they will actually go forth and look upon the carcasses of the
men that were transgressing against me; for the very worms upon them will not
die and their fire itself will not be extinguished, and they must become
something repulsive to all flesh.” ; for the very worms upon them will not
die and their
fire itself will not be extinguished, and they must
become something repulsive to all flesh.”

JCR:
Having made 'all things new' YHWH anounces that 'all
flesh' will bow before him and all that remains of
mankind's rebellion against him will be 'the carcasses
of the men that were transgressing against me'.

The end point of the temporal scope of Isaiah's
prophesies, therefore, clearly stretches beyond his own
lifetime to the eutopic conditions of universal
worship and recreation described by him.

In light of such a wide context (without making any
identifying remarks whatsoever) it is clear that Isaiah
may well have purposefully left his words in 7:14 so
ambiguous to allow for both a lesser fulfillment
concerned with present salvation and a larger
fulfillment concerned with universal salvation and the
eventual eutopic state of universal worship combined
with acts of recreation and a resulting state of death
to all of YHWH's enemies and of global peace.d

JCR:
Having made 'all things new' YHWH anounces that 'all
flesh' will bow before him and all that remains of
mankind's rebellion against him will be 'the carcasses
of the men that were transgressing against me'.

The end point of the temporal scope of Isaiah's
prophesies, therefore, clearly stretches beyond his own
lifetime to the eutopic conditions of universal
worship and recreation described by him.

In light of such a wide context (without making any
identifying remarks whatsoever) it is clear tha




  • [b-hebrew] Linguistic indication of the temporal scope of Isaiah's prophecies including 7:14, JAMES CHRISTIAN READ, 07/22/2007

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