Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Isaiah 9:3


Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely
Isaiah 9:3

3 Thou hast multiplied [rabah] the nation, [gowy] and not increased [gadal] the joy: [simchah] they joy [samach] before [paniym] thee according to the joy [simchah] in harvest, [qatsiyr] and as men rejoice [giyl] when they divide [chalaq] the spoil. [shalal] KJV-Interlinear

3 Thou shalt multiply the nation, Thou shalt increase their gladness; They will be glad in Thy presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. NASB


Multiplied, ‘rabah,’ refers to a filling to the point of overflowing.

Not increased, ‘gadal,’ refers to not before this time was there an increase, but now, implied, there will be an increase.

The harvest, ‘qatsiyr,’ refers to the gathering up of the harvest and in this case is in reference to the Feast of the Tabernacles or the ingathering of the harvest.

And finally the rejoicing of the spoils that are divided, is a reference to the dividing up of the spoils after a military victory, wherein the soldiers are allowed to gather what they can as payment for their victory.  That payment comes from and at the expense of the defeated.

So, now we have the total verse, that after a time of negative attitude, there will be a light that will begin and enter into the world, and as a result of that light, the end result will be a multiplication of the nation such that the nation will overflow across its own borders and into the neighboring regions with a huge increase in the numbers of people.

The example of this was in the return of the Jewish peoples to Judah, after the exile.  Judah filled up dramatically with a huge population increase such that the people overflowed into the neighboring nations of Egypt even to Rome, Greece, Turkey, and so forth.

History gives us many patterns and examples of prophecy, but the actual and real fulfillment of this prophecy will occur in two instances.

First, at the Second Advent.  

The rejoicing of the harvest is the rejoicing of the gathering of the first fruits, and finally the gathering up of the last of the fruits of harvest.

Believers are the fruits of history.

Jesus was the first of the first fruits.

Believers in the Rapture will be the second of the first fruits.

Believers at the end of the Tribulation will be the third of the first fruits.

And believers at the end of the Millennium will be the last of the first fruits.  And of course this is in reference to the respective resurrections that will occur at those times.

There will be a rejoicing such as has never before occurred when the Kingdom of God begins at the beginning of the Millennium.  That small population will increase rapidly and overflow to the entire world.

At the end of the Millennium, when all believers have been gathered in from the harvest of history, as the Feast of Tabernacles celebrates, then in the new universe, there will be the ultimate rejoicing not only of the finality of the final harvest, but of the distribution of the spoils of victory, the new universe being that ultimate distribution.

When there has been a great and hard fought battle, and you win, then there is a huge celebration in the taking of the booty from the opposing side.  The victors take everything, and celebrate with great emotions.

And so it will be in the new universe, the result will be overwhelmingly wonderful, as evil have finally been defeated.

All believers and elect angels, will finally spread out to the entirety of the new universe for a lasting and permanent possession and home.