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.
