"Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith Jehovah. 2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not: lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. 3 for thou shalt spread abroad on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall possess the nations, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited" (Isa. 54:1-3).

With ecstasy and joy the prophet addressed Jerusalem, thinking of her in terms of Sarah, the great ancestress of the Jewish people. There was a period in her life when she was barren. Finally she reached the age of eighty-nine years without having any posterity. The Lord performed a biological miracle upon her body and upon that of her husband Abraham, which made possible the birth of Isaac. This personal history of Sarah furnished the imagery and the language of the prophet in the present passage. He passed over, in his thinking, the period when Jerusalem was married to Jehovah, the time from the Exodus from Egypt to the overthrow of the nation in 70 A.D. Looking at the present time when Israel is scattered among the nations and Jerusalem is trodden down by the Gentiles, Isaiah thought of the holy city as being desolate and barren--as was Sarah before God performed a biological, creative act upon her body. At the conclusion of this period of barrenness, which terminates at the time Israel makes her national, penitential confession, which will be, as we have seen in our study of chapter 53, made in the year 1945-plus, Jehovah, her husband, will re-marry her. The spiritual, biological miracle will be performed and then more will be the children of the barren than of the married woman--more will be the children of the millennial Jerusalem than were the children of the Jerusalem during the period from the national calamity of 70 A.D. to the time of Israel's return to God.

To show that this interpretation is correct and is confirmed by the inspired Apostle Paul I now wish to look at this quotation which is given in Galatians 4:27. In order that we might see it in its connection, I will quote Galatians 4:21-31:

"21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the free woman. 23 Howbeit the son by the handmaid is born after the flesh; but the son by the free-woman is born through promise. 24 Which things contain an allegory: for the women are two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children unto bondage, which is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to the Jerusalem that now is: for she is in bondage with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother. 27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; Break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: For more are the children of the desolate than of her that hath the husband. 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, so also it is now. 30 Howbeit what saith the scripture? Cast out the handmaid and her son: for the son of the handmaid shall not inherit with the son of the freewoman. 31 Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the freewoman."

In this quotation the Apostle drew an analogy between Hagar, Ishmael, Mount Sinai, the Mosaic covenant, and Jerusalem that was standing in his day, on the one hand, and Sarah, Isaac, the new covenant, and the Jerusalem that is from above, on the other hand. He gives an allegorical interpretation of Hagar and that for which she stands and Sarah and the things for which she stands. Thus in this passage the Apostle placed antitheses: Hagar on the one hand is opposed to Sarah on the other; Ishmael is the opposite of Isaac. The old covenant, promulgated at Sinai, is the exact opposite of the new covenant of grace. Sinai, in Arabia, where the law was given, declared the Apostle, lines up with the Jerusalem that was of that day and time, which was in bondage with all her children. Opposed to the Jerusalem that then was is the Jerusalem which is from above and which is the mother of us all. Thus the Jerusalem that is from above is antithetical to the Jerusalem of Paul's day in Palestine. As proof of his proposition he quoted Isaiah 54:1. This passage appears as verse 27 of Galatians, chapter 4. In quoting from our passage, the Apostle applied Isaiah 54:1 to the Jerusalem that is from above, which is the mother of us all. But, as we have seen from the facts of the context in Isaiah, the passage primarily refers to the millennial Jerusalem. Was Paul, who was guided by the Holy Spirit, wrong in his interpretation of this passage and in his applying it to the Jerusalem that is above? No one who believes the Bible to be the Word of God will assent to any such error. No, the Apostle did not make a misapplication or misinterpretation of the passage. But in order that we might understand his interpretation, we must investigate further, and in doing so we shall see that there is perfect harmony between the meaning of Isaiah on the one hand and Paul on the other.

The writer of Hebrews (I am convinced that the Apostle Paul was the author of this letter) did not speak of the "Jerusalem that now is" but rather of one which is in the future. Hear him. "For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned without the camp. 12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered with-out the gate. 13. Let us therefore go forth unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. 14 For we have not here an abiding city, but we seek after the city which is to come" (Heb. 13:11-14).

In the fourteenth verse of this quotation we see that the writer was looking for a city which is in the future. In his thinking, therefore, he was contrasting the Jerusalem which was in existence when he wrote with the Jerusalem which is yet to come--the one which at the present time is above, but which will in the future, at the proper time, come. Thus in chapter 13 of the Hebrew letter we obtain supplemental information regarding the Jerusalem that is above.

We get another glimpse of this Jerusalem of the future in the following passage: "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For they that say such things make it manifest that they are seeking after a country of their own. 15 And if indeed they had been mindful of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city" (Heb. 11:13-17).

Those dying in the faith, not having received the promises but having seen them and greeted them from afar are, as we see from the context, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Sarah. Abraham left the land of his nativity for the Promised Land. As we see from Hebrews 11:10, he was looking "for the city which hath the foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Our Lord declared that Abraham saw His day and was glad. The time which he was granted to see was none other than Christ's day in the great Millennial Age. This city in quest of which Abraham left his native soil is, in Heb. 11:10, spoken of as having foundations whose maker and builder is God. It is a heavenly city. It is one which God has prepared for His faithful servants. It is heavenly in that it is now in heaven. God is the architect and the builder of its foundations. It is a prepared city. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, together with all the saved of the ancient world, will dwell in that city. Then many shall come from the east and from the west and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom (Matt. 8:11).

Once more we get another view of this same city, Jerusalem, of which Isaiah and Paul spoke in the passages to which we have just referred.

"18 For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19 and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them; 20 for they could not endure that which was enjoined. If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; 21 and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: 22 but ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better than that of Abel. 25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not when they refused him that warned them on earth, much more shall not we escape who turn away from him that warneth from heaven: 26 whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more will I make to tremble not the earth only, but also the heaven. 27 And this word, Yet once more, signified the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with reverence and awe: 29 for our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:18-29).

The children of Israel, under the leadership of Moses, came out to Mount Sinai, where God delivered the law to her. When, from the heights of the mountain, the Almighty spoke the Ten Words, so fearful were the demonstrations that terror struck to the hearts of all. Even Moses trembled with fear (Heb. 12:18-21). But Christians have not come to such a mountain, quaking and smoking, as was Sinai. On the contrary, they have come "unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant" whose blood "speaketh better than that of Abel." The writer declares that we have come to this Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, and to the heavenly Jerusalem. We certainly are in touch and in fellowship with those that are therein. This is true in the spiritual sense of the term, but not literally. Will we ever come to it literally? Most assuredly.

In verse 25 the writer held up the Israelites who rejected God and refused to give heed to His words as an example of warning to his readers today not to reject Him who has spoken from heaven. This one who has warned them from heaven is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ who came from heaven, delivered His message of grace and truth, and warned against anyone's rejecting such a message of love. It was His voice, according to verse 26, which shook the earth at Sinai, at the giving of the law. He has promised, however, through Haggai (2:6) saying; "Yet once more will I make to tremble not the earth only, but also the heaven." Let us note that this is a promise, which the Lord has made to His people and yet it involves shaking not only the earth, but also the heavens. How can such cosmic convulsions contain a promise to the saints of God? This question is answered in the next verse: "And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain" (Heb. 12:27). In the Lord's shaking both heavenly and earthly things, He is acting in order that He might remove the things that are of a transitory nature to the end that He might establish a permanent order. The conclusion which the Apostle Paul drew from this promise is expressed in the following verses: "Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with reverence and awe: for our God is a consuming fire" (vss. 28, 29). After the Lord has removed temporary things by this universal upheaval, He establishes a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Thus the establishment, of this permanent kingdom follows the removal of the temporary things. Since the Apostle has been speaking of this heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God, since in this connection he speaks about the removal of the temporary, transitory things in order that the permanent and eternal things may be established, and since the establishment of this permanent kingdom follows the shaking of the heavens and the earth, we must conclude that Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, will be established after this universal shaking takes place. But since this reference to the shaking of the heavens and the earth is a quotation from Haggai's prophecy, it is necessary for us to see this prediction in its original connection in order properly to evaluate it in the application which the Apostle makes of it.

"In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet, saying, 2 Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 3 Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes as nothing? 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith Jehovah; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith Jehovah, and work: for I am with you, saith Jehovah of hosts, 5 according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, and my Spirit abode among you: fear ye not. 6 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; 7 and I will shake all nations; and the precious things of all nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory, saith Jehovah of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith Jehovah of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, saith Jehovah of hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith Jehovah of hosts" (Haggai 2:1-9).

Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and Joshua, the high priest, at the time of the restoration from the Exile, were busily engaged in the rebuilding of the Temple at Jerusalem. God sent a message through the prophet Haggai to both the governor and the high priest, encouraging them to press forward in the work and assuring them that He was with them accordingly as He had covenanted with their forefathers when they came out of Egypt and the Spirit abode among them. The special encouragement at this time came in the form of the promise that the Lord would yet once, in a little while, shake both "the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land"--as well as the nations; and that the precious things of all the nations should come, and that He would fill "this house with glory." He declared that the silver and the gold belonged to Him. The latter glory of this house, therefore, promised the Lord, "shall be greater than the former." What is the meaning of this language? Why was it spoken? There were certain ones present who had seen the Temple as it had been erected by Solomon. It was indeed the most magnificent structure ever erected upon this earth. The Temple which Zerubbabel was then building was indeed insignificant in comparison with Solomon's structure. Nevertheless, Zerubbabel's Temple was identified as the Temple of God. The edifice which Solomon had erected was spoken of as "this house" (Zerubbabel's Temple) in its former glory. Then the Lord assured these leaders that the latter glory of this house would be greater than even the glory of Solomon's Temple. In other words, this same Temple of God in Jerusalem, which shall be built after God has shaken both the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land will be "this house" in its latter glory. The Temple that will stand in Jerusalem during the Millennial Age will be built by our Lord himself (Zech. 6:9-15). When the Temple of God in all its glory is thus built in Jerusalem, the Lord "in this place [Jerusalem]" will give peace (Haggai 2:9).

The facts of this context show that the shaking of which Haggai was speaking and to which Paul referred in Hebrews, chapter 12, is the cosmic convulsions which will occur during the Tribulation and immediately prior to the Millennial Age. The facts of this context will allow no other interpretation. By the shaking referred to in Haggai's prophecy is meant the shaking of things in the Tribulation. Thus there will be then dissolved the temporary things in order that the unshakable things might be established, namely, the things of the Millennial Age.

In the light that comes to us from Haggai's prophecy, which Paul quoted in Hebrews, chapter 12, we see that in referring to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, Paul was speaking of the realities which shall be established upon earth after the Tribulation--when Jesus returns. From these New Testament passages, therefore, when they are all studied in their context and correlated properly, we see that the "Jerusalem that is above" is in heaven now, but will come down to earth when Jesus returns at the conclusion of the Tribulation to establish His reign of righteousness upon the earth. In the light of all these facts we see that Paul, in Galatians, chapter 4, properly interpreted Isaiah 54:1 literally as is demanded by its original context.

We must not confound this heavenly Jerusalem, this Mount Zion, this city of the living God, (of which Isaiah and Paul have been speaking) with the new Jerusalem which comes down out of the eternal heavens and rests upon the eternal earth. They are entirely different. Neither must we confound the new heavens and the new earth mentioned in Isaiah 65:17ff, 66:22-24, and II Peter 3:1-13 with the new heavens and the new earth of Revelation, chapters 21 and 22. The facts of each of the contexts show that both Isaiah and Peter were talking about the new heavens and the new earth that God will establish at the end of the Tribulation--after the things that can be shaken are removed in order that the permanent eternal things of the Millennial Age might be established. But John, in Revelation, chapters 21 and 22, was talking about the eternal Jerusalem that comes down out of the eternal heavens and rests upon the eternal earth. We must remember that at the end of the Millennial Age the prediction of our Lord regarding the passing away of heaven and earth will be fulfilled at the judgment of the great white throne, which follows immediately the Millennium. At that time the present heavens and earth pass out of existence (Rev. 20:11).

From Ezekiel's prophecy (chaps. 40, 47, and 48) we know that the millennial Jerusalem--which will be the marvel of all the ages past--with its suburbs--will be a city ten miles square. On the south end of the mountain of the height of Israel, this city will be the joy of the whole earth. But the eternal Jerusalem that comes down out of the eternal heavens and rests upon the eternal earth will be a city that will be a perfect cube, fifteen hundred miles in every direction. Thus the Jerusalem of which Isaiah and Paul were speaking, though glorious beyond description, will be insignificant in comparison with the eternal Jerusalem, our everlasting home.

After this long discussion of passages related to Isaiah 54:1, let us now return to the exposition of the remaining part of the chapter. In verses 2 and 3 Isaiah, seeing in vision the future of the Jewish people and thinking of Jerusalem, the mother city, as a woman, urges her to enlarge the place of her tent, stretch forth curtains, lengthen the cords, and strengthen the stakes, because her family has increased very, very greatly. Thus in this pictorial way the prophet foretold the establishment, the enlargement, and the beautification of the millennial Jerusalem.

The Period of Israel's Widowhood