Biblical Research Studies Group- Messiah: His Nature and Person-The Noonday Radiance of Messianic Glory

CHAPTER FIVE

THE NOONDAY RADIANCE OF MESSIANIC GLORY

I. IN THE BOOK OF IMMANUEL

A. The Historical Background

THE investigation thus far has led us through the delightful study of "The Early Rays of Messianic Glory" and "The Davidic Covenant." It is now our privilege to pursue this subject further by an investigation of the outstanding passages from the golden age of messianic prediction--the eighth and seventh centuries before the Common Era. On account of the abundance of the material, however, I shall confine myself to the most important passages that bear directly on the subject in hand. By unanimous consent Isaiah, the statesman-prophet, stands foremost as the exponent Of the messianic teaching during the period.

In order to evaluate and appreciate the significance of the wonderful prophecies of the Book of Immanuel, Isaiah 7-12, one must have a fairly comprehensive understanding of the political background. Hence we shall now briefly view the international situation of that day.

During the period 900-600 before the common era, the stability of the center of political gravity in the Semitic world was often threatened, and frequently the outcome of a movement, a national upheaval, or a combination of peoples intriguing against others became a very uncertain quantity. In fact, the equilibrium of all western Asia frequently was placed in the balances by the ambitious designs of some conniving ruler or politician. In the reign of Shalmanezer III (860-825) Assyrian dreams of conquest and empire threatened the overthrow of all the smaller nations of the coastland. In the historic yet indecisive battle of Karkar (854 B.C.) we see the majority of the western Asiatic nations in a defensive alliance fighting against this haughty and ambitious monarch. In 846 and again in 842 Shalmanezer fought against the western allies and boasted of his conquests. From the monuments it is uncertain whether or not the coalition of 854 remained intact. In recording his campaign of 842, which was directed primarily against Hazael of Damascus, he claims to have received tribute of the Tyrians, Sidonians, and of Jehu, son of Omri. It is altogether possible that Israel had withdrawn from the alliance and had no part in this war and only paid tribute with the others mentioned in order to avoid becoming embroiled in future wars. In Shalmanezer's last recorded campaign against Damascus (839) this city successfully withstood the siege. Had he been victorious, we may be sure that he would have given a full and glowing account of his accomplishments. His silence is eloquent and positive testimony of his failure. The Tyrians, the Sidonians, and the Byblians, on the other hand, are said to have paid tribute.

About the middle of his reign Shalmanezer III ceased to interfere in the affairs of the peoples of the Mediterranean seaboard. The disappearance of this common foe from the political horizon afforded an opportunity for the bursting forth into open hostilities of the bitter animosity, of long standing, between Syria and Israel. The net result of the conflict was that Israel was reduced to the status of a petty Syrian province with a humiliatingly small army --a mere police force.

Evidently the conditions at home and in the East had improved, for the Assyrians again, after a period of about half a century of non-interference, appeared on the horizon of the peoples of the West. In the days of Shalmanezer's grandson and successor, Adad-nirari III (812-782), Assyrian prowess and aggressiveness revived and all but subjected the western world. Even Damascus, the key position to the conquest of the coastland, which had withstood the mighty onslaughts of Shalmanezer, went down under the sledge hammer blows of Adad-nirari. In fact, his famous campaigns of 804 and 797 practically decided the fate of all western Asia. With the fall of Damascus, the result of these campaigns, an unobstructed road into Palestine and thence to the valley of the Nile with all of its accumulated wealth was opened to Assyria. The immediate result of the capitulation of Damascus was the relief given to the kingdom of Israel. From the fragmentary evidence of the inscriptions it is uncertain whether or not Assyria exacted tribute from these peoples of the West until the death of Adad-nirari (782). Since the Assyrian king did not take advantage of his conquests and march against Egypt, the spoils of which he undoubtedly coveted, it is certain that he was engaged with affairs nearer home.

From the death of Adad-nirari to the accession, or perhaps the usurpation, of Tiglath-pileser III (745), the three Assyrian kings doubtless employed their mediocre abilities and strength with home affairs. During this period of Assyria's non-interference, it seemed as if the sun of her glory and conquest was about to set. The respite from military activity and the ravages of war gave an opportunity of recuperation and expansion to Judah and Israel. Hence Judah under Uzziah and Israel under Jeroboam II enjoyed a period of national prosperity such as they had not experienced since the days of David and Solomon. Material prosperity, almost invariably, is accompanied by a decline of religion and spiritual life and by a corresponding growth of sin, immorality, and lawlessness--the powerful germs of national death.

In Isaiah's day (the latter half of the eighth century B.C.) the entire Semitic world was again thrown into a state of unrest and nervousness by the revival of Assyrian power. In fact, the international situation became alarmingly acute. The Prophet, possessed of a mind naturally endowed with analytical powers and a comprehensive grasp of complicated situations and rendered infallible by the inspiration of the Spirit of God, took his stand like a lone sentry and viewed the international situation. The three great powers¹ that lay on the political horizon he described in the following symbolic language: "In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish leviathan the swift serpent, and leviathan the crooked serpent; and he will slay the monster that is in the sea" (Isa. 27:1). A careful study of Isaiah 51:9; 30:7; Psalms 74:13,14; and 104:26; Job 41:1 and their contexts together with Isaiah 27:1, 12, 13 leads one to conclude that "leviathan the swift serpent" referred to Assyria, which was located on the rapid turbulent Tigris, a fit symbol of her energetic and prompt action; that "leviathan the crooked serpent" indicated the then-rising Babylonian power whose policy was always dubious and questionable; and that "the monster that is in the sea" unmistakably signified Egypt which, in times of inundation, resembles an inland sea. Besides these more powerful peoples there were the kingdoms of Ararat to the north of Assyria and of Elam on the East. Frequently the outcome of conflicts with these lesser known but none the less formidable powers was a matter of great concern and anxiety to the mighty Assyrian kings. The tremendous pressure at times brought to bear upon the seemingly indestructible fortress of Assyrian prowess coupled with the ever-present elements of weakness in all despotic empires--fickleness of human nature and the readiness of the masses to join in a revolution--finally sapped the life of that great nation and rendered it impotent before the onslaughts of the more virile forces of the Medes and Persians with their allies.

Near the beginning of Isaiah's ministry Assyria was given a new lease on life, after a quarter of a century of decadence, by the accession, or perhaps the usurpation, of Tiglath-pileser III, one of the greatest empire-builders of antiquity. He came to the throne in 745 and was succeeded by his son Shalmanezer IV in 727 B.C. These monarchs and their successors turned their eyes westward with great imperialistic dreams. Being entranced with the great possibilities of the western Asiatic territory, these sovereigns, to the eventual overthrow of the nation, took little notice of the gathering war-clouds in the East and of the internal conditions which were gnawing at the heart of the nation. Upon the monuments are recorded the ruthless conquests of these ambitious war-lords, as they, in a most merciless manner, subjected the smaller nations to the condition of practical serfdom and bondage. The waves of this ambitious aggressiveness all but inundated western Asia---even Palestine itself.

In addition to the threatenings of the Assyrian nation there was another danger looming up in the immediate foreground in the earlier part of Isaiah's ministry. The facts gathered from the monuments, together with the data given in the Scriptures and inferences therefrom, justify the conclusion that in 734 B.C. Syria and Israel attempted to draw Ahaz, king of Judah, into an alliance against Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria. Failing in this matter these kings plotted to dethrone Ahaz and to place in his stead an unknown person called the son of Tebeel. Pursuant with this plan the allied kings seem to have marched southward. When all of the facts presented in II Kings 16 and II Chronicles 28 are considered in the light of Isaiah 7:1f, it is quite likely that the Syrian army marched against the seaport town of Elath while Pekah led the Israelite forces against Jerusalem. Rezin conquered Elath and Pekah won a victory over Ahaz. Rezin then joined forces with Pekah and warred against Jerusalem but the allied armies were unable to capture it. Why the failure? Ahaz called in the help of Tiglath-pileser, who, in all probability, responded immediately. This unexpected turn of affairs demanded Rezin's withdrawal from the siege in order to hasten to the defense of his capital. (See II Kings 16:7-9.)

Four years previously Tiglath-pileser had conquered much of the territory in Syria and adjoining countries. On this former campaign he exacted tribute of Menahem, king of Israel. Finally in 734 he made his last drive against the west country. On this expedition he conquered the coast territory, cut off the most northern tribes of Israel, and conquered Damascus. Thither Ahaz, king of Judah, went and paid tribute to him. This campaign was ended in 732.² The way again was opened to invade Egypt, but uprisings in southern Babylonia demanded his hasty return to the East. During the last four years of his reign he devoted his time to the strengthening of his position at home.

B. A Pious Dodge

The year 734 B.C.³ proved to be one of crisis for Judah. When the news reached Jerusalem that the armies of Ephraim and Syria were on the march against her, the entire population was thrown into consternation. King Ahaz likewise became frantic. The Biblical statement is that the king's "heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind" (Isa. 7:1). The facts justify the inference that Ahaz knew of Tiglath-pileser's leading his invincible legions westward at that very time for the conquest of the entire country. He was likewise aware of the fact that the allies intended to dethrone him, to place the son of Tebeel in his stead, and to conscript the forces of Judah for a united attack against the common foe. Inasmuch as he had refused to join the allies against Assyria there remained three courses from which he could make a choice: first, to abdicate his throne in favor of the son of Tebeel and thus forsake his people in time of national peril; secondly, to enter into secret negotiations with Assyria for help against the allies but while waiting for her aid to offer such resistance as the nation could muster; and thirdly, to look to God alone for deliverance from all enemies. Which course does wisdom indicate would have been the proper one? Which do the nations follow today? According to II Kings 16:7-9, he chose the way of seeming least resistance, leaning upon the arm of flesh by entering into alliance with Assyria, the stronger power, upon humiliating terms which amounted to virtual vassalage.

Entirely different were the attitude and conduct of good old King Jehoshaphat (II Chron. 20). A situation similar to this one but probably more serious confronted him.

A coalition of nations sent their armies into Judah which advanced dangerously near Jerusalem. When their presence was reported to the king, he immediately betook himself to the house of God, humbled himself before the Lord, and proclaimed a national fast and a season of repentance and crying to God for deliverance. The populace instantly responded to the royal appeal and gathered in a mighty throng at the house of God. In humility and faith the king stood in the midst of the great assembly and prayed as a little child.

"And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court; and he said, O Lord, the God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and art not thou ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? and in thy hand is power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee. Didst not thou, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and give it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, If evil come upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house, and before thee (for thy name is in this house), and cry unto thee in our affliction, and thou wilt hear and save. And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned aside from them, and destroyed them not; behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children" (II Chron. 20:5-13).

In response to this childlike prayer of faith* the Spirit of God came upon Jahaziel who assured the king and the nation that they would not have to fight but only to trust God for the victory. When they marched against the enemy, they simply praised and thanked God for the victory which He had promised. To them, because of the bare, naked Word of God, their triumph was as real as if the enemy had already been routed. The Lord would not disappoint such absolute and unswerving trust based upon His Word. The results of the campaign justified their faith. Truly could the Psalmist declare:

"There is no king saved by the multitude of a host:
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
A horse is a vain thing for safety;
Neither doth he deliver any by his great power.
Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him,
Upon them that hope in his lovingkindness;
To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine" (Ps. 33:16-19).

Without doubt King Ahaz knew of this great deliverance and of the many promises found in the law of God; but being faithless and preferring to go the deceptive way of the flesh, which outwardly appears the easier but in reality is the more difficult road, he cast aside the promise of God in a most hypocritical manner and either began communicating with Tiglath-pileser or continued his secret negotiations already begun. The Assyrian gladly responded to his S.O.S. call and hastened westward. The adoption of the policy of entering into entangling alliances proved disastrous to Judah.

Israel, as no other nation, must depend upon God alone for protection and safety. She alone of all nations was called by Him to fill a unique position in the world. The divine promise is that if she will be obedient and serve Him, He will fight her battles and deliver her from all foes. Unfortunately she has never realized this fact but throughout her entire history has faithlessly leaned upon other nations for the very thing that God promises on the simple condition of faith and obedience. Until the Zionists and all other leaders of Israel cease to look to some nation or to the League of Nations for the protection and safety promised by the Lord and turn to Him with an unswerving faith, the nation's sorrows will continue in unabated fury and she will be persecuted by her enemies. Truly in God alone is Israel's salvation.

Eventually Israel will learn that in the Lord God alone is her true hope. Only a few of her kings in the past realized that all-important truth. Nevertheless she is destined to learn it--only, however, by bitter experience. According to the prophetic Word the nations of the world will form an alliance against her and will invade Palestine with the express purpose of blotting out the name of Israel from earth. In Psalm 83 appears a prediction to that effect. The psalmist in his petition cries out to God, "They (the nations) take crafty counsel against thy people, And consult together against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; That the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance" (vss. 3, 4). In comparison with the formidable array of power which the nations will muster against her, the forces of Israel will be as nothing. Truly her extremity will be God's opportunity. Then shall the entire nation cry out to the Lord as is foretold by the psalmist in the following forecast:

"Unto thee do I lift up mine eyes,
O thou that sittest in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants

look

unto the hand of their master,
As the eyes of a maid unto the hand of her mistress;
So our eyes

look

unto the Lord our God,
Until he have mercy upon us.
Have mercy upon us, O Lord,
have mercy upon us;
For we are exceedingly filled with contempt" (Ps.123:1-3).

In response to this heart cry Zion's deliverer in the person of King Messiah will come and save her. Then she will sing as David foretold in the following prediction:

O that all the nations, as well as Israel, might learn that in God alone are help and deliverance! Though Israel in a peculiar way is dependent upon God, all nations are helpless without Him. Isaiah stated this fact in chapter forty of his prophecies. The peoples of the earth are as the small dust of the balances before Him. During the darkest days of the civil war in America (1861-1865) Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, realized that God is the one who rules the destinies of the world. Believing that the cause of the Union was righteous, he issued a proclamation calling upon the country to observe a day of prayer and confession of sins to the end that God would grant deliverance to the right. The outcome of the bloody conflict proves that the Lord in a most marvelous manner heard and answered the prayers of faith. During the darkest days of the World War when the Germans were lunging ahead (spring of 1918), and were making their titanic strokes to reach the Channel ports, President Wilson issued a call to prayer and supplication together with confession of both individual and national sins. On the appointed day the churches throughout the land were open all day and the pious and godly came together and implored the Lord for deliverance. Immediately after that day of prayer and confession the tide of battle changed and the Germans began their retreat towards their own territory. Finally that most bloody conflict was ended by the armistice of Nov. 11th, 1918. What I consider the most serious mistake made by President Wilson was his failure to appoint a day of praise and thanksgiving to God for the successful termination of the war. When the mists of all earthly affairs shall have cleared away, we shall see that the post-war history, at least in America, would have been entirely different had she acknowledged with praise the divine intervention.

Another notable instance of the efficacy of prayer is the stopping of the grasshopper plague, raging during the years 1873 to 1877, which threatened the total destruction of vegetation in the states of Minnesota, Iowa, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri. The God-fearing chief executive of Minnesota, according to a circular which I have, issued the following proclamation:

"STATE OF MINNESOTA,
Executive Department,
St. Paul, April 9th, 1877.

"A general desire having been expressed by various religious bodies in this State for an official designation of a Day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer, in view of the threatened continuation of the grasshopper scourge, I do hereby, in recognition of our dependence upon the power and wisdom of Almighty God, appoint Thursday, the twenty-sixth day of April instant, to be observed for such purpose throughout the State; and I invite the people, on the day thus set apart, to withdraw from their ordinary pursuits, and in their homes and places of public worship, with contrite hearts, to beseech the mercy of God for the sins of the past, and His blessing upon the worthier aims of the future.

"In the shadow of the locust plague, whose impending renewal threatens desolation of the land, let us humbly invoke, for the efforts we make in our defence, the guidance of the Hand which alone is adequate to stay 'the pestilence that walketh in darkness and the destruction that wasteth at noonday.' Let us pray for deliverance from an affliction which robs the earth of her bounties, and in behalf of the sufferers therefrom let us plead for comfort to the sorrowful, healing for the sick, succor for the perishing, and larger faith and love for all who are heavily laden.

"Let us, moreover, endeavor to deserve a new prosperity by a new realization of the opportunity vouchsafed to us, and a new consecration to those things which make for the well-being of men and the Glory of God.
(Signed) "J. S. PILLSBURY, GOVERNOR."

"THE AMAZING RESULTS BEGAN ON THE DAY AFTER PRAYER WAS MADE. On April 27th, 1877, the sun shone out hot and clear over Minnesota. The summer-like-warmth penetrated the moist earth down to the larvae of the myriads of grasshoppers. The young locusts crawled forth in countless swarms, sufficient to bring destruction to half a dozen states. Then, a couple of nights later, it turned cold. The moist earth was frozen over, bringing utter destruction to the pests in that one night. (Read Isa. 37:36 with context.) And Governor Pillsbury stated years afterwards, 'We have never seen any grasshoppers since.'"

The pages of Israel's history are full of such miraculous interventions in behalf of the nation when she humbled herself before the Lord. God, it seems, relieves national distress when the people as a whole acknowledge His authority and power--even though they do not know Him. The Ninevites are an excellent example.

The easiest, best, and quickest way out of any dilemma is to leave the matter in the hands of the Lord who is a very present help in time of need. This lesson the nations will eventually learn. Ahaz refused to heed. The majority of people follow his example and realize their mistake only when it is too late.

King Ahaz was young, inexperienced, and probably beset by doubts. The Lord knowing his weaknesses offered to strengthen and to confirm his tottering faith in order that He might show Himself strong in behalf of the nation at the time of that great crisis. Hence He sent the prophet Isaiah to the king with an offer to perform a miracle either in the depth below or in the height above, according as Ahaz should desire. Not willing to abandon his own plans and to adopt the divine counsel and will, he tried to justify his lack of faith by alluding to a passage of Scripture in the Torah which he both misinterpreted and misapplied (Deut. 6:16). There is frequently a vast difference between the letter and the spirit of the law. The king simply took the letter of the command and tried to hide behind it. Such a pious dodge by no means excused him in the sight of God. Men must be honest with themselves and the Lord. One may be able to hide certain things from man whose vision is only partial and incomplete but never can he hide anything from the all-seeing eye of the ever-present God. On this point carefully study Psalm 139. His naturally keen insight into human nature, clarified and heightened by the divine Spirit of God, enabled the prophet to fathom the depths of the king's hypocrisy. Then he exclaimed, "Is it a small thing for you to weary men, that ye will weary my God also?" The poet was correct in saying that "truth crushed to earth will rise again."

A man's sins will sooner or later find him out. Though one should be successful in concealing a matter from human eyes and thus avoid punishment, he will have to answer to God for every word and deed. Honor and candor are indeed the best policies.

C. Prophecy Concerning Immanuel

God makes even the wickedness of men to praise Him. He likewise frequently uses their mistakes and failures as occasions for giving further revelations of His eternal plans. When Ahaz would not accept the divine offer for the confirmation of his faith, the Lord used this opportunity to make known to the world the birth of a child whose name would be Immanuel. This passage has been construed by many as messianic. Others, however, have questioned this interpretation and have insisted that it referred to a child who was born in Isaiah's day and who served as a sign to the nation that the kingdoms of Syria and Ephraim would soon be destroyed. In view of these different explanations, it becomes necessary that we examine the text and its context microscopically and accept the facts as we find them regardless of every other consideration.

1. Analysis of Isaiah 7:1-17

The first step to be taken in the investigation is to analyze verses 1-17 as to the speaker and the ones addressed. A casual glance at verses 1, 2 shows that this paragraph is a resume of the political situation which existed between Syria, Ephraim, and Judah in the days of Ahaz, king of Judah. From the data found on the monuments scholars who accept Ussher's system of chronology locate this crisis in 734-732 B.C. and identify it as the counterpart of that which appears on the monuments for this same period. The facts seem to justify this conclusion. Verse three contains the Lord's instruction to Isaiah to go with his little son, Shear-jashub, to meet Ahaz, who probably, like Hezekiah later, was inspecting the system of the water supply of the city in the highway of the fuller's field.

Footnotes:

¹ These kingdoms foreshadow those of the end-time.

² Although I have used the dates which are generally received, I must say that I do not accept them as correct. This system of chronology is based upon Ptolemy's method of time-reckoning. An investigation of the historical facts out of which this heathen astronomer built his system of dates shows that the evidence which he had for the duration of the Persian period of universal history was very inconclusive. One line of testimony indicated that it continued for 205 years, whereas other facts favored the assignment of only 52 years. Arbitrarily he chose the longer chronology. In a forthcoming work, The Seventy Weeks of Daniel, I hope to show the incorrectness of this position and to prove conclusively that Daniel's inspired statement relative to the existence of a period of 483 years intervening from the time of the return of the exiles from Babylon to the execution of Messiah is absolutely accurate.

³ Probably the beginnings of this war date back to 738 B.C. (Isa. 7:1f).

* To have faith in God like that of a little child is not, as some have supposed, evidence of a weak or untutored mind but is positive proof of an unbiased and unprejudiced heart, of a soul open to truth, and of a noble spirit with courage equal to its conviction. Abraham, the great progenitor of the Hebrew race and father of the faithful, while living in the midst of a civilization the fiber of which was the most degraded polytheistic belief with all its attendant evils, looked out upon the material universe, meditated upon its phenomena and their behavior, and came to the inevitable conclusion that there is a personal God who is the Creator, Possessor, and Controller of the heavens and the earth. Hence at the Almighty's call he left the paternal home for the land which He promised to show him. This episode, instead of being evidence of a primitive and superstitious mind, is positive proof of an intelligent faith, a faith that expresses itself in obedience and takes hold of the blessings and promises of the Almighty. During the past centuries and at the present time the world's greatest scholars, scientists, leaders, and benefactors have been and are believers in a personal God who holds the destinies of the world in His hands. Disbelief in a personal God is evidence of a mind that refuses to take all the testimony into consideration, in short, of an unscientific mind.

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