A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Isaiah 7-9

Kuruvilla Thomas
Bangalore
Published on 19 March 2025 *

Fig. 1

Introduction

This study treats Isaiah 7-9 as a cryptochiasmus in order to arrive at a coherent reconfiguration of the text ( see definition of cryptochiasmus in [1] ). If you wish to skip the technicalities of a chiastic parse, you may read starting from Section 4 of the Discussion section, which has the reconfigured text.

Isaiah 7:1-9:7 makes important predictions about Jesus Christ, particularly the one in 7:14, "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel". This passage on the virgin birth is confoundingly placed in a context of Isaiah's time, but with this reconfiguration we will show that it applies exclusively to Christ.

This is one of the prophecies that are designated as sealed (others are Dan. 8, Dan. 10-12, Isa. 28-33 and Revelation).

Discussion

1. Presuppositions

We base our parse of Isaiah 7:14b-9:7 on the assumption that it refers to 3 periods:

1. From the Start of the Exile of the Northern Kingdom of Israel to the Start of Judah's exile (c.733BC - c.605BC).
2. From the Birth of Christ to The First Jewish–Roman War (5BC-73AD).
3. The Start of Christ's Millennial Reign (2027AD).

2. Parsing the chiasmus

We will use the NIV Bible for this parse.

Parsing this chiasmus involves dividing portions of the text into three categories as above. We will call the period of the Exile of Israel Period 1, the Birth of Christ to the First Jewish-Roman War Period 2 and the start of Christ's Millennial Reign Period 3.

Categorizing Isaiah 7:14b - 9:7

Ch 7:14b belongs to Period 2. "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son" - Jesus will be born of a virgin.

Ch 7:15 - Ch 8:8a belong to Period 1. The 'Kings of Assyria' defeat and exile Ephraim and Judah. ( We categorize the last phrase in 8:8, 'God is with us', as belonging to the next subunit in Period 3, as the phrase makes better sense in that passage - see commentary below.)

Ch 8 Vs 8b-10 appear to belong to Period 3. Satan's Beast army and its allies will be defeated when they attack the New Israel at the start of Millennial Reign.

Ch 8 Vs 11-13 belong to Period 1. Those who truly fear God need not fear anything else.

Ch 8 Vs 14-18 belong to Period 2. Jesus will be a stumbling block to some, because those who do not believe in him will be killed in the Roman attack on Jerusalem. We include vs 17b-18a in this subunit based on Hebrews 2:13. This prophecy is sealed.

Ch 8 Vs 19-22 belong to Period 1. The Judahites should have trusted God instead of consulting mediums or following false doctrines.

Ch 9 Vs 1-2 belong to Period 2. Christ teaches his Gospel to the Gentiles (see Matt. 4:13-16).

Ch 9 Vs 3-7 belong to Period 3. Israel is restored and the Beast army is destroyed at the start of the Millennial Reign of Christ and his Messiah.

Original text

We color-code the chiastic units of the original text (NIV) below for easy visual identification using: red for Period 1, blue for Period 2 , green for Period 3 and purple for text outside the chiasmus. We have retranslated parts of the text.

Isaiah 7 1 When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.
2 When the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; the [a] hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.
3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. 4 Say to him, ‘Calm down [b] and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. 5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, 6 “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” 7 Thus says the Lord GOD: “‘It will not take place, it will not happen. 8 The [c] head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. 9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’”
10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”
12 Ahaz [d] said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”
13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14a Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. [e]
14b The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
15 He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 16 for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. 17 The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.”
18 In that day the Lord will whistle for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. 19 They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices in the rocks, on all the thornbushes and at all the water holes. 20 In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your beard also. 21 In that day, a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats. 22 And because of the abundance of the milk they give, there will be curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day, in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels, there will be only briers and thorns. 24 Hunters will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns. 25 As for all the hills once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns; they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.

Retranslation notes for Isaiah 7
[a] vs 2 ""When the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; the"" instead of ""Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim"; so the"". Based on the Berean Bible. To fix sequence issues.
[b] vs 4 "Calm down" instead of "Be careful, keep calm". Based on the Berean Bible.
[c] vs 7,8 ""Thus says the Lord GOD: “‘It will not take place, it will not happen. 8 The"" instead of ""Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘It will not take place, it will not happen, 8 for the"". Changed for the chiasmus.
[d] vs 12 "Ahaz" instead of "But Ahaz". Changed for the chiasmus.
[e] vs 14 "sign." instead of "sign:". Changed punctuation for the chiasmus.


Isaiah 8 The Lord said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it with an engraving tool about Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.” [a] 2 So I called in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses for me. 3 Then I made love to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. 4 For before the boy knows how to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.”
5 The Lord spoke to me again:
6 “Because this people has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and melts in fear before [b] Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates— the king of Assyria with all his pomp. It will overflow all its channels, run over all its banks 8a and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it, passing through it and reaching up to the neck. His [c] outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land.”
8b A god is with us! [d]
9 Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered! Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered! 10 Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for a god [e] is with us.
11 This is what the Lord says to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people:
12 “Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. 13 The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.
14 He will be a sanctuary, but also a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, for both Israel and Judah. For [f] the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. 15 Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured.”
16 Bind up this testimony and seal up this teaching. Here among my disciples,[g]
17a I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob.
17b I will put my trust in Him.
18a Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me.
18b There [h] are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.
19 When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God instead [i]? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20 Look to God’s Law and the testimony of His prophets. If anyone's beliefs are not in accordance with God's word, they have no light. [j] 21 They will roam around distressed and hungry; when they are famished, they will become enraged and they will curse their king and their god. They will look upward 22 and [k] they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.

Retranslation notes for Isaiah 8
[a] vs 1 "Take a large tablet and write on it with an engraving tool about Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz" instead of "Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz". Partly based on the KJV.
[b] vs 6 "melts in fear before" instead of "rejoices over". Based on the NRSV.
[c] vs 8 "His" instead of "Its". From the KJV.
[d] vs 8 'land." A god is with us!' instead of 'land, Immanuel!"'.
[e] vs 10 "a god" instead of "God".
[f] vs 14 "He will be a sanctuary, but also a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, for both Israel and Judah. For" instead of "He will be a holy place; for both Israel and Judah he will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for". Partly based on the ESV.
[g] vs 16 "and seal up this teaching. Here among my disciples," instead of "of warning and seal up God’s instruction among my disciples.". Partly based on the ESV, Lamsa Bible.
[h] vs 18 "There" instead of "We".
[i] vs 19 "God instead" instead of "God".
[j] vs 20 "Look to God’s Law and the testimony of His prophets. If anyone's beliefs are not in accordance with God's word, they have no light" instead of "Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn". (We take "speak" to refer to a declaration of belief.)
[k] vs 21,22 "21 They will roam around distressed and hungry; when they are famished, they will become enraged and they will curse their king and their god. They will look upward 22 and" instead of "21 Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. 22 Then".


Isaiah 9 Truly, there will be no more darkness for those who were spiritually straitened [a]. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles [b], by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan. [c]
2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. 4 As [d] in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. 5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. 6 To us a child is born, to us a son is given. The government will be on his shoulders, and [e] he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the extent of his reign [f] and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

Retranslation notes for Isaiah 9
[a] vs 1 "Truly, there will be no more darkness for those who were spiritually straitened" instead of "Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress".
[b] vs 1 "Gentiles" instead of "nations".
[c] vs 1 "Jordan." instead of "Jordan—". Changed punctuation for the regular chiasmus.
[d] vs 4 "As" instead of "For as". For the regular chiasmus.
[e] vs 6 "To us a child is born, to us a son is given. The government will be on his shoulders, and" instead of "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And". Changed punctuation for the regular chiasmus.
[f] vs 7 "extent of his reign" instead of "greatness of his government".

3. Building the reconfigured text

From this parse, it appears that Isaiah 7:14b - 8:15 forms a cryptochiasmus as below:

A1   Ch 7 Vs 14b Period 2. Birth of Christ
  B1   Ch 7 Vs 15 - Ch 8 vs 8a Period 1. Samaria and Jerusalem are exiled
    X   Ch 8 Vs 8b-10 Period 3. Satan's Beast army is defeated
  B2   Ch 8 Vs 11-13 Period 1. Fear God only
A2   Ch 8 Vs 14-18 Period 2. Christ as a stumbling stone

We now reconstruct the passages in the right order based on the chiastic structure above and based on the ordering rules of a cryptochiasmus [1].

We lead with central pivot point 'X'. The corresponding subunits (For example; subunit A1 corresponds to A2) are placed contiguously to form units (For example, A1,A2 is a unit ) so that we get a list of such units.

The sequence selected for rearrangement is:

X  [A1,A2]  [B1,B2]        (1)

We have the following sequence when we include verses 8:16-9:7:
X         - Period 3
[A1,A2] - Period 2
[B1,B2] - Period 1
Ch 8 Vs 19-22 - Period 1. Do not consult mediums
Ch 9 Vs 1-2 - Period 2. Christ teaches the gospel
Ch 9 Vs 3-7 - Period 3. The Millennial Reign of Christ and his Messiah

We still have text for the periods in a non-contiguous form. We can treat this as a doubly-applied cryptochiasmus as below.

M1   X   Period 3
  N1   [A1,A2] Period 2
   XX   [B1,B2], Ch 8 Vs 19-22 Period 1
  N2   Ch 9 Vs 1-2 Period 2
M2   Ch 9 Vs 3-7 Period 3

The sequence selected for rearrangement is:
XX  [N1,N2]  [M1,M2]        (2)

Note that we placed [N1,N2] before [M1,M2] in order to get the Periods in chronological sequence. The rules of cryptochiasmus [1] allow this as there is no discernible change in meaning.

Translating this sequence (2) into the subunits of the first chiasmus, we get:

[[B1,B2], Ch 8 Vs 19-22]  [[A1,A2], Ch 9 Vs 1-2]  [[X], Ch 9 Vs 3-7]         (3)

Further translating (3) into verse numbers, we get:

[[Ch 7 Vs 15 - Ch 8 vs 8a, Ch 8 Vs 11-13], Ch 8 Vs 19-22],  [[Ch 7 Vs 14b, Ch 8 Vs 14-18],Ch 9 Vs 1-2]  [[Ch 8 Vs 8b-10], Ch 9 Vs 3-7]         (4)

We arrive at the reconfigured passage in the next section by rearranging the verses so they are in sequence (4).

4. The chiasmi in Isaiah 7:1-14a and the reconfigured Isaiah 7:14b-9:7

4.0 Introduction to Period 1

Chiasmus 1: Aram and Ephraim try to conquer Judah


Chiasmus 2: The Judahites need not fear their enemies


Chiasmus 3: God offers Ahaz a sign that predicts the fall of Aram and Ephraim



4.1 From the Start of the Exile of the Northern Kingdom of Israel to the Start of Judah's exile (c.733BC - c.605BC) (Ch 7 Vs 15 - Ch 8 vs 8a, Ch 8 Vs 11-13, Ch 8 Vs 19-22)

Chiasmus 1: The Israelites are exiled (733BC-605BC)


Chiasmus 2: Worship and fear the One True God only



4.2 From the Birth of Christ to The First Jewish–Roman War (5BC-73AD) (Ch 7 Vs 14b, Ch 8 Vs 14-18, Ch 9 Vs 1-2)



4.3 The Start of Christ's Millennial Reign (2027AD) (Ch 8 Vs 8b-10, Ch 9 Vs 3-7)

Chiasmus 1: Satan's forces are defeated and Israel is restored at the start of the Millennial Reign


Chiasmus 2: The Messiah will reign over Israel and the world for Christ

5. A Commentary on the Reconfigured Text

5.0 Introduction to Period 1 (Ch 7 vs 1-14a)

This section, that lies outside the cryptochiasmus, introduces Period 1 of the prophecy. It is structured as a series of 3 chiasmi.

Chiasmus 1: Aram and Ephraim try to conquer Judah

The passage below in 7:1-6 is arranged in the form of a two-unit chiasmus:

A1 7:1 Rezin and Pekah attempt to conquer Jerusalem (735BC)
  B1 7:2 Ahaz and the Judahites are terrified
    X 7:3 Isaiah and his son Shear-Jashub meet Ahaz, The Seal
  B2 7:4 Ahaz and the Judahites are terrified
A2 7:5-6 Rezin and Pekah attempt to conquer Jerusalem (735BC)


Subunit A1: Rezin and Pekah attempt to conquer Jerusalem (735BC) (7:1)

Chapter 7 1 When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.

King Rezin (754–732 BC) of Aram (Syria) and King Pekah (c.740 – c.733BC) of Israel (the Northern Tribes / Ephraim) joined forces to besiege King Ahaz (c. 735-715BC) in Jerusalem in 735BC, but they could not conquer the city (see 2 Kings 16:5). Ahaz, king of Judah, was the son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah.

Subunit B1: Ahaz and the Judahites are terrified (7:2)

Chapter 7 2 When the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

Aram and Ephraim had previously invaded Judea separately, and they had taken many Judahites captive (2 Chron. 28:5-8), but then they formed an alliance to make an assault on the fortified capital, Jerusalem. When King Ahaz, a descendant of David ("house of David"), and the Judahites saw this powerful alliance come against Jerusalem, they were terrified ("shaken, as the trees of the forest...").

Pivot X: Isaiah and his son Shear-Jashub meet Ahaz (7:3)

Chapter 7 3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.

The Lord tells Isaiah to meet king Ahaz at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool to convey a message - primarily that Ahaz need not fear his enemies, Ephraim and Aram. Isaiah is to take his son Shear-Jashub with him - Shear-Jashub means "a remnant will return" - presumably as a sign to Ahaz that the Northern Tribes will soon be sent into exile (see 7:8b), for they would have to be exiled before they can return. The aqueduct of the Upper Pool, also known as the Shiloam channel, conveys water from the Gihon Spring to the Launderer’s Field, and appears to represent a source of cleansing wisdom from the God of Jerusalem (see also comment on Isa. 8:6 below). Ahaz may have come to this location as part of his preparation for another siege of Jerusalem.

The Seal: Shear-Jashub

Isaiah's son's name, Shear-Jashub, meaning "a remnant will return", is a sign that the Northern Tribes will be exiled in Period 1, and also that a portion of the Northern Tribes will return to their God and their land at the start of the Millennial Reign in Period 3 (see 9:3). So this name, Shear-Jashub, connects this Introductory Section to Period 3, and, along with other symbolic names (see 7:14b and 8:1), forms a part of the seal of this prophecy (see details in Unit C under Period 2 - vs 8:16a,18b).

Subunit B2: Ahaz and the Judahites are terrified (7:4)

Chapter 7 4 Say to him, ‘Calm down and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.

Even after their unsuccessful attack on Jerusalem (7:1), the Aram-Ephraim alliance continued to terrify Ahaz, for he expected another assault from them. God tells Ahaz not to fear Rezin and Pekah, as both are dying embers ("smoldering stubs") - they are at the end of their reigns.

Subunit A2: Rezin and Pekah attempt to conquer Jerusalem (735BC) (7:5-6)

Chapter 7 5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, 6 “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.

Rezin and Pekah had hoped to conquer Jerusalem and Judea and place it under the control of a puppet king, the son of Tabeel, so that they might strengthen their alliance against Assyria (see 2 Kings 16:7). Note the frequent, disdainful references to king Pekah as "Remaliah's son", presumably because he was an unworthy usurper (2 Kings 15:25).

Chiasmus 2: The Judahites need not fear their enemies

The passage below in 7:7-9 is arranged in the form of a two-unit chiasmus:

A1 7:7 Ahaz must trust in God
  B1 7:8a Judah's enemies will be destroyed: Aram
    X 7:8b The Northern Tribes will all be exiled
  B2 7:9a Judah's enemies will be destroyed: Ephraim
A2 7:9b Ahaz must trust in God

This chiasmus details God's plans for Aram and Ephraim. The mechanism by which these plans were implemented depended on king Ahaz's actions; since Ahaz disobeyed God and chose to seek the help of Tiglath-Pileser III, the Assyrians executed these plans.

Subunit A1: Ahaz must trust in God (7:7)

Chapter 7 7 Thus says the Lord GOD: “‘It will not take place, it will not happen.

God promises that Rezin and Pekah will not be successful in their attempts to annex Judea. Ahaz need only have faith in the God of Israel.

Subunit B1: Judah's enemies will be destroyed: Aram (7:8a)

Chapter 7 8a The head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.

Rezin was king ("head") in Damascus, which was the capital ("head") of Aram/Syria. God had stated that Rezin was at the end of his reign (in 7:4), and this passage implies that Rezin's capital, Damascus, and the rest of the nation of Aram (Syria) will fall with him.

Pivot X: The Northern Tribes will all be exiled (7:8b)

Chapter 7 8b Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.

After Ephraim's fall (see 7:9a below), God planned to exile the Northern Tribes in stages until Ephraim was completely emptied after 65 years (this was executed by Assurbanipal in 670BC). ( Note that the Northern Tribes are named after their dominant tribe, Ephraim.)

Subunit B2: Judah's enemies will be destroyed: Ephraim (7:9a)

Chapter 7 9a The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.

Pekah was king ("head") in Samaria, which was the capital ("head") of Ephraim. God had stated that Pekah was at the end of his reign (in 7:4), and this passage implies that Pekah's capital, Samaria, and the rest of the nation of Ephraim will fall with him.

Subunit A2: Ahaz must trust in God (7:9b)

Chapter 7 9b If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’”

Since Aram and Ephraim will soon fall, all that was required of Ahaz was that he have faith in God, and wait patiently. But instead of trusting God, Ahaz sought the help of the Assyrian king (2 Chron. 28:16), and he and the Judahites were punished for it (see 7:17, 2 Chron. 28:20,21).

Chiasmus 3: God offers Ahaz a sign that predicts the fall of Aram and Ephraim

The passage below in 7:10-14a is arranged in the form of a single-unit chiasmus:

A1 7:10-11 God offers Ahaz a sign
    X 7:12 Ahaz refuses the sign
A2 7:13-14a God offers Ahaz a sign

Subunit A1: God offers Ahaz a sign (7:10-11)

Chapter 7 10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”

Ahaz is told to ask for any sign at all that portends the fall of Ahaz's enemies, Aram and Ephraim.

Pivot X: Ahaz refuses the sign (7:12)

Chapter 7 12 Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”

Feigning piety, Ahaz refuses the sign from God, saying that he would not test the Lord (he quotes back at God the law in Deut. 6:16, cf. Matt. 4:7). Ahaz must have already sought the advice of the pagan gods he worshipped (2 Kings 16:3), and decided to seek the help of the Assyrian king (2 Chron. 28:16).

Subunit A2: God offers Ahaz a sign (7:13-14a)

Chapter 7 13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also?

The king of Judea ("house of David"), who had tried the patience of faithful Judahites with his idolatry and corrupt governance, now risked facing God's wrath by disobeying His direct order.

Chapter 7 14a Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.

As detailed under Period 1 below, God offers the birth of Isaiah's son as a sign that portends the fall of Aram and Ephraim (7:15-17, 8:1-4).

From Ahaz's arrogant reply in 7:12, God knew that Ahaz will not pay heed to this sign. So the prophecy of Period 1 below is based on the knowledge that Ahaz, against God's advice, would seek the aid of the Assyrians (see, for ex., 7:17, 8:7-8).

5.1 From the Start of the Exile of the Northern Kingdom of Israel to the Start of Judah's exile (c.733BC- c.605BC) (Ch 7 Vs 15 - Ch 8 vs 8a, Ch 8 Vs 11-13, Ch 8 Vs 19-22)

This Period is structured as a series of 2 chiasmi.

Chiasmus 1: The Israelites are exiled (733BC-605BC)

The passage below in 7:15-8:4 is arranged in the form of a two-unit chiasmus:

A1 7:15-17 The Exile of the Northern Tribes (c. 733BC)
  B1 7:18-20 The Exile of Judea (c. 605BC)
    X 7:21-22 The remnant is blessed with abundance (after 605BC)
  B2 7:23-25 The Exile of Judea (c. 605BC)
A2 8:1-4 The Exile of the Northern Tribes (c. 733BC)


Subunit A1: The Exile of the Northern Tribes (c. 733BC) (7:15-17)

Chapter 7 15 He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, 16 for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.”

A boy born to Isaiah will be a sign to Ahaz that within the first 24 months / 2 years of the boys life, Damascus and Samaria will be devastated. Isaiah's son will be eating "curds and honey" when he knows right from wrong, because the land north of Judea, the land of the Northern Tribes, will have been sparsely populated for around a year by then, and the hostilities will have ended. Through a comparison with Isaiah 8:4, we infer that the age of "knowing to reject the wrong and choose the right" is around the time a child learns to speak short phrases, by the time it is 2 years old. Apparently until this age children are in a state of pre-fall Edenic innocence, not knowing right from wrong (see also Gen 3:5-7, sign of the Dragon of Rev 12 in [3]).

"Curds and honey" must have been suitable produce for sparsely populated, uncultivated regions because of an abundance of land for grazing (see 7:21-25); and the produce of a depleted Ephraim was presumably sold in Judea and Jerusalem after the war ended. "Curds and honey" seems to be a sweet milk product, in which the 'curds' is cottage cheese (milk that is curdled with an acid, as in 'curds and whey'), and the 'honey' is a syrup (fruit juice which is boiled down) that acts as a sweetener and preservative (similar recipes are still used in eastern lands).

This prophecy was made in 735BC, and Isaiah's son was born around a year later in 734BC. The prophecy was fulfilled when Tiglath-Pileser III, Monarch of Assyria (745–727 BC), defeated the kingdom of the Northern Tribes of Israel in 733BC and Damascus in 732BC and deported parts of their populations (2 Kings 15:29, 2 Kings 16:9, 1 Chron 5:26).

Chapter 7 17 The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.”

Ahaz made an alliance with Tiglath-Pileser to defeat Damascus and Samaria (see 2 Kings 16:7-9), but this created problems for the Judahites afterwards. For Judea would later be harassed by Assyria (2 Chron. 28:20) as punishment from God for their lack of faith in Him (see 8:12). After Ephraim had broken away from Judea (c. 930BC), the kingdom of the Northern Tribes had acted as a strong buffer state between Judea and the powerful empires of the Mesopotamian region, but a devastated Ephraim could no longer perform this function.

Subunit B1: The Exile of Judea (c. 605BC) (7:18-20)

Chapter 7 18 In that day the Lord will whistle for flies from the Nile delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. 19 They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices in the rocks, on all the thornbushes and at all the water holes. 20 In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and private parts, and to cut off your beard also.

Many years after the defeat of Samaria, the great armies of Egypt and 'Assyria' ('flies' and 'bees') will attack and invade Judea and Jerusalem. God will use the 'king of Assyria' to humiliate and devastate the region and take the people captive into slavery (the king will "shave" Judea of everything of value - its people and its treasure).

This prophecy was fulfilled around 125 years later, when, in 609BC, Necho II of Egypt, during a campaign against the Babylonians, defeated Josiah, King of Judah, at Megiddo and turned Judah into a vassal state (2 Kings 23:29–35, 2 Chron. 35:20-24). Nebuchadnezzar (605 – 562 BC) (a "razor" employed by God - see Jer. 25:9) then defeated the Egyptians at the battle of Carchemish, and began a campaign against Jerusalem, starting in 605BC (Dan 1:1 and 2 Kings 24:1), that ultimately resulted in the humiliating destruction and plunder of the temple and city, and the exile of the majority of the Judahites to Babylon (c. 587BC).

Although this passage appears to predict an Assyrian invasion, we believe it refers to this Babylonian attack under Nebuchadnezzar. The initial exile of Judahites took place in the same year Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Assyrians (Egypt's allies) at Carchemish (605BC) to become the 'king of Assyria'.

Pivot X: The remnant is blessed with abundance (after 605BC) (7:21-22)

Chapter 7 21 In that day, a person will keep alive a young cow and two goats. 22 And because of the abundance of the milk they give, there will be curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds and honey.

With the Northern Tribes and Judah exiled, only a few poor Israelites remained in the land (see 2 Kings 25:12), and they will enjoy an abundance of everything: land, milk and honey. This passage in the pivot appears to symbolize the rewards for those who are righteous and remain faithful to God.

Subunit B2: The Exile of Judea (c. 605BC) (7:23-25)

Chapter 7 23 In that day, in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels, there will be only briers and thorns. 24 Hunters will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns. 25 As for all the hills once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns; they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.

With all of Judea exiled for its unfaithfulness, the once flourishing, cultivated regions of Judea will turn into barren brushland populated by wild animals and cattle. This subunit symbolizes the utter devastation that comes upon those who turn away from God in their wickedness. Note the parallel design of this subunit: 7:25 restates the desolation described in 7:23-24.

Subunit A2: The Exile of the Northern Tribes (c. 733BC) (8:1-4)

This subunit restates the prediction in the corresponding Subunit A1 above. ( Note that we believe that this passage in 8:1-4 is part of the prophecy and not a break in the prophecy to record what actually happened - prophecies with breaks in them cannot be chiastically reconfigured.)

Chapter 8 1 The Lord said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it with an engraving tool about Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.” 2 So I called in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses for me. 3 Then I made love to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. 4 For before the boy knows how to say ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.”

On a tablet, the prophet inscribes the prophecy about his son Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz - presumably the predictions in 7:15-16 and 8:3-4 - and has it formally attested by two trusted public persons, Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah. This tablet can later be used as irrefutable proof, particularly to Ahaz (see 7:10-14a), that God's prophecy was accurately fulfilled.

We infer that this prophecy implicitly predicts that the birth of Isaiah's son will approximately coincide with beginning of the war between Assyria and Judah's enemies. The 'writing on the tablet' event of this passage serves to publicly record the date of conception of the boy ("I made love to the prophetess" in 7:3 - this is not a virgin birth), and indicates that hostilities will begin around 9 months later (the term of a pregnancy).

Isaiah's wife gave birth to the boy Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz; both parts of the boy's name, Maher-Shalal and Hash-Baz, mean "hasten to the spoil" - the repetition serving to intensify the urgency, as in "Hurry, come quickly!" (the name can be considered a war cry). The name is symbolic, because Samaria and Damascus will be plundered within the time the boy learns to put together short phrases like "My mother", no later than 24 months / 2 years (we set as the terminus ad quem the upper bound of the 18-24 months that it takes a child to speak short phrases).

We propose the following as a likely timeline:

• 735BC: Isaiah gives Ahaz this prophecy after the aborted attack on Jerusalem by Damascus and Samaria (see 2 Kings 16:5). The prophet publicly writes about Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz on a tablet. Isaiah's son is conceived. Ahaz ignores the offer of a sign from God and instead asks for Assyria's aid to fight Damascus and Samaria (2 Chron. 28:16).
• 734BC: The boy is born, and Isaiah names him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. Tiglath-Pileser begins his campaign against Damascus and Samaria (see also Isaiah 17:1-3).
• 733BC: Assyria defeats Samaria, plunders it and begins to deport the Northern Tribes (2 Kings 15:29).
• 732BC: Assyria devastates Damascus (2 Kings 16:9). "Curds and honey" became abundant in Judea because the land of the Northern Tribes has been depopulated for about a year and because the war has ended. The boy can speak short phrases and knows "right from wrong".

So with this sign, God effectively predicted the approximate time to the start of the war (around 9 months, the length of a pregnancy), the approximate length of this war between Assyria and Judah's enemies (a little less than 24 months, 734-732BC) and that Ephraim will be defeated well before Aram. This war proved to be the beginning of the end of the Israelite nation: the exile of the Northern Tribes began immediately and was completed 65 years later (see Isa. 7:8), and the events surrounding the war contributed to the defeat and exile of Judea (605BC-587BC).

The Seal: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz

The name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz is a prophecy with a dual fulfilment: not only does it predict the plunder of Judah's enemies after their defeat here in Period 1, it also predicts the plunder of Israel's enemies after their defeat in Period 3 (see 9:4-5). So the name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz connects this Period 1 to Period 3, and along with other symbolic names (see 7:3 and 7:14b), forms a part of the "seal" that binds this prophecy (see details in Unit C under Period 2 - vs 8:16a,18b).

Since this prophetic name is associated with date predictions in Period 1, we propose that it also predicts the dates of events in Period 3, as below:

• The 24 months between the birth of Isaiah's son and the terminus ad quem of the war in Period 1 indicates that the Antichrist and Beast will be destroyed within 24 months after they begin to persecute the righteous in Period 3 (c June 2025-May 2027) (see also Dan 7:25 in [5]) .
• The 9 months between the conception and birth of Isaiah's son predicts that there will be 9 months between the time the Messiah of the Millennial Reign sets out to conquer (The Rider on the White Horse is released at the opening of the First Seal - see Rev 6:1-2 and [4]) and the time his identity is revealed to the world (at the opening of the 5th seal when the persecution of the faithful begins - Rev 6:9, Matt 24:32) (c Oct 2024-c June 2025).

Chiasmus 2: Worship and fear the One True God only

The passage below in 8:5-8a,11-13,19-22 is arranged in the form of a two-unit chiasmus:

A1 8:5-8a The Judahites are punished for rejecting God
  B1 8:11-12 The Judahites should not have sought advice from mediums
    X 8:13 Worship, Fear and Obey the one true God only
  B2 8:19 The Judahites should not have sought advice from mediums
A2 8:20-22 The Judahites are punished for rejecting God


Subunit A1: The Judahites are punished for rejecting God (8:5-8a)

Chapter 8 5 The Lord spoke to me again:
6 “Because this people has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and melts in fear before Rezin and the son of Remaliah,

The "gently flowing waters of Shiloah" that provides life sustaining water to Jerusalem from the Gihon spring represents the God who gave Judah the city (cf. 1 Kings 1 38-39). King Ahaz and the Judahites rejected God's instruction to patiently wait for a few years (7:4-9), and instead, in their fear of Rezin and Pekah, sought the help of the Assyrians (2 Chron. 28:16).

Chapter 8 7 therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates— the king of Assyria with all his pomp. It will overflow all its channels, run over all its banks 8a and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it, passing through it and reaching up to the neck. His outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land."

As punishment for this disobedience of Ahaz and Judea, the Lord brought the powerful Assyrian king against them ("the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates"). Ahaz had invited Tiglath-Pileser to subdue Samaria and Damascus (these nations were Tiglath-Pileser's "proper channels"), but the Assyrian king harassed Judea as well (he "overflowed" his "channels" and "swept into Judea") and took partial control ("up to the neck") of the Southern Kingdom (see 2 Chron 28:20-21). The second metaphor of the king's "outspread wings" also indicates that the Assyrian king turned Judea into a vassal kingdom - the metaphor is presumably changed for a more emphatic conclusion.

Subunit B1: The Judahites should not have sought advice from mediums (8:11-12)

Chapter 8 11 This is what the Lord says to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people:
12 “Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.

Ahaz and the people of Judea were terrified, because they had apparently consulted necromancers (see corresponding subunit B2 below), and these occultists had warned them of a conspiracy against Judea by powerful nations. God strongly urges ("with his strong hand") the prophet to trust in Him and not fear these rumours along with the rest of the Judahites (Deuteronomy 18:9-12).

Pivot X: Worship, Fear and Obey the one true God only (8:13)

Chapter 8 13 The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.

Worship the one true God and honour the Creator of all things. Fear and obey the Almighty God only. This passage in the pivot conveys the central principle of the Bible, the primary essential truth.

Subunit B2: The Judahites should not have sought advice from mediums (8:19)

This subunit continues from the corresponding Subunit B1 above.

Chapter 8 19 When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God instead? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?

The Judahites should not have sought the counsel of necromancers (those who "whisper and mutter", those who "consult the dead"). Occultists had apparently terrified the Judahites by telling them of a great conspiracy against them (see Subunit B1 above). If only the Judahites had sought God's advice instead, He would have assured them of His protection. This subunit, like the corresponding subunit B1 above, is a censure of Judahite behaviour addressed to Isaiah.

Subunit A2: The Judahites are punished for rejecting God (8:20-22)

This subunit details the lessons from the events of the corresponding subunit A1 above.

Chapter 8 20 Look to God’s Law and the testimony of His prophets. If anyone's beliefs are not in accordance with God's word, they have no light.

The Judahites are to seek spiritual instruction only from the Almighty God. When they follow the false teachers of pagan gods and have beliefs that are not in alignment with God's word, they do not have the light of truth.

Chapter 8 21a They will roam around distressed and hungry; when they are famished, they will become enraged and they will curse their king and their god.

When the Judahites follow the teachings of other gods, they suffer distress and hunger. In their anger at their suffering, they curse their king, who led them astray and away from God, and they curse the pagan god they worship.

Chapter 8 21b They will look upward 22 and they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.

These apostate Judahites will look everywhere - the heavens and the earth - for answers, but they will only find distress and gloom and spiritual darkness (cf. 2 Cor. 4:4). Several centuries later it was to such a Judea, steeped in darkness, that Christ brought the light of the Gospel in Period 2.

5.2 From the Birth of Christ to The First Jewish–Roman War (5BC-73AD) (Ch 7 Vs 14b, Ch 8 Vs 14-18, Ch 9 Vs 1-2)

This Period is arranged in the form of a three-unit chiasmus:

A1 7:14b Christ's Mission: Prologue
  B1 8:14-15 Christ's Mission: For the Israelites
    C1 8:16a The prophet and the prophecy, the Seal
      X 8:16b-18a Christ's Mission: He came to reform the Judahites first
    C2 8:18b The prophet and the prophecy, the Seal
  B2 9:1 Christ's Mission: For the Gentiles
A2 9:2 Christ's Mission: Epilogue


Subunit A1: Christ's Mission: Prologue (7:14b)

Chapter 7 14b The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Jesus was born of Mary, who was a virgin at the time (Luke 1:34,35). He was not named 'Immanuel', but the meaning of the name, 'god with us', was a suitable characterization of Christ (in the manner of Isaiah 9:6), and so people of the time may have called him 'Immanuel'. For while Christ is not God, he is a god ("el" in Hebrew), a divine being, in the sense in Psalm 82:6 (see John 10:33-36). With this reconfiguration, it is clear that this famous passage applies originally and exclusively to Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:23 quotes this passage and applies it to Christ's birth).

The Seal: Immanuel

The name "Immanuel", which means "god [is] with us", is not only an appropriate characterization of Christ in this Period, it also predicts that the Messiah of the Millennial Reign, who is also a "god"/angel, will lead Israel to victory over its enemies in Period 3 (see 8:8b-10 under Period 3 below). The name "Immanuel" connects this Period 2 to Period 3, and, along with other symbolic names (see 7:3 and 8:1), forms a part of the "seal" that binds this prophecy (see details in Unit C - vs 8:16a,18b).

Subunit B1: Christ's Mission: For the Israelites (8:14-15)

Chapter 8 14a He will be a sanctuary, but also a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, for both Israel and Judah.

To the Judahites who believe in him, Christ is a refuge and sanctuary. But those in Judah that reject him will be punished both physically (in the First Jewish-Roman War) and spiritually - to them, Christ is a "stumbling stone" (see also 1 Peter 2:7,8 and Matthew 21:42,44).

Like the Judahites of this Period, only a portion of the Northern Tribes ("Israel") will turn to their God and to Christ at the start of the Millennial Reign in Period 3 (see Isaiah 10:22), and the rest will be destroyed (see Jer 30:7).

Chapter 8 14b For the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. 15 Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured.”

In 70AD, Christ was like a trap to the Judahites in Jerusalem that did not believe in him. They did not heed his warning to flee to the mountains as soon as the Romans arrived in Jerusalem (Matt 24:15-16), and they were all captured or killed ("fall and be broken... snared and captured") during the Roman attack on Jerusalem.

Note that this passage makes the obligatory reference to the First Jewish-Roman War, a feature of all cryptochiastically structured passages (see details on the war in [2]).

Subunit C1: The prophet and the prophecy, the Seal (8:16a)

Chapter 8 16a Bind up this testimony and seal up this teaching.

God instructs Isaiah to designate the prophecy as sealed. This seal is the third seal of Revelation (see Rev 6:5-6), and the opening of this seal (explaining of the prophecy), that binds this prediction of a period of great economic upheaval (see 7:23-25 in Period 1), unleashes the Rider on the Black Horse, who creates a time of great scarcity on earth. See more details on this "seal" in the corresponding subunit C2 below.

Pivot X: Christ's Mission: He came to reform the Judahites first (8:16b-18a)

Based on Hebrews 2:13, we believe that this passage in the pivot is spoken by Christ.

Chapter 8 16b Here among my disciples, 17a I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob.

As punishment for worshipping other gods, God had forsaken the Northern Tribes and spiritually blinded their descendants to His truth (Isaiah 29:10). But Jesus and his disciples know that God will reveal himself to the descendants of the Northern Tribes ("descendants of Jacob") at a later date - it is clear from this and other prophecies that the people of the Northern Tribes will turn to God and Christ at the start of the Millennial Reign in Period 3 (see, for example, Jer. 31:1-6, see also Romans 11:25-27).

Chapter 8 17b I will put my trust in Him.

Jesus says that he will trust that God will reform the Judahites' brother nation, the Northern Tribes.

This passage is quoted in Hebrews 2:13 as proof that Jesus identified with his Judahite followers, whose belief in God was based on faith and not evidence. If Jesus were speaking as himself, as a heavenly being who had been in the awesome presence of God, saying "I will trust God" would be stating the obvious, and somewhat inappropriate and confusing.

Chapter 8 18a Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me.

However, at his First Coming, Christ must pass on the Gospel from God to the Judahites, "the children" assigned to Christ in this Period, and reform them first (see Heb. 2:14-18, Romans 1:16). Because those Judahites that do not turn to Christ by 70AD, so that they are no longer under the Old Covenant, will be brutally killed in the First Jewish-Roman War.

This passage is quoted in Hebrews 2:13 as proof that Jesus considered himself one with the people he came to save. By calling the Judahites his "children", he indicated that he thought of them as family.

Subunit C2: The prophet and the prophecy, the Seal (8:18b)

This subunit continues from 8:16a in the corresponding subunit C1 above.

Chapter 8 18b There are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.

This prophecy mentions three symbolic names that have been assigned to three Israelite actors: "Immanuel", "Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz" and "Shear-jashub". These symbolic names, that occur in various sections of the prophecy, predict events in Period 3, as below:

• Immanuel, a name assigned to Jesus in Period 2. The name means "god [is] with us", and it predicts that the Messiah of the Millennial Reign will defeat the Beast army (see 8:8b-10).
• Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, Isaiah's son who was born in Period 1: The name means "Hasten to the spoil" and it predicts the plunder of the Beast army after its defeat (see 9:4-5).
• Shear-jashub, Isaiah's son in the Introductory Section: The name means "a remnant will return" and it predicts the restoration of the Israelites in Period 3 (see 9:3).

These names connect Period 3 to all the other sections of the prophecy - the Introductory Section, Period 1 and Period 2 - and they form the "seal" that binds this prophecy (see 8:16a in the corresponding Subunit C1 above).

Subunit B2: Christ's Mission: For the Gentiles (9:1)

Chapter 9 1 Truly, there will be no more darkness for those who were spiritually straitened. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan.

Jesus honoured the despised region of Galilee by making Capernaum his home (see Matthew 9:1). The people of this region were living in the "darkness" of false doctrines ("spiritually straitened"); Jesus taught them the Gospel ("light") from God (Mark 1:21-22). The region of Galilee, located by the Sea of Galilee ("by the Way of the Sea") and north of the river Jordan, was originally allocated to the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. This region was considered forsaken by God (“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” - John 1:46), because the unfaithful Northern Tribes had been exiled from the region (in Period 1), and the mongrel population at the time of Jesus was a mix of pagan foreigners ("Gentiles") and a small remnant of the Northern Tribes.

We propose that this passage about "Galilee of the Gentiles" implies that Christ's message is not only for the Israelites but also for the rest of the world. The Gentiles will be the mainstay of Christianity around the world until the start of the Millennial Reign (see Romans 11:25).

The passage in 9:1-2 is paraphrased in the New Testament in Matt. 4:13-16 as referring to Christ. Matthew may have also have paraphrased this passage when he said in Matt. 2:23 that Jesus, in fulfilment of prophecy, would be called a Nazarene, because Galilee may be synecdochically referred to as Nazareth.

Subunit A2: Christ's Mission: Epilogue (9:2)

Chapter 9 2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

Jesus brought with him the Gospel ("great light") and a New Covenant from God to a nation and a world steeped in the false doctrines of demon gods ("darkness") (see also John 8:12, Matt. 4:16).

5.3 The Start of Christ's Millennial Reign (2027AD) (Ch 8 Vs 8b-10, Ch 9 Vs 3-7)

This Period is structured as a series of 2 chiasmi.

Chiasmus 1: Satan's forces are defeated and Israel is restored at the start of the Millennial Reign

The passage below in 8:8b-10, 9:3-5 is arranged in the form of a single-unit chiasmus:

A1 8:8b-10 The Beast army is defeated
    X 9:3 Israel is restored
A2 9:4-5 The Beast army is defeated


Subunit A1: The Beast army is defeated (8:8b-10)

Chapter 8 8b A god is with us!
9 Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered! Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered! 10 Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand,
for a god is with us.

This subunit, that is phrased in the form of aggressive, repeated war-cries, incites the Beast army and its allies to attack the New Israel, so that the attackers may be defeated and destroyed (see also Ezekiel 39:2-6, Rev. 14:18-20). The passage is bracketed with the affirmation, 'a god is with us' ('Immanuel' in transliterated Hebrew) to indicate that Israel will destroy Satan's forces as they prepare to attack; it will defeat Satan with the help of the Messiah of the Millennial Reign, the Archangel Michael incarnate, a "god" (in the sense in Psalm 82:6) (see also Isaiah 63:1-3).

Jesus is called "Immanuel" (which means "god [is] with us") (see 7:14b) partly as a foreshadowing of this victory that comes about with the Messiah's help (see Ezekiel 39). This "Immanuel" prediction that joins Period 2 to this Period 3 is a part of the seal that binds this prophecy.

Pivot X: Israel is restored (9:3)

Chapter 9 3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.

The reconstituted Israel will be a joyful nation. It will be made greater in every way - in terms of geographic size (see Obadiah 1:19-20), wealth, power, influence etc. (see Zephaniah 3:20).

The New Israel will be much larger in terms of population. Isaiah's son's name, Shear-Jashub (the name means "A remnant will return") (7:3), predicts the return of the righteous among the Israelites to the New Israel in this Period (see Jeremiah 31:10). This "Shear-Jashub" prediction that joins the Introductory Section to this Period 3 is a part of the seal that binds this prophecy.

Subunit A2: The Beast army is defeated (9:4-5)

Chapter 9 4 As in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. 5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.

During the reign of Satan's Beast (2023-2027AD), its army tyrannically controlled most of the world ("the yoke that burdens them...") (see Rev 13). At the start of the Millennial Reign, the Beast's army (Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 39) launches an attack on the New Israel. But this giant army is miraculously defeated (see Rev 19:17-21, 14:14-20), just as Midian was in the time of Gideon (Judges 7). With Satan's comprehensive defeat in this battle, his reign over the world ends (see Rev 20:1-3).

After this humiliating defeat of Satan's forces, the Israelites living near the battlefield use this army's clothes and equipment as fuel for fires (see also Ezekiel 39:9). Isaiah's son's name, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (which means "hasten to the spoil") (8:1), predicts this plunder of the Beast army. This "Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz" prediction that joins Period 1 to this Period 3 is a part of the seal that binds this prophecy.

Chiasmus 2: The Messiah will reign over Israel and the world for Christ

The passage below in 9:6-7 is arranged in the form of a two-unit chiasmus:

A1 9:6a Prologue
  B1 9:6b The Messiah will rule over Israel forever
    X 9:7a The Messiah will reign over the world forever
  B2 9:7b The Messiah will rule over Israel forever
A1 9:7c Epilogue


Subunit A1: Prologue (9:6a)

Chapter 9 6a To us a child is born, to us a son is given.

The coming Messiah of the Millennial Reign will, like Jesus Christ before him, be a human descendant of David. The Messiah, the Archangel Michael incarnate, will be born in 1968/69 (see our parse of Daniel 8 [4]).

Subunit B1: The Messiah will rule over Israel forever (9:6b)

Chapter 9 6b The government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The Messiah will represent Christ as the ruler of the New Israel and the world ("the government will be on his shoulders,"). The coming Messiah will be considered to be a:

• Wonderful counsellor: a source of extraordinary wisdom and knowledge from God and Jesus (Isa. 11:2-4).
• Mighty god: a great and powerful king over Israel and the world, an incarnation of the god/angel Archangel Michael (see our parse of Dan 8 [4]).
• Everlasting father: a nurturing governor of the nation and guide to the world forever (Isaiah 32:1-2).
• Prince of peace: a keeper of peace and justice in the nation and the world (Isa. 11:6-9).

Pivot X: The Messiah will reign over the world forever (9:7a)

Chapter 9 7a Of the extent of his reign and peace there will be no end.

Though the Messiah is officially only ruler over Israel, he will be de facto ruler of the world from 2027AD, because of Israel's worldwide hegemony during the Millennial Reign. He will use this power as king of kings to bring peace and justice to the world (Rev. 19:11). Not only will the Messiah rule on earth, he will rule for Christ in his heavenly kingdom forever (we take "the extent of his reign" to be regarding both time and space) (see also Dan. 7:13,14).

Subunit B2: The Messiah will rule over Israel forever (9:7b)

Chapter 9 7b He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.

The Messiah, a descendant of David, will forever be a righteous and just (Rev. 19:11) ruler over Israel ("David's throne"), and he will be its protector. Unlike some of his forefathers, he will always remain faithful to God, so that he and his people will enjoy God's blessings forever.

Subunit A2: Epilogue (9:7c)

Chapter 9 7c The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

All of the prophecies in this chiasmus are solemnly promised by God to the righteous of the world; their continual prayers, "your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven", will surely be answered (see Matthew 6:10).

Conclusion

With this chiastic reconstruction of the text, we have shown that it contains prophecies on 3 Periods. The first Period predicts the exile of the people of Israel and the last Period predicts their return to a glorious united Israel under Christ. The last two Periods are regarding the coming of the Messiahs: Jesus Christ in Period 2, and the Messiah of the Millennial Age in Period 3.

The prophecy is interspersed with four important passages quoted in the New Testament as predictions about Christ - 7:14b, 8:14, 8:17b-18a and 9:1-2 - and this reconfiguration unites them into Period 2. Most Old Testament Messianic prophecies predict the coming Messiah of the Millennial Reign (as in Isa. 9:6-7), and so the Judahites were expecting a human king who would rule Israel and the world. This reconstruction indicates that there will also be another divine Messiah, born of a virgin, Jesus Christ.

This prophecy is designated as "sealed", and the opening of this seal unleashes the Rider on the Black Horse of Rev 6:5-6.

References

[1] A Definition of Cryptochiasmus
[2] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of "The 70 Weeks Of Daniel"
[3] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Revelation 12
[4] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Daniel 8
[5] A Commentary on Daniel 7: The Vision of the Four Beasts





* First version published on 1 January 2020.