Youth Community
Aid Ukraine
Order Why Israel Resources
Support our ministry
Subscribe newsletter
Israel & Christians Today
Biblical understanding about Israel
JERUSALEM AND GALATIANS 4
By Rev. Willem J.J. Glashouwer
For many Christians over the centuries the city of Jerusalem was not that important at all. They were more focussed on the ‘ New Jerusalem’, Revelation 21:2, the ‘Jerusalem that is above’, Galatians 4:26, the Heavenly Jerusalem’, Hebrews 12:22. Earthly Jerusalem – except for the holy places that reminded the Christian pilgrims of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus – was not important. There was no future, theologically speaking, for this city and this land of Israel. The church had replaced Israel and the Promised Land was Heaven with its heavenly city of Jerusalem. It was even dangerous to contemplate too much on prophecies, on Israel, on the Jewish people, on Jerusalem. It was considered to be ‘judaizing’, it was dangerous, and it was carnal, not spiritual.
Especially one passage from the letter of the apostle Paul to the Galatians seems to end all hope for the earthly Jerusalem and for the Jewish people who have not yet come to faith in Christ. It is frequently used as evidence of God’s rejection of the Jews. However, in a close study of the text we will find that the very antithesis is true. Paul begins by calling these Gentile believers in Galatia “little children” in understanding, and expresses his desire for their development into full true Christ-like maturity, Galatians 4:19-31.
Paul uses Abraham’s two sons as an illustration Ishmael by Hagar the bondmaid, and Isaac by Sarah the free woman. He uses Abraham, Sara, Hagar, Isaac, Ishmael, Mount Sinai and Mount Zion – Jerusalem – as an allegory to explain certain principles of the Christian faith. Let’s read the passage first. We will follow Elmer A. Josephson.
‘Galatians 4:22-31 NIV: “… Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written:
"Be glad, O barren woman,
who bears no children;
break forth and cry aloud,
you who have no labor pains;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband."
Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. But what does the Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son." Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman…”
Let’s go verse by verse.
Vs. 23; Ishmael was born of the natural human strength of his ‘maid mother’ Hagar, while Isaac’s birth of Sarah was by a divine supernatural act of God that Paul calls “by promise”.
Hebrews 11:11-12: “…By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered Him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore…”
Romans 4:16-21: “…Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised…”
Vs. 24; Paul states that this is an allegory of two covenants (not of two people as some may distort this illustration); the one covenant “of the law” from Mount Sinai, the law represented by Hagar – the other the ‘Abrahamic Covenant’ “of promise” from God, the promise represented by Sarah (that was “…confirmed before of God in Christ…”, Galatians 3:17 KJV). “The Law” (given on Mount Sinai) which was 430 years after, cannot disannul (or make void) and make “the Promise” of none effect. Galatians 3:17-18: “…What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance [salvation] depends on the law [Hagar], then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in His grace gave it to Abraham [through Sarah and his seed as the context shows] through a promise…”
Vs. 25; Paul states that this Hagar can be compared with Mount Sinai, which he likens to the Jerusalem in his day, which was not free because it was under bondage to Rome. In Greek it reads: “…It corresponds to the NOW Jerusalem (Paul’s time) for she served as a slave (to Rome) with the children of her…”
Vs 26 reads in the original: “…But the above Jerusalem [Greek ανω, anoo, the same thought: grace and promise given by God from above, and are more and better than works of man and law and flesh here below] …is the mother of us all…” This of course can never also mean that Jerusalem in ‘heaven’ would be replacing God’s plan with the ‘earthly’ Jerusalem as the following context clearly shows, but because of Jerusalem’s magnificent past and more glorious future is far above its then present deplorable political bondage. It was and will be God’s capital city. He had “…put His Name there forever…” 1 Kings 9:3, 8:29; Deuteronomy 12:11. There the Redeemer must come, world salvation be purchased and the Messiah reign and “…the Word of the Lord come from Jerusalem…” Isaiah 2:3.
Vs 27; Completely punctures any thought of this Jerusalem referring to ‘heaven’, “…FOR it is written (in Isaiah 54), Rejoice Thou barren that barest not. Break forth and cry thou that travailest not, for the desolate hath many more children than she that hath a husband…” Such things do not go on in heaven. The reference is to Sarah who was barren over 70 years; 40 years since the promise came and now finally according to God’s Word, she miraculously bore Isaac, as we read:
Vs 28; KJV “…Now we brethren, AS ISAAC was, are the children of promise…” The children “of promise” are Isaac and his family tree. And likewise are the children of the New Covenant, the children of ‘promise’ and ‘grace’.
Vs 29; KJV “…As then he that was born after the flesh [Ishmael] persecuted him that was born after the spirit [Isaac] even so it is now…” (So even today by and large, apart from those among the Arabic people who have come to a knowledge of this salvation through the Redeemer, those born of Ishmael still persecute those born of Isaac, that is Israel, the Jewish people.) These represent the two covenants as Paul stated in verse 24. One (‘Hagar’) of the natural seed seeking to lift oneself by his own boot straps, and the other (‘Sarah’) knowing an everlasting eternal covenant attachment with God that He has made with His people, because of “…the lamb of God that was slain from the foundation of the world…” Revelation 13:8 KJV.
Vs 30; KJV So Paul concludes: “…Nevertheless what saith Scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son…” who as it were endeavoured to earn salvation by climbing and conquering Mount Sinai, ‘the Law’. “…for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with My son Isaac…” This was to be a supernatural act of God bringing His people in the New Covenant into an everlasting relationship with Himself by His promise.
Vs 31; KJV conclusion: “…So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but children of the free…” Recall, Paul is writing to Gentile Galatian Christians as he emphasized in closing chapter 3, and that we former pagans have been brought into this salvation promise through Christ “…and if ye are Christ’s then ye are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise…’ (Galatians 3:29)
They are in gross error who teach that this passage means the casting out of God’s own people Israel, the Jews – of Isaac, the real ‘children of promise’ – and replacing them with the ‘children of the flesh’, the Gentiles. Or replacing the earthly Jerusalem, the city of God, by heaven. Or denying the implications of the historical struggle between the descendants of Isaac – the Jews – and the descendants of Ishmael – the Arabs. Or denying the glorious future that Jerusalem still is heading for. The whole passage simply deals in an allegory with the matter of salvation by works (by ‘the law’) or salvation by grace (by ‘promise’). It is about “the Law” versus “the Promise”, about “Flesh” and “Spirit”, about “Works” and “Faith”, about “Self-righteousness” and “Grace”. And of course concludes that it is by grace, by faith, by promise.
Galatians 4: 19-31 has nothing to do with God rejecting Israel and the Jewish people – and rejecting the earthly Jerusalem as the City of the great King - and replacing them with the Church and a heavenly Jerusalem. Paul knows about the ‘mystery’ that Israel is. And he knows how one-day “…all Israel shall be saved…”, Romans 11:25-29.
The whole passage reads:
“…I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; He will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.” (Isaiah 59:20,21; 27:9; Jeremiah 31:33,34) As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and His call are irrevocable…”