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JOSNOTES
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JOSEPH. continued.
HISTORY.
Isaiah 7:14-16
'Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a
virgin shall conceive and bear a son and call his name Immanuel.
Butter and honey shall he eat that he may know to refuse the evil,
and choose the good. For before the child shall know to refuse the
evil, and choose the good. The land that thou abhorest shall be
forsaken of both her kings.'
The 'two kings'. Herod and Archelaus. Matthew 2:1.22.
The 'land thou abhorest.' Judea. Isaiah 7:16.
The 'child'. The Lord Jesus. Isaiah 7:14-16.
'Before the child knows.' Between the age of 10-15?
Matthew 2:21. Luke 2:40-42.
HEROD.
The first king of Judea since Zedekiah over 500 years before.
Herod reigned for 40 years until about 2 or 3 A.D.
Archelaus reigned until he was deposed in 5 or 6 A.D.
Why it was called the 'land that thou abhorest' is made quite
clear when the whole story of Ahaz is told for he, like Esau, had
despised 'his birthright' when, in his weakness, rather than turn
to the God who had given him his kingdom, he turned to 'other
kings' and made 'alliances' with them and used the 'treasures' of
the LORD'S House to give them 'presents', and he sinned in many
other ways. 2 Kings 16.
'For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of
Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the
LORD.' (2 Chronicles 28:19)
It was to this king the prophecy was given and the 'child' of
Isaiah 7:16 must surely be the same child of Isaiah 7:14 although
many expositors have reckoned it to be Isaiah's son or some other
prophet's son who was alive when the kingdom was invaded at a later
date.
This explanation of verse 16 seems to be too foolish to
contemplate for how can it then relate to the child of verse 14?
Surely it must refer to the promised Messiah which prophecy
was never fulfilled until Mary conceived our Lord by the Holy
Ghost.
Since the prophecy was given, there had been no place in the
history of the Jews where two kings reigned at a time when there
was the birth of a 'special' child but here, over 500 years after
the prophecy was given, there is a boy child who was born in Judah
where, for the first time since Zedekiah, there was not only a king
once more but two kings, both having reigned and gone, 'the land
forsaken of both her kings,' before the child was of the age of
twelve.
There has never been another time when the prophecy could have
been fulfilled and now, never can be again. These are surely the
'Two Kings' of Isaiah and therefore this is, not only the time the
Messiah was born, but is the only time in history that he could
have been born and fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah.
This is that 'certain time' and the reason why our Lord wept
over the city, declared its fate, and mourned because they 'knewest
not the time of their visitation.' Luke 19:44.
The same sorrow is contained in the words he spoke to the
Pharisees and Sadducees when they 'tempted' him. Matthew 16:1-3.
'O ye hypocrites. Ye can discern the face of the sky, but can
ye not discern the signs of the times.'
Luke has almost the same words except that the time is more
specific and is, 'How is it that ye do not discern this time.'
Luke 12:56.
Perhaps this should not be emphasised overmuch unless someone
is keenly interested because we come to the Lord in faith, not just
because of a fact.
However, it is certain, all followers of Christ will be
encouraged, and their confidence in the Word of God will be
strengthened in the knowledge that such a wonderful fulfillment of
prophecy in the infallible Word of God, can be substantiated from
secular history!
Neither our Lord who knew of the fulfillment in its entirety,
nor his disciple, who by inspiration recorded it, Matthew 2:1 and
Matthew 2:22, used it as evidence that the child of Isaiah was our
Lord, nor did He use it as proof that He was the One whom 'we have
expected,' or to draw people to Him.
However He mourned that they had not recognised either Him or
the time.
********************************
Some of the history preceding and following the walk of Our
Lord on this earth is as follows.
In the time of Nebuchadnezzar the Jews were under Governors
and Zerubbabel became Governor at the same time that Joshua was
made high priests in the days of the Persians, (Cyrus), and after
Nehemiah, the high priests continued until the time of Alexander.
Syria followed until Antiochus Epiphanes at which time Jason
bought the high priesthood from Antiochus and thus supplanted his
brother.
He was made a 'Prince' of Judah but another brother, Menalaus
supplanted Jason in turn and ruled, also as 'Prince' for four or
five years until the Maccabees rose up and the Asmonaeans became
both 'princes and priests' under Mattathias.
Jason had restored the Temple in the second year of his time
and the Asmonaeans, (or Hasmonaeans), dominated until Antigonus was
beheaded by Antony after Herod captured him.
The picture Josephus paints of Herod is not flattering and is
as follows.
'Herod was the son of Antipater, who was of no more than a
vulgar family and of no eminent extraction. One that was subject to
other kings.' Antiquities of the Jews. Book 14. Chapter 16:4.
Herod was made king of Judea about 37 B.C. in a year which
Josephus believes might have been a Sabbatical year. He mentions
the Anael was high priest at the time and that after Herod's death
Archhelaus reigned until deposed.
Our Lord would have been about 9 or 10 at this time and Judea
now was under Roman Procurators. Caponius for three years. Marcus
Ambivius for three years. Annius Rufus for three years. Valerius
Gratus for eleven years and finally Pontius Pilate at which time
Caiaphas was high priest.
Pilate ruled for ten years and was succeeded by Marcellus, and
then Marullus until Herod Agrippa 1 was made king and ruled for
three years.
At this time his place was taken by Procurators again until
Gessius Florus, (about 65-66), which, according to Josephus,
'Necessitated us to take up arms against the Romans.'
Antiquities Chapter 11:1.
At this time Nero was Emperor of Rome and he was followed by
Galba, Otho, and Vitellus until the Flavian dynasty.
Vespasian was Emperor when Jerusalem was destroyed and the
Temple burnt under the hand of Titus. Domitian and Nerva reigned
until the first century.
Two kings did reign, (but in part only), after the
resurrection of our Lord.
Herod Agrippa 1.
It was he who 'beheaded James the brother of John with the
sword.' Acts 12:1-9.
Herod Agrippa 2.
He ruled over certain 'sections' of Judea.