In our fast-food generation, it’s commonplace to run into the ‘flavor of the month’ – a new taste, a new style, a new definition of ‘cool.’ Such trends come and go with great regularity. But these ‘with it’ dynamics don’t only apply to food and fashion – they also apply to some folks’ shifting spiritual focuses. One such ephemeral theology momentarily appearing on our screens is a teaching about ‘the Isaiah 19 highway.’ This newsletter will open up Isaiah’s actual message and help to make sense of the shakings now going on in both the Middle East and in Egypt – known in the Hebrew Scriptures as ‘the Land of Ham’ (see Psalm 105:23-28).
Kosher and treif spiritual comfort
Paul encourages us all to “be diligent to present ourselves approved to God as workers who do not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). The apostle is showing us that there are two ways of handling the Scriptures – one, with accuracy; and the other, without accuracy. Rightly dividing, properly interpreting, handling the word of truth with precision – all these nuances reflect the Greek word – ὀρθοτομέω (orthotomeó) – cutting it straight. The Scriptures do not mean whatever we want them to mean; they mean what the Author intended them to mean.
In our day, there are those who feel that their exalted spiritual calling and discernment give them the authority to communicate spiritual meanings which simply are not found in the original text. Novel and imbalanced teachings, like trembling mountains, are in such cases suspended by interpretative hairs over chasms of what Zechariah calls ‘deception,’ ‘illusion’ and ‘vain comfort.’ The result is that “the people wander like sheep. They are wretched because there is no shepherd” (Zechariah 10:2).
The existence of the counterfeit however, underscores the fact that the real also exists. Though false teachings and false prophecies abound, we can be greatly encouraged that solid teaching and solid prophetic ministry also exist (see 1 Thessalonians 5:20-22). As Belshazzar’s queen noted regarding the prophet Daniel: “This was because an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of riddles, and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation.” (Daniel 5:12).
Jealousy and the prophetic
Immediately after Joseph’s powerful prophetic dream, the Scriptures tell us that “his brothers were jealous of him” (Genesis 37:11). The Jewish people have gifts and calling which are irrevocable: “But in relation to God’s choice [the Jewish people] are beloved on account of the Patriarchs; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29).
Paul writes out of a warm pastoral concern for his Roman brothers and sisters: do they have the adequate resources of spiritual humility to handle the biblical truth concerning Israel’s firstborn calling? Or will the Gentiles of Rome be tempted to reject the Jewish people and their calling, opening themselves up to pride, conceit, and spiritual dullness? “For I do not want you, brothers and sisters, to be uninformed of this mystery – so that you will not be wise in your own estimation” (Romans 11:25).
Of course, pride and jealousy are sins that are not limited to Gentiles in Rome; they can also color the hearts of Jewish people in Israel – even Yeshua’s own apostles!
- Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Yeshua with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. And He said to her, “What do you desire?” She said to Him, “Say that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine shall sit, one at Your right, and one at Your left.” But Yeshua replied, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.” He said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit at My right and at My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.” And after hearing this, the other ten disciples became indignant with the two brothers (Matthew 20:22-24)
The ten apostles were jealous of the other two. It seems that they were angry that their mothers didn’t get to pop that question first.
I love you just the way you are
In our day, there are some Gentile believers who have not understood how deeply Yeshua has accepted them as Gentiles and how fully He loves them just as they are:
- “For through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Messiah Yeshua Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:18-22). “The Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Messiah Yeshua through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6)
Sometimes, Gentiles who do not grasp the amazing grace that they have received, feel the need to grasp for something extra – they want a piece of the firstborn calling which is on the Jewish people. Perhaps that will carve out an identity which will lessen their ‘Gentile-ness’ and make them more Jewish. This phenomenon is occasionally seen in the Messianic movement, where some Gentiles and Jews overcompensate in external ways – by means of rabbinic-style clothing or prayer patterns.
Granting Isaac’s covenant status to Arabs
Some Gentile believers have difficulty knowing how to communicate to Muslims and Arabs the reality of God’s choice of Israel as the firstborn. Aware of such sensitivities, they realize that this point can be a stumbling block for many in the Middle East. One solution, connected with some teachers in the ‘Isaiah 19 Highway’ movement,’ is to declare that Ishmael is actually the firstborn son of Abraham (though this contradicts Genesis 17:18-21, Genesis 18:9-14 and Romans 9:7-14). Not only that – some of these teachers go even further and state that Ishmael is now to be considered the firstborn covenant son of Abraham (which contradicts many other scriptures including Hebrews 11:17-18).
This teaching strays off the straight path and eventually dovetails with classic Islamic teaching – proclaiming that all followers of Islam (and all speakers of Arabic) are now understood to be seen as physical descendants of Abraham, and therefore that all these are sons of the Abrahamic covenant (which point contradicts Ezekiel 35:11-13).
For those who are interested to do more study on this subject, see ‘Jews, Arabs and the Middle East: A Messianic Perspective’, available at https://davidstent.org/product/jews-arabs-the-middle-east/. This book reveals many surprising facts, including that the majority of Muslims and Arabs are descended neither from Abraham nor from Ishmael.
A further off-kilter step down this wrong road often occurs at this point: The activists from this stream declare that ‘a grave injustice’ was done to Hagar and Ishmael – they were banished from their ‘rightful covenant status,’ and this ‘travesty of justice’ was instigated by sinful Sarah and affirmed by spineless Abraham. They label this ‘the wound in Abraham’s family’ and insist that this wound needs to be healed. How will this be done? By seating Hagar and Ishmael at their ‘rightful place’ at the Jewish/Abrahamic covenant table. YHVH always wanted Ishmael to inherit equally with Isaac, they opine. And, at last, justice will be done when Ishmael’s ‘covenant status as firstborn’ will be fully recognized by the body of Christ and by Messianic Jews. This unique and non-biblical take is also given the name ‘The Two Mothers’ movement.
- A movement which teaches the above is not rightly dividing, properly interpreting, or handling the word of truth with precision. The Scriptures are twisted by this errant movement to no longer mean what YHVH intended them to mean; they are now crafted to mean whatever this stream wants them to mean. These novel and imbalanced teachings lead to deception, illusion, false comfort and false Last Days teaching. Such teachings confuse believers and fog a clear understanding of the calling and gifts of God to the people of Jacob. And the people influenced by this teaching “wander like sheep; they are wretched because there is no shepherd.”
This is a new form of Arab Replacement Theology. But the full flowering of this false movement goes even further: according to the next step on this errant path, Egypt will become the central key to Israel’s protection and salvation!
So you wanna go back to Egypt!
We’ve seen how a false foundation has been laid in place, declaring that Ishmael and ‘the Arab nation’ are now the firstborn covenant son of Abraham. The next step involves a jump off the biblical cliff and into the Egyptian desert. Isaiah 19 is the chapter used by some as this jumping-off point.
An in-depth unpacking of Isaiah 19 can be found in our May 27, 2016 newsletter ‘The Isaiah 19 highway: prophecies amidst the potholes.’ Only a few points from that discussion will be stressed here.
Isaiah 19:23 spotlights a gripping prophetic vision about a future Middle Eastern highway of blessing: peace, worship and good fellowship will eventually break out along a superhighway linking Egypt, Israel and northern Iraq (Assyria). But in some circles, people are declaring that these Messianic days are at the doorstep, that a ‘prophetically revealed’ network of intercessory prayer rooms (to be established in Egypt) holds the key to Israel’s salvation (based on a gravely mistaken interpretation of Isaiah 19:23-24), and that Egypt and Assyria will share in Israel’s firstborn priority calling at that time.
- None of these over-confident assertions are found in Scripture; they are innovative and unsubstantiated conclusions, based on ‘inaccurately handling the word of truth.’
Here is some helpful biblical context:
- In Isaiah’s days Assyria (Northern Iraq) and Egypt were not Arab countries.
- Egypt was populated by non-Semitic peoples and was called ‘the Land of Ham’ (Psalm 105:23; Psalm 78:51; Genesis 10:6).
- Assyria was a Hamitic nation, founded by Ham’s grandson Nimrod (Genesis 10:11-12). The capital city of Assyria did have some connection to Shem, but not through Abraham. It was through Shem’s other son Ashur and not through Abraham’s forefather Arpachshad (1 Chronicles 1:17).
- In Isaiah’s days the populations which lived both in Assyria and Egypt had no bloodline connection with Abraham or with Arab nations. When Isaiah penned his prophecy in chapter 19 concerning Assyria and Egypt, he was referring to pagan empires physically not related to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – and spiritually unconnected to the covenants YHVH the God of Israel had made with the Jewish patriarchs (see John 4:22).
- In our day, both Assyria (Iraq) and Egypt are overflowing with hatred for the Jewish people and the Jewish homeland. In that sense the spiritual flowering of Isaiah 19 has a long way to go before it comes to pass.
Egypt the broken reed
- Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria marched against all the fortified cities of Judah and seized them. And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem to King Hezekiah with a large army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the road to the fuller’s field. Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the secretary, went out to him. And Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria says: “What is this confidence that you have? I say, ‘Your plan and strength for the war are only empty words.’ Now on whom have you relied, that you have revolted against me? Behold, you have relied on the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him” (Isaiah 36:1-6)
Time and again, the Word of God refers to Egypt as an impure country and as a false hope for Israel. Egypt is described as a threat, not to be trusted. Only after a decisive and destructive series of clashes between Egypt and Israel (see Isaiah 19:16-18) – with Israel coming out overwhelmingly victorious – will there be peace between the two countries. With that in mind, Isaiah 19:16-24 conveys a strong prophetic message about coming events:
- The nation of Egypt will tremble in terror because of how God will strategically use the Jewish state to judge the Egyptians (vv. 16-17)
- Five Egyptians cities will speak fluent Hebrew, and will unashamedly declare their fealty to the God of the armies of Israel. One city of Egypt will have been totally destroyed in war and then will later be rebuilt (verse 18)
- Two outstanding monuments will be dedicated to YHVH, the God of the armies of Israel. One will be in the center of the country, one on the border between Egypt and Israel. These will be signs of Egypt’s respect for and faith in the God of Israel, and of His deliverance and rescue of the Egyptians (verses 19-20)
- Though the God of Israel will need to strike Egypt, the purpose behind that bruising is so that Egypt would turn to Him. Upon that turning, YHVH will heal Egypt (verses 21-22)
- After Egypt’s repentance and turning to the God of Israel, both Egypt and Assyria (northern Iraq) will worship YHVH the God of Israel. Peace will come to this region after Assyria and Egypt turn to the Lord, accept His sovereign rule and align themselves wholeheartedly with YHVH’s sovereign choice of Israel (verse 23)
- Whereas Egypt and Assyria were once mortal enemies – always at each other’s throats – now they will find peace with each other by first finding peace with God. And this highway which will join former superpower enemies to each other will run through the land and the people of Israel. Israel is described here as the blessing in the midst of these two earthly superpowers, the ‘golden clasp’ that brings harmony to the Middle East and to the world (verses 24-25; see also Romans 11:12,15)
Isaiah’s vision is not meant to be used as a destructive bulldozer, leveling the priority calling of the Jewish people. Isaiah 19 properly interpreted will not weaken the gifts and calling given to the Jewish people in Romans 11:28-29. Isaiah 19 sees a prophesied peace in the Middle East coming to pass after the Arab nations turn to God. Isaiah 19 foresees a future where the Arab nations will live peacefully in their own lands – as Abraham had originally wanted (see Genesis 25:5-6) – and not when those nations attempt to establish violent rule over the Land promised to Jacob (see Ezekiel 35:10-15; 36:1-5), as the ‘Palestinian nationalist’ movement is attempting to do. Isaiah 19 also sees the Jewish people living at peace at long last, unassaulted in their own homeland.
- God’s prioritizing of the Jewish people in Isaiah 19 and throughout the Scriptures does not mean that Isaac is superior to Ishmael or to any other nation (including Assyria and Egypt). But it does mean that YHVH loves Israel and has ordained that the Jewish people’s gifts and calling continue into the future (see Revelation 21:12, 14; Isaiah 66:22-23). This point is an essential part of God’s planet-wide Last Days strategy.
The Bereans – noble-minded people who examined the Scriptures
Over the years, I have tried to communicate the potential dangers of the false teaching behind this movement. Some listeners have caught on rather quickly, and have embraced the clarity of what Isaiah was prophesying. Others still seem caught in a dream, fogged about the very real threat to God’s biblical message regarding Israel’s unique calling that this false teaching presents. It is our hope that you will dig more deeply and examine the Scriptures to see ‘whether these things are so,’ as did the Bereans in Acts 17:10-12.
How to pray for Egypt in light of reality?
These false teachings regarding Isaiah 19 -have distracted Messianic believers from grasping what is actually happening today in Egypt, and the dangers yet to arise from that country against Israel. The military context of a future clash between Egypt and Israel (see Isaiah 19:16-18) should cause our radar to kick in: we need to be on guard regarding coming Egyptian threats – practically and in intercession – and not cover ourselves in a deceptive fog, thinking that a blessed ‘Summer of Love’ is about to break out between the Land of Ham and the Jewish state.
A more in-depth explanation of these clear and present dangers will be given in our next newsletter, which will look into such subjects as: the deeply rooted nature of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish hatred in Egypt; the fragile imbalance in Egypt regarding another Muslim Brotherhood/Hamas/ISIS takeover; former President Sadat’s warnings about Egypt’s long-term threat to Israel; the significance of the 100+ Hamas smuggling tunnels between Gaza and Egypt.
How should we then pray?
- Pray for Israel’s leaders and populace to clearly receive YHVH’s strategies and leading on how to combat jihadi dangers and strategies in light of the coming conflict, especially in terms of Egypt and its porous border
- Pray for the physical rescue of the approximately 44 to 50 living Israeli hostages (including babies) kidnapped by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and PFLP/PLO. At this moment some of these hostages are being tortured, raped and starved (this based on testimonies of recently released hostages). Sadly, over 100 of all Israeli hostages are dead; Hamas is holding on to their corpses as cold storage bargaining chips
- Pray for the raising up of Ezekiel’s prophetic Jewish army throughout the earth
Your prayers and support hold up our arms and are the very practical enablement of God to us in the work He has called us to do.
In Messiah Yeshua,
Avner Boskey
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