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A prophecy about plural marriages?

PolyPride

PolyPride

Member
A polygamy site that I was on has a video mentioning that Isaiah 4:1 is a prophecy about plural marriage. I saw that Isaiah chapter 3 details God's judgement on Israel but Isaiah chapter 4 seems to be referring to some type of redemption period and plural marriage seems to be part of that if I'm understanding it correctly. I just wanted everyone's view on if they think this is a prophecy regarding some future time or if it's referring to a time already passed or referring to our present time (as in being in progress right now).

Isaiah 4:1 In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, "We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!"
 
(This is something based on something I wrote on another BF thread.)

It has application for both now and the future. If not, it might support those who want plural dispensationalism. Different rules dispensed through time. Something like….. the time of Adam without plural marriage, the time of the Old Testament with plural marriage, the New Testament without plural marriage (do to misinterpretation of Scripture) and then the end times with plural marriage (as in Isaiah 4:1) and then our eternal state with no marriage or giving in marriage (Mark 12:25).

The scripture does have direct application to the context before and after and mentions Jerusalem and Zion. If a straight futuristic approach is wanted, then perhaps the women aggressively consider plural because it is already in effect elsewhere. Perhaps these women of the area are just finally motivated to accept it.

If we tag plural as future baggage only for this scripture then look what other items are listed here that we perhaps would have to do away with until the future. In the verses immediately before Isaiah 4:1 starting with 3:18 we have:

In that day
18 bravery, ornaments, other types of head dressings
19 chains, bracelets, mufflers,
20 bonnets, ornaments of the legs, headbands, tablets, earrings,
21 rings nose jewels,
22 changeable suits of apparel, mantles, wimples, pins,
23 glasses, fine linen, hoods, vails.
24 stink; baldness; sackcloth;
25 sword, war.
Verses after Isaiah 4:1 show purification.

Obviously, all these things and purification are usable and applicable for us now. Finding something in the future does not mean it is not found elsewhere.

I think the most missed thing found in this Scripture is choice.
Choice is very much in effect and valid for modern women. This is a different emphasis then many often given to plural marriage in the Old Testament. God doesn't change but things can (Besides, Isaiah 4:1 is in the Old Testament also). Camaros and camels are fine with God. We can be patriarchs, but we can not do it exactly the same when talking about plural. Men do not purchase or barter or take wives or own women. This doesn’t mean men can not search, it just means that women, can also search and can control the act of initiating plural. Being found is just as important as finding.

The energy of the verse (Isaiah 4:1) is the action of the seven women and the freedom women have to do that action. If there is to be a modern return to plural, I think it will not necessarily have everything to do with Old Testament (Torah) teachings (except for those who's background requires a scriptural validation). Rather a modern plural foundation as found in this verse shows a need, the freedom and power of women to do such a thing, and the cooperation (more or less) of the man.

In Isaiah 4:1 the women might leave the marriage ceremony in a camaro with the banner
פַּעַם
לָקַח

Thats "Just Married" (or close) but that doesn’t mean that camels and chevy camaros can not share the road.
Perhaps Isaiah 4:1 is a powerboat of ladies that quickly overtake the patriarchal canoe.
 
Not only is it a prophecy of a blessing to look forward to, but it is also a GREAT rebuttal to the falsehood often used as the "final argument" against polygyny:

"Well, it may not be prohibited, but it's not His "preferred plan" and it ALWAYS is portrayed negatively in the Bible!"

"No, it's not," we can remind them. Read Isaiah 4:2!
 
Thanks for all the views so far.

jay c said:
I have always taken 4:1 to be repentance for the behavior of 3:16. These women are offering submission to the authority of a husband without demanding any of the things that are theirs by right.
Click to expand...

There seems to be some mixed reviews about Isaiah 4:1 because some see these women as selfish by linking the verse into the context of the bad women in Isaiah 3:16 rather than linking it to the described glorious day of Isaiah 4:2, and some even see the women in Isaiah 4:1 as the 7 Churches mentioned in the book of Revelation (which I think is unreasonable since God is talking about real women and other real people in chapter 3 and continuing on), and there's your view which I think Mark C and Welltan have supplemented. I still believe this is a prophecy about an increased bringing back of plural marriages regardless of if some of them will be for the good or bad.

For the first two views I mentioned:
http://www.biblicalpolygamy.com/exegesi ... f-one-man/
 
These women are offering submission to the authority of a husband without demanding any of the things that are theirs by right.
Click to expand...

Agreed, Jay. But I've always suspected that there was a bit more to it as well. If a man was not ABLE to provide these things (the economic elements specified) then he could not afford to take another wife. (This was in fact part of the issue of men "putting away" wives unjustly that Yahushua was addressing in Matt. 5:32.)

This prophecy seems to speak of a time (when perhaps few suitable men remain) that women are desperate for genuine covering (to "take away my reproach") and are thus willing to say, "Hey! I don't CARE about the food and clothing problem! I'll take care of that myself, just let me be called by your name!"
 
I only skimmed the other posts so I apologize if this has already been mentioned. I do not think Isaiah 4:1 has anything to do with polygyny whatsoever. I have read this somewhere along the way, but it makes sense to me: The man is Jesus and the seven women could be the seven churches mentioned in Rev. or just any number of "Christian" groups that claim the name of Jesus. "We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!" Doesn't that sound like many "Christians" today? Everyone wants to grab on to Jesus, but yet wants to do things his/her own way...in essence, "We'll take care of ourselves, but let us be called by your name to take away our disgrace."

Has anyone else heard of this interpretation?
 
SeekHim1
That is a way I have never thought of it before, but I have to say that you have put a lot of thought into it. We also don't believe that Isaiah 4:1 is a prophecy about plural marriage. Thanks for being brave and putting it out there.

SweetLissa
 
seekHim1 said:
I only skimmed the other posts so I apologize if this has already been mentioned. I do not think Isaiah 4:1 has anything to do with polygyny whatsoever. I have read this somewhere along the way, but it makes sense to me: The man is Jesus and the seven women could be the seven churches mentioned in Rev. or just any number of "Christian" groups that claim the name of Jesus. "We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!" Doesn't that sound like many "Christians" today? Everyone wants to grab on to Jesus, but yet wants to do things his/her own way...in essence, "We'll take care of ourselves, but let us be called by your name to take away our disgrace."

Has anyone else heard of this interpretation?
Click to expand...

I mentioned that explanation as well but I disagree with it. When I read Isaiah 4:1, I don't get the sense that it's talking about a particular group of women of significance nor one particular man of signficance, but rather I see seven random women running to some random/insignificant guy out of desperation to redeem themselves in some way which goes along with the redemption period described in Isaiah 4:2. One view that I read in the link that I posted earlier mentions that these women are of the type mentioned in Isaiah 3:16 and 17 which is talking about most or all women in whatever set place rather than singling out 7 women.

On a more overall point, all of these different interpretations show why there's a problem with biblical interpretation when it comes to prophecy. It's relatively easy for anyone to find patterns between two separate circumstances and say that the two are suppose to go together, just as some Christians do with the Book of Revelation when they claim that the prophecies (or a good deal of them) were accomplished during the reign of the Roman Empire. That's the position that's called preterism, and then there is partial preterism and there’s also the futurist take on biblical eschatology/prophecy. People holding each of these positions tend to find events in the Bible or in history and even in our time and future and connect various biblical prophecies into those events and all 3 positions can't be right all the time. So we can say that the 7 women talked about in Isaiah 4:1 are the 7 churches mentioned in the book of Revelation or we can say that it is actually talking about 7 actual random women (even the number 7 may be a random number to serve as an example for multiple women being with one guy). I'm inclined to believe the latter view until I hear more elaboration or clear reasons on why or how these 7 women are the 7 churches or if I see Jesus or any NT Scripture that references Isaiah 4:1 being about the churches. What most can probably agree on is this is a prophecy describing a polygamous situation whether it be in a symbolic way with the 7 churches being Jesus' wives or 7 actual women willing to be one man's wives - perhaps a time when polygamy will flourish.
 
Another note about not only prophecy, but Scripture in general:

Re:
I do not think Isaiah 4:1 has anything to do with polygyny whatsoever.
Click to expand...


Why do people want to assume that if one meaning is True, another cannot be? Or that there cannot be other levels of meaning in addition as well?

One of the more ancient (and important) understandings of Scripture is that there are (at least) four levels of interpretation. (In the Hebrew, paschat, remez, drash, sod.)

There is nothing wrong at all, of course, with the understanding that Scripture may have another meaning than the most obvious. But that does not mean that any of those levels of Truth should be discounted. Remember that in many cases (Hosea, certainly) the prophets note only WROTE and spoke of things to come, but literally lived out the physical example of the metaphor.

Seven, of course, is often called the number of completion. Its use in Scripture speaks of something which is full, complete, and represents the whole. There is no reason at all not to think that it can be symbolic both of past and future, physical wives and churches (or spiritual wives), and perhaps other aspects of His plan as well.

But one thing is clear, and undeniable. It is a direct reference to Exodus 21:10. Those who want to understand the meaning on ANY level should recognize that the multiple wives of which the verse speaks KNOW and UNDERSTAND what the three duties of marriage spoken of are, and why. And, whether they are women, or churches, or both and more, they understand more about the Word than EITHER most women, or most churches, today. That is why they know what they lack, and what they seek.

I do not for one minute suppose that there cannot be multiple fulfillment of His will in Scripture. But I do see clearly that this verse speaks to a need which is obvious and widespread today. In that sense it is a hopeful promise, and a comfort to those who hope and trust in Him.

Blessings,
Mark
 
Angel 3 said:
Thanks for all the views so far.

jay c said:
I have always taken 4:1 to be repentance for the behavior of 3:16. These women are offering submission to the authority of a husband without demanding any of the things that are theirs by right.
Click to expand...

There seems to be some mixed reviews about Isaiah 4:1 because some see these women as selfish by linking the verse into the context of the bad women in Isaiah 3:16 rather than linking it to the described glorious day of Isaiah 4:2, and some even see the women in Isaiah 4:1 as the 7 Churches mentioned in the book of Revelation (which I think is unreasonable since God is talking about real women and other real people in chapter 3 and continuing on), and there's your view which I think Mark C and Welltan have supplemented. I still believe this is a prophecy about an increased bringing back of plural marriages regardless of if some of them will be for the good or bad.

For the first two views I mentioned:
http://www.biblicalpolygamy.com/exegesi ... f-one-man/
Click to expand...

I think it's usually a mistake to say that a particular scripture means "this" and only "this". I believe that Isaiah 4:1 is a prophecy about a future resurgence of polygyny among God's people, about repentance from feminism, about the 7 churches of Revelation, and about what Mark said regarding men who can't afford to support multiple wives. The only thing that cannot be said about these women is that they are selfish. I don't think that works since they don't ask anything from the man except spiritual covering and possibly children.
 
In reading this thread, I observe the importance of really knowing the Word. I would also like to suggest that the Holy Spirit is not limited to the initial or even multiple applications. I have heard testimonies as well as my own experience regarding how the Lord used an isolated verse as a momentary sign post on the road of life.
 
jay c said:
I have always taken 4:1 to be repentance for the behavior of 3:16. These women are offering submission to the authority of a husband without demanding any of the things that are theirs by right.
Click to expand...
when viewed in the context that is exactly what happens
about repentance from feminism,
Click to expand...
yes, they finally see the shame of their position (i am whole without a man)
 
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