The Harlot Motif and Babylon the Great — Part 2

By Mike Coldagelli

In Part 1 of this series we were introduced to the idea of God as a husband (Jeremiah 31:32). Is this anthropomorphism just an isolated occurrence or is it repeated? Chapter 50 of Isaiah gives us marriage language with regard to Israel although in the negative, echoing Hosea.

This is what the LORD says: “Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? Because of your sins you were sold; because of your transgressions your mother was sent away. (Isaiah 50:1)

In Isaiah 54 the LORD’s self identification as a husband resurfaces as he speaks to the future glory of Jerusalem. And again we see the idea of Hosea, the redemption of the rejected.

“Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your Maker is your husband—the LORD Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—a wife who married young, only to be rejected,” says your God. “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer. (Isaiah 54:4-8)

The Book of Ruth is a case study for the marriage-redemption idea. Boaz, as the kinsman-redeemer, marries Ruth. Ruth is redeemed by her marriage to Boaz. In Ruth 3:9 Ruth asks Boaz to spread the corner of his garment over her as a symbol of this marriage-redemption. This imagery will be repeated in Ezekiel 16 between God and Jerusalem.

In Jeremiah chapter 3 the “widowhood” of Isaiah 54:4, the desertion and rejection of Isaiah 54:6, and the abandonment of Isaiah 54:7 are represented as a “certificate of divorce” given for adultery. (The estrangement between the LORD and Israel is coterminous with the end of the 490 year period prophesied in Daniel 9:24, otherwise expressed as the end of the 70th week of Daniel.)

During the reign of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there. I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery. Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 3:6-10)

Israel and Judah have both committed adultery in the eyes of the LORD their husband. But the LORD is going to choose and bring some to Zion, redeem them.

“Return, faithless people,” declares the LORD, “for I am your husband. I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion.” (Jeremiah 3:14)

“But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 3:20)

The marriage-bride-wedding metaphor is also found in the New Testament in 2 Corinthians and Revelation.

I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. (2 Corinthians 11:2)

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” (Revelation 19:6-9)

Remember that God’s redemption of his people both the church and Israel is through Messiah, the Son, the Lamb of God. Note the garments worn by the bride. Later we will see descriptions of dress in Ezekiel 16 and Revelation 17 and 21. Now that we have a Biblical basis for who the adultery is committed against, we will look next in Part 3 at what the Bible has to say specifically about Jerusalem.