Sarah pictures God’s heavenly “wife,” his organization of spirit beings. That heavenly organization is aptly described as Jehovah’s wife, for she is intimately associated with Jehovah, is subservient to his headship, and is fully cooperative in fulfilling his purposes. She is also called “Jerusalem above.” (Galatians 4:26) The same “woman” is mentioned at Genesis 3:15, and she is depicted in vision at Revelation 12:1-6, 13-17.

Sarah, “the free woman” and Abraham’s wife, pictures Jehovah’s wifelike organization of spirit creatures.

6. In what sense did God’s heavenly organization undergo a long period of barrenness?

⁶ With that background, we begin to see the profound significance of Isaiah 54:1. After decades of barrenness, Sarah bore Isaac when she was 90 years old. Similarly, Jehovah’s heavenly organization went through a long period of barrenness. Way back in Eden, Jehovah promised that his “woman” would produce the “seed.” (Genesis 3:15) Over 2,000 years later, Jehovah made his covenant with Abraham regarding the Seed of promise. But God’s heavenly “woman” had to wait many, many more centuries before producing that Seed. Still, the time came when the children of this once “barren woman” were more numerous than those of fleshly Israel. The illustration of the barren woman helps us to see why the angels were so eager to witness the arrival of the foretold Seed. (1 Peter 1:12) When did that finally happen?

7. When did “Jerusalem above” have occasion to rejoice, as foretold at Isaiah 54:1, and why do you so answer?

⁷ Jesus’ birth as a human child was certainly an occasion for rejoicing among the angels. (Luke 2:9-14) But that was not the event foretold at Isaiah 54:1. Only when Jesus was begotten with holy spirit in 29 C.E. did he become a spiritual son of “Jerusalem above,” publicly acknowledged by God himself as his “Son, the beloved.” (Mark 1:10, 11; Hebrews 1:5; 5:4, 5) It was then that God’s heavenly “woman” had cause for rejoicing, in fulfillment of Isaiah 54:1. At last she had produced the promised Seed, the Messiah! Her centuries of barrenness were over.