5. In the symbolic drama outlined at Galatians 4:22-31, who is pictured by (a) Abraham? (b) Sarah? (c) Isaac? (d) Hagar? (e) Ishmael?

⁵ How, though, can Jehovah have two symbolic women​—one heavenly and the other earthly? Is there some inconsistency here? Not at all. The apostle Paul shows that the answer lies in the prophetic picture provided by Abraham’s family. (Galatians 4:22-31; see “The Family of Abraham​—A Prophetic Picture,” on page 218.) Sarah, “the free woman” and Abraham’s wife, pictures Jehovah’s wifelike organization of spirit creatures. Hagar, a slave girl and Abraham’s secondary wife, or concubine, pictures earthly Jerusalem.

[Box on page 218, 219]

The Family of Abraham​—A Prophetic Picture

The apostle Paul explained that the family of Abraham serves as a symbolic drama, a prophetic picture of Jehovah’s relationship with his heavenly organization and with the earthly nation of Israel under the Mosaic Law covenant.​—Galatians 4:22-31.

Abraham, as family head, represents Jehovah God. Abraham’s willingness to offer up his dear son Isaac as a sacrifice foreshadows Jehovah’s willingness to offer up his own beloved Son as a sacrifice for mankind’s sins.​—Genesis 22:1-13; John 3:16.

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.

Isaac typifies the spiritual Seed of God’s woman. Primarily, this is Jesus Christ. However, the seed also came to include Christ’s anointed brothers, who are adopted as spiritual sons and become joint heirs with Christ.​—Romans 8:15-17; Galatians 3:16, 29.

Hagar, Abraham’s secondary wife, or concubine, was a slave. She aptly pictures earthly Jerusalem, where the Mosaic Law code held sway, exposing all of its adherents as slaves to sin and death. Paul said that “Hagar means Sinai, a mountain in Arabia,” because the Law covenant was established there.​—Galatians 3:10, 13; 4:25.

Ishmael, Hagar’s son, pictures the first-century Jews, the sons of Jerusalem still enslaved to the Mosaic Law. As Ishmael persecuted Isaac, so those Jews persecuted the Christians, who were anointed sons of the figurative Sarah, the “Jerusalem above.” And just as Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away, Jehovah ultimately cast off Jerusalem and her rebellious sons.​—Matthew 23:37, 38.