Who is the 'Jerusalem which is above' in Galatians 4:26?
The Jerusalem which is above is the heavenly, free Jerusalem, the mother of us all, and the context identifies her with Sarah, the free woman. Sarah had the promised child and stands opposite the Law given to Moses at Sinai.
Les explains that verse 25 calls Hagar Mount Sinai in Arabia, answering to the Jerusalem that now is and is in bondage with her children. When Paul wrote Galatians around A.D. 58, the Temple was still operating, Israel was still under the Law, still practicing it, and sacrifices were being offered by the thousands. Then verse 26 introduces “Jerusalem which is above,” which is heavenly, free, and the mother of us all. Les says this refers to Sarah, the free woman, who had the child by promise. She stands in contrast to the Law given to Moses at Sinai. The broader allegory earlier showed Ishmael was of the flesh by the slave girl, and the Law given through Moses was fleshly or carnal in its setting, usage, and practice, even though God’s Law itself was spiritual and perfect.
But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
More Questions
What is the Jerusalem above in Galatians 4?
The 'Jerusalem which is above' is the heavenly situation of which believers are already citizens.