| << Isa 58 | |
|
|
 |
| This is the New King James text of the passages. |
Isaiah 59-63 Listen 
Those Jews are pretty depraved (Isaiah 59:1-15)
1 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood,
And your fingers with iniquity;
Your lips have spoken lies,
Your tongue has muttered perversity.
4 No one calls for justice,
Nor does any plead for truth.
They trust in empty words and speak lies;
They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.
5 They hatch vipers’ eggs and weave the spider’s web;
He who eats of their eggs dies,
And from that which is crushed a viper breaks out.
6 Their webs will not become garments,
Nor will they cover themselves with their works;
Their works are works of iniquity,
And the act of violence is in their hands.
7 Their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed innocent blood;
Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
Wasting and destruction are in their paths.
8 The way of peace they have not known,
And there is no justice in their ways;
They have made themselves crooked paths;
Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.
9 Therefore justice is far from us,
Nor does righteousness overtake us;
We look for light, but there is darkness!
For brightness, but we walk in blackness!
10 We grope for the wall like the blind,
And we grope as if we had no eyes;
We stumble at noonday as at twilight;
We are as dead men in desolate places.
11 We all growl like bears,
And moan sadly like doves;
We look for justice, but there is none;
For salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them:
13 In transgressing and lying against the LORD,
And departing from our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
14 Justice is turned back,
And righteousness stands afar off;
For truth is fallen in the street,
And equity cannot enter.
15 So truth fails,
And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him
That there was no justice.
In this prophecy Isaiah dwells on the depravity of those Jews who had turned their backs on God. We see in verses 1-2 that God is ready to deliver, but Israel flatly rejects God's salvation. If some of these indictments against Israel seem familiar, it's because Paul quotes verses 7-8 to describe the depravity of man in general (not specifically Jews) in Romans 3:15-17 (see notes). After all, sin is sin, no matter who it is. The point of these verses is to show that Israel is undeserving of redemption. It is also interesting to note that the pronouns used in the first eight verses are second or third person (i.e. an indictment against Israel), but Isaiah moves to first person pronouns in verse 9 to indicate that all, including himself, suffer from the consequences of their sin. That's one of the dreadful side effects of rebellion against God - many obedient people are negatively impacted by the rebellion of a few.
Notice the state of Jewish society in Isaiah's day in verse 15, "So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him That there was no justice." Truth was ignored by Isaiah's contemporaries, and whoever was bold enough to take a stand against evil became a target. Let's reaffirm, Isaiah is talking about Israel in this passage. Their sin had a negative impact upon Isaiah himself while he viewed righteous people being villainized. Can you imagine a society where evil is regarded as good and good as evil - where evil doers are praised and the righteous are villainized? Hmmm...sounds kinda contemporary, doesn't it?
Judgment and redemption (Isaiah 59:16-21)
16 He saw that there was no man,
And wondered that there was no intercessor;
Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;
And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
17 For He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,
And was clad with zeal as a cloak.
18 According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay,
Fury to His adversaries,
Recompense to His enemies;
The coastlands He will fully repay.
19 So shall they fear
The name of the LORD from the west,
And His glory from the rising of the sun;
When the enemy comes in like a flood,
The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.
20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,”
Says the LORD.
21 ¶ “As for Me,” says the LORD, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the LORD, “from this time and forevermore.”
Then Isaiah addresses this sin with a promise of judgment for those who reject and salvation for those who receive. The redeemer (the Messiah) is promised in verse 20, "The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” Says the LORD." Though Isaiah's prophetic ministry precedes that of Jeremiah, the New Covenant of Jeremiah 31:31-34 (see notes) is in view here. This is the covenant that will result in the whole nation of Israel being righteous before God at the beginning of the millennium. The New Covenant is presented in Hebrews 8:8-12 (see notes) as the basis by which all are saved - not just the Jew. It's an individual salvation with God's law written on each Believer's heart. Notice the way in which Isaiah expresses it in verse 21, "'As for Me,' says the LORD, 'this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,' says the LORD, 'from this time and forevermore.'
Israel will rise again (Isaiah 60)
1 Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.
2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the LORD will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.
3 The Gentiles shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.
4 “Lift up your eyes all around, and see:
They all gather together, they come to you;
Your sons shall come from afar,
And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
5 Then you shall see and become radiant,
And your heart shall swell with joy;
Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.
6 The multitude of camels shall cover your land,
The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah;
All those from Sheba shall come;
They shall bring gold and incense,
And they shall proclaim the praises of the LORD.
7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you,
The rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you;
They shall ascend with acceptance on My altar,
And I will glorify the house of My glory.
8 “Who are these who fly like a cloud,
And like doves to their roosts?
9 Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me;
And the ships of Tarshish will come first,
To bring your sons from afar,
Their silver and their gold with them,
To the name of the LORD your God,
And to the Holy One of Israel,
Because He has glorified you.
10 “The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls,
And their kings shall minister to you;
For in My wrath I struck you,
But in My favor I have had mercy on you.
11 Therefore your gates shall be open continually;
They shall not be shut day or night,
That men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles,
And their kings in procession.
12 For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish,
And those nations shall be utterly ruined.
13 “The glory of Lebanon shall come to you,
The cypress, the pine, and the box tree together,
To beautify the place of My sanctuary;
And I will make the place of My feet glorious.
14 Also the sons of those who afflicted you
Shall come bowing to you,
And all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet;
And they shall call you The City of the LORD,
Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 “Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,
So that no one went through you,
I will make you an eternal excellence,
A joy of many generations.
16 You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles,
And milk the breast of kings;
You shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior
And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 “Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
Instead of iron I will bring silver,
Instead of wood, bronze,
And instead of stones, iron.
I will also make your officers peace,
And your magistrates righteousness.
18 Violence shall no longer be heard in your land,
Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders;
But you shall call your walls Salvation,
And your gates Praise.
19 “The sun shall no longer be your light by day,
Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;
But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light,
And your God your glory.
20 Your sun shall no longer go down,
Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;
For the LORD will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning shall be ended.
21 Also your people shall all be righteous;
They shall inherit the land forever,
The branch of My planting,
The work of My hands,
That I may be glorified.
22 A little one shall become a thousand,
And a small one a strong nation.
I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time.”
It's been a tough road for Israel, but they will rise again and become the center of activity in the world. In this chapter, Isaiah outlines the restored glory of Israel before the world during the millennium. Isaiah speaks of ideal living conditions under the authority of the Messiah of Israel. All the nations of the world will look to Jerusalem for leadership. He kicks off this enlightening with verse 1, "Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you." We'll see the impact of this "light" in the subsequent verses.
Perhaps a distinction should be made here regarding the Revelation of John. In Revelation we see a period of 1,000 years where Satan himself is bound (Revelation 20:2-6, see notes); we know this yet-future period as the millennium. At the end of the millennium, Satan is loosed and subsequently mounts an attack against the Messiah with the assistance of those who will have been compliant during the Messiah's reign, but will have declined a faith relationship (Revelation 20:7-9, see notes). After the defeat of Satan, he will be cast into the Lake of Fire where he will spend eternity (Revelation 20:10, see notes). After the White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15 (see notes), Hell will be removed from the center of the earth and cast into the Lake of Fire also. At that point in time, Revelation 21:1-2 (see notes) says, "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."
The purpose for recapping Revelation 20 is to show the chronological relationship between the millennium and a distinct period following the millennium after which a "new heaven and a new earth" are created. It would also appear that only after that do we see the New Jerusalem - not during the millennium itself as some very fine Bible scholars have suggested. With that being established as our working premise, let's compare Isaiah's prophecy to that of John with regard to the living conditions during the millennium and after the creation of the New Heaven and New Earth.
The following prophecies from Isaiah 60 will certainly be fulfilled during the millennium:
However, beginning with verse 18, we have some provisions which DO NOT particularly characterize the millennium, but DO characterize the period extending into eternity after the creation of the New Heaven and New Earth:
I can see no theological problem whatsoever with Isaiah's merging of the specifications for these two periods in Isaiah 60. All the specifications will be fulfilled and line up nicely with John's Revelation.
More Messianic activity- VERY IMPORTANT PASSAGE (Isaiah 61)
1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
Because the LORD has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”
4 And they shall rebuild the old ruins,
They shall raise up the former desolations,
And they shall repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations.
5 Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,
And the sons of the foreigner
Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6 But you shall be named the priests of the LORD,
They shall call you the servants of our God.
You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles,
And in their glory you shall boast.
7 Instead of your shame you shall have double honor,
And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion.
Therefore in their land they shall possess double;
Everlasting joy shall be theirs.
8 “For I, the LORD, love justice;
I hate robbery for burnt offering;
I will direct their work in truth,
And will make with them an everlasting covenant.
9 Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles,
And their offspring among the people.
All who see them shall acknowledge them,
That they are the posterity whom the LORD has blessed.”
10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its bud,
As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth,
So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
These verses give more detail about the righteous rule of the coming Messiah. We now know that these are conditions which will be met at the beginning of the millennium. As the righteous redeemer, he will bring about worldwide righteousness. The benefits to Israel are apparent all through chapters 60 and 61. Jerusalem will be the center of activity as the Messiah rules. Gentiles will highly regard the Jews. And finally, in verse 11, "...So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations."
Now here's the inflammatory part. In the early part of Christ's earthly ministry, he identified himself as the Messiah by going into the temple in Luke 4 and reading verses 1-2 from this passage (Luke 4:18-19, see notes). He then made this statement about those verses in Luke 4:21 (see notes) after reading this passage regarding the Messiah from Isaiah, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." In other words, Christ was plainly saying that he was the Messiah prophesied by Isaiah. Read Luke 4 to see their reaction; they tried to kill him. It's obvious they knew exactly what he was implying...and they didn't like it one bit. This was the deal breaker for them. This was more Messiah than these Jewish leaders were looking for.
We find additional conditions listed in verses 4-11 regarding life during the millennium:
Jerusalem! You'll be back! (Isaiah 62)
1 For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace,
And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
And her salvation as a lamp that burns.
2 The Gentiles shall see your righteousness,
And all kings your glory.
You shall be called by a new name,
Which the mouth of the LORD will name.
3 You shall also be a crown of glory
In the hand of the LORD,
And a royal diadem
In the hand of your God.
4 You shall no longer be termed Forsaken,
Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate;
But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah;
For the LORD delights in you,
And your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a virgin,
So shall your sons marry you;
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So shall your God rejoice over you.
6 I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
They shall never hold their peace day or night.
You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent,
7 And give Him no rest till He establishes
And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
8 The LORD has sworn by His right hand
And by the arm of His strength:
“Surely I will no longer give your grain
As food for your enemies;
And the sons of the foreigner shall not drink your new wine,
For which you have labored.
9 But those who have gathered it shall eat it,
And praise the LORD;
Those who have brought it together shall drink it in My holy courts.”
10 Go through,
Go through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people;
Build up,
Build up the highway!
Take out the stones,
Lift up a banner for the peoples!
11 Indeed the LORD has proclaimed
To the end of the world:
“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Surely your salvation is coming;
Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His work before Him.’ ”
12 And they shall call them The Holy People,
The Redeemed of the LORD;
And you shall be called Sought Out,
A City Not Forsaken.
This prophecy is God speaking to Jerusalem on behalf of Jerusalem of the coming glory of the Messianic reign during the millennium. There are a couple of old songs I like that make reference to "Beulah land." Verse 4 here has that reference, the only reference, to this term for Jerusalem. "Beulah" means "married." You'll see from the context that it speaks of the relationship of the inhabitants of Jerusalem to the city as well as God's relationship to the city. That marriage indicates a permanent bond that will be established on both accounts. Moreover, the word "Hephzibah" in that verse means "my delight is in her." Verse 12 sums up the coming glory of Jerusalem and its inhabitants during the millennium, "And they shall call them The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD; And you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken." The context here would suggest conditions in Jerusalem during the millennium itself - not the new and improved Jerusalem of Revelation 21:1-2 (see notes) after the millennium. If that statement seems confusing, read the comments on Isaiah 60, (see above).
Jerusalem will be the capital city of the entire world during the millennium.
The battle of Armageddon (Isaiah 63:1-6)
1 Who is this who comes from Edom,
With dyed garments from Bozrah,
This One who is glorious in His apparel,
Traveling in the greatness of His strength?—
“I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”
2 Why is Your apparel red,
And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?
3 “I have trodden the winepress alone,
And from the peoples no one was with Me.
For I have trodden them in My anger,
And trampled them in My fury;
Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments,
And I have stained all My robes.
4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart,
And the year of My redeemed has come.
5 I looked, but there was no one to help,
And I wondered
That there was no one to uphold;
Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me;
And My own fury, it sustained Me.
6 I have trodden down the peoples in My anger,
Made them drunk in My fury,
And brought down their strength to the earth.”
Edom is east of Jerusalem along with the city in Edom, Bozrah, which is referenced here. At the end of the tribulation period of seven years, the great last battle of Armageddon takes place when the nations of the world will stage their last tribulation-period stand against righteousness. Edom epitomizes these wicked nations, as they are Israel's nearest wicked neighbors at the time of the writing of this prophecy. There's a really interesting play on words in this prophecy. Edomites were the descendants of Esau, Jacob's brother (the father of all Israelites). How did Esau become known as Edom? Genesis 25:30 (see notes) says, "And Esau said to Jacob, 'Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.' Therefore his name was called Edom." The Hebrew word for red is the same Hebrew word given as the nickname for Esau because his favorite color seemed to be red. Esau's nickname was "Red." It just so happens that blood is red. So, you see the play on words in these verses with the Edomites (the red people) and the red blood on the garment of the conquering Messiah from fighting the enemies of God.
God's mercy upon Israel (Isaiah 63:7-14)
7 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD
And the praises of the LORD,
According to all that the LORD has bestowed on us,
And the great goodness toward the house of Israel,
Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies,
According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.
8 For He said, “Surely they are My people,
Children who will not lie.”
So He became their Savior.
9 In all their affliction He was afflicted,
And the Angel of His Presence saved them;
In His love and in His pity He redeemed them;
And He bore them and carried them
All the days of old.
10 But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit;
So He turned Himself against them as an enemy,
And He fought against them.
11 Then he remembered the days of old,
Moses and his people, saying:
“Where is He who brought them up out of the sea
With the shepherd of His flock?
Where is He who put His Holy Spirit within them,
12 Who led them by the right hand of Moses,
With His glorious arm,
Dividing the water before them
To make for Himself an everlasting name,
13 Who led them through the deep,
As a horse in the wilderness,
That they might not stumble?”
14 As a beast goes down into the valley,
And the Spirit of the LORD causes him to rest,
So You lead Your people,
To make Yourself a glorious name.
These verses show us God's commitment to Israel as his people. Isaiah goes back to recall the days of Moses leading Israel in the wilderness. However, we see in verse 10, "But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them." Afterward, even though they rebelled, God is merciful to Israel.
The Jewish remnant's prayer for deliverance (Isaiah 63:15-19)
15 Look down from heaven,
And see from Your habitation, holy and glorious.
Where are Your zeal and Your strength,
The yearning of Your heart and Your mercies toward me?
Are they restrained?
16 Doubtless You are our Father,
Though Abraham was ignorant of us,
And Israel does not acknowledge us.
You, O LORD, are our Father;
Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.
17 O LORD, why have You made us stray from Your ways,
And hardened our heart from Your fear?
Return for Your servants’ sake,
The tribes of Your inheritance.
18 Your holy people have possessed it but a little while;
Our adversaries have trodden down Your sanctuary.
19 We have become like those of old, over whom You never ruled,
Those who were never called by Your name.
This will be the prayer of the remnant of Israel who will be saved during the tribulation. They'll be looking for God to restore them to glory. They'll remind God of how he defeated their enemies back in the old days, and they will call upon him to do it again. Of course he will, and this sets the stage for the last great battle of Revelation 19:11-21 (see notes), the one we know as the Battle of Armageddon. This prayer is continued on into Isaiah 64 (see notes).