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ISAIAH CHAPTER 61
OBSERVATION STAGE
The purpose of
the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand within the
normative rules of language, context and logic 
which limits the observer to the content offered by the book of Isaiah.
This will serve to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more
importantly, it will provide the framework for a proper and objective
comparison with passages located elsewhere in Scripture.
Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.
(Isa 61:1 Septuagint) "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because He hath anointed me; He hath sent me to preach good tidings unto the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and sight to the blind.'
(Isa 61:1 NKJV) "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;
(Isa 61:2 Septuagint) to declare the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of recompense; to comfort all that mourn.
(Isa 61:2 NKJV) To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn.
(Isa 61:3 Septuagint) that there should be given to them that mourn in Sion glory instead of ashes, the oil of joy to the mourners, the garment of glory for the spirit of heaviness: and they shall be called generations of righteousness, the planting of the LORD for glory.
(Isa 61:3 HOLMAN) to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the LORD, to glorify Him.
(Isa 61:4 Septuagint) And they shall build the old waste places, they shall raise up those that were before made desolate, and shall renew the desert cities, even those that had been desolate for many generations.
(Isa 61:4 NKJV) 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.
(Isa 61:5 Septuagint) And strangers shall come and feed thy flocks, and aliens shall be thy ploughmen and vine-dressers.
(Isa 61:5 NKJV) Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
(Isa 61:6 Septuagint) But ye shall be called priests of the LORD, the ministers of God: ye shall eat the strength of nations, and shall be admired because of their wealth.
(Isa 61:6 NKJV) 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 [yourselves].
(Isa 61:7 Septuagint) Thus shall they inherit the land a second time, and everlasting joy shall be upon their head.
(Isa 61:7 NKJV) 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.
(Isa 61:8 Septuagint) For I am the LORD Who [loves] righteousness, and [hates] robberies of injustice; and I will give their labour to the just, and will make an everlasting covenant with them.
(Isa 61:8 NKJV) For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery [, i.e., plunder] for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant.
(Isa 61:9 Septuagint) And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring in the midst of peoples: every one that sees them shall take notice of them, that they are a seed blessed of God;
(Isa 61:9 NKJV) 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 [lit., seed] whom the LORD has blessed.
(Isa 61:10 Septuagint) and they shall greatly rejoice in the LORD. Let my soul rejoice in the LORD; for he has clothed me with the robe of salvation, and the garment of joy: he has put a mitre on me as on a bridegroom, and adorned me with ornaments as a bride.
(Isa 61:10 NKJV) 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.
(Isa 61:11 Septuagint) And as the earth putting forth her flowers, and as a garden its seed; so shall the LORD, even the LORD, cause righteousness to spring forth, and exultation before all nations."
(Isa 61:11 NKJV) 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."
(Isa 61:1 Septuagint) "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because He hath anointed me; He hath sent me to preach good tidings unto the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and sight to the blind.' (Isa 61:1 NKJV) "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; (Isa 61:2 Septuagint) to declare the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of recompense; to comfort all that mourn. (Isa 61:2 NKJV) To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn."...
(Isa 61:10 Septuagint) and they shall greatly rejoice in the LORD. Let my soul rejoice in the LORD; for he has clothed me with the robe of salvation, and the garment of joy: he has put a mitre on me as on a bridegroom, and adorned me with ornaments as a bride. (Isa 61:10 NKJV) 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. (Isa 61:11 Septuagint) And as the earth putting forth her flowers, and as a garden its seed; so shall the LORD, even the LORD, cause righteousness to spring forth, and exultation before all nations." (Isa 61:11 NKJV) 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." =
Note that the
first person singular in verse 1 has the prophet Isaiah personifying the
words given to Him by the LORD as the first hand "speaker." On
the other hand, since Isaiah chapter 61 has in view the prophecy of the
salvation of those of all of Israel and of the world who trust in the gift
of God's righteousness unto eternal life in the Eternal Kingdom of God in
view, (cf. vv. 7, 10-11); and since neither the provision of this
salvation nor the commencement of the eternal Kingdom of God was fulfilled
in Isaiah's time due to the failure of Israel to repent unto a moment of
faith in the coming Messiah / Savior, then the passage applies ultimately
to the future Prophet, the Messiah / Savior to come as prophesied in
Isaiah 7:14-16; 9:6-7, 53:1-12; Who would be both Servant and King - both
Savior and Judge ;
and as testified to by Jesus Christ Himself declaring that He was the One
through Whom the promises would be fulfilled after reading Isaiah 61:1-2a
from the Septuagint scrollet in the assembly at Nazareth, (cf. Lk 4:18;
7:22). In Isaiah 61:1 all three Personalities of the Godhead are in view:
The Spirit of the LORD, the LORD and the Anointed One - the Messiah /
Christ Who previously was stipulated as both man and God in Isa 9:6-7.
So in view in Isa 61:1 is One Who has had the Spirit of God placed upon Himself for the following reasons:
(1) ("The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because He hath anointed me; He hath sent me to preach good tidings unto the poor,") =
The word rendered "anointed" in Isa 61:1a refers to the "One" Who has the Spirit of the LORD placed upon Him, i.e., within Him. The word rendered "anointed" indicates that the one in view in Isa chapter 61 has been chosen, i.e., appointed and provided with the enablement by the LORD through the Spirit to proclaim, i.e., to preach and enact in the sense of fulfill the "good tidings," i.e., the good news to the poor. The Hebrew word rendered "poor" in Isa 61:1b has spiritual poverty in view, i.e., one who is acknowleding his lack of God's Righteousness, (cf. Isa 61:10-11), as opposed to being poor in material possessions. For the context does not limit the message to the materially poor, but includes all mankind. So the anointed One - the Messiah, (from the Hebrew), or the Christ, (from the Greek) will announce and make provision for salvation unto eternal life in the Eternal Kingdom of God through a moment of faith alone in Himself alone. Those that choose to believe in Him will have the gift of God's Righteousness accounted to them to qualify them for entrance into that Eternal Kingdom, (cf. Isa 61:7, 10-11).
The message of
the gospel unto eternal life in the Eternal Kingdom of God had previously
been conveyed to the reader in Isa 39:1-40:5, (cf. Isa 7:14; 9:6-7); when
the prophet Isaiah announced Israel's return from captivity in Babylon to
Jerusalem; whereupon, if all of that generation of Israel trusted in God's
provision of a Messiah / Savior to come into the world to provide His
righteousness evidently through an atoning sacrifice for the sins of all
mankind, (cf. Isa 40:1-5; 53:1-12), God would make such provision so that
all those who trusted in that provision, Jew or Gentile, would enter the
Eternal Kingdom of God to commence on earth at the time that all of a
generation of Israel trusted in Him. .
So far that has not been the case with any generation of Israelites.
(2) "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because He hath anointed me; He hath sent me to preach good tidings unto the poor, to heal the brokenhearted," =
God, through the indwelling Spirit sent, the One Who has the Spirit of the LORD GOD upon Him to heal the broken of heart evidently in the sense of providing spiritual healing of every believer's spiritual brokenness before God due to sin - the brokenhearted mourning of ones sinful condition before a Holy God. This healing evidently includes the reception of the garment of salvation - the robe of God's Righteousness as indicated in Isa 61:10, through a moment of faith alone in the Messiah / Savior to come; as opposed to healing broken relationships amongst individuals relative to temporal matters, which the passage does not specifically address;
(3) "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because He hath anointed me; He hath sent me to preach good tidings unto the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives," =
God, through the indwelling Spirit sent the One Who has the Spirit of the LORD GOD to proclaim deliverance to the captives in the sense of delivering individuals held captive by their sins - the context of the passage being the Eternal Kingdom of God and entrance into it - as opposed to being freed from temporal oppression such as from the Assyrians, or from the the Babylonians, or from the Greeks or from the Romans, as some contend. For the Greek word "aphesin" rendered "liberty" in the Septuagint conveys the sense of being pardoned, i.e., having ones sins remitted through a moment of faith alone in the Messiah / Savior to come to make an atoning provision for the sins of all mankind, (cf. Isa 53:1-12). Furthermore, when Jesus quoted the Septuagint version of Isaiah chapter 61, (Lk 4:18), He did not make an issue of Israel being delivered from temporal captivity from Assyria, Greece Rome or any temporal power. Furthermore, Isa 61:3-11 speaks of being given the everlasting joy of salvation which includes having everlasting joy, (v. 7); being clothed with the robe of salvation, (v. 10), and being covered with the robe of Righteousness implying having been attributed with the Righteous / sinless character of God, (v. 10). This goes far beyond being delivered from temporal difficulties such as the oppression of Babylon or Rome;
(4) "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because He hath anointed me; He hath sent me to preach good tidings unto the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and sight to the blind,"
According to the Septuagint (LXX), God, through the indwelling Spirit sent the One Who has the Spirit of the LORD GOD upon Him to restore sight to the blind in the literal sense implying healing of all kinds of diseases, especially blindness. Note that some Hebrew MSS including 1QIsaa, take the phrase rendered "release ..... for the prisoners" to be one word, meaning opening, which word has as its root a Hebrew word that is regularly used to convey opening of the eyes. So the phrase, "And the opening of the prison to those who are bound" in the NKJV is rendered as "and sight to the blind" in the LXX. Hence the last phrase in Isaiah 61:1 in the LXX is rendered "to proclaim liberty to the captives, and sight to the blind," which is what Jesus is quoted as reading from the Scrollet in the synagogue in Nazareth, (Lk 4:18). Note that the Messiah / Savior to come was prophesied as healing illnesses and bringing sight to the blind, (cf. Isa 35:5), which is what Jesus frequently did do.
(4 alternate) "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," =
On the other hand, according to the Masoretic Hebrew Text, the last part of Isaiah 61:1 reads in the NKJV, "To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;" i.e., God, through the indwelling Spirit sent the One Who has the Spirit of the LORD GOD upon Him "to proclaim liberty to the captives,.And the opening of the prison to those who are bound," in the sense of proclaiming deliverance of those who are oppressed / afflicted by sin and to be delivered from it through a moment of faith alone in the Messiah / Savior to come. Since the second part of the last phrase of Isa 61:1 as translated from the Masoretic Text and rendered in the NKJV can be viewed as redundant - but perhaps to be emphatic; and since Jesus did in fact restore sight to the blind and did heal many diseases; and since Jesus did read from the LXX according to Lk 4:18; then it appears that the Septuagint has the more accurate rendering of the original text. In either case, the message of either version does not contradict Scripture. Furthermore, nothing can be observed from either version which was not fulfilled by the One Who has the Spirit of the LORD GOD upon Him.
(5) "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because He hath anointed me; He hath sent me to preach good tidings unto the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and sight to the blind, to declare the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of recompense; to comfort all that mourn"
The phrase rendered "to declare the acceptable year of the LORD," in Isa 61:2 corresponds to Isa 49:8 rendered, '''Thus the LORD has said [to His Servant], "In the time of favor [in the sense of in the acceptable time] I will have answered You, and in the day of salvation I will have helped You; I will have preserved You and I will give You as a covenant to the people to raise up [in sense of to restore] the earth, to inherit the desolate inheritances."
****** EXCERPT FROM ISAIAH 49 *******
..............OR SKIP TO NEXT SECTION
(Isa 49:1 NKJV) '''[Isaiah writes that the LORD's Servant has said] "Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar! The LORD has called Me from the womb; From the [womb] of My mother He has made mention of My name.
(Isa 49:2 NKJV) And He [makes] My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, And [the LORD] [makes] Me a polished shaft; In His quiver He has hidden Me.
(Isa 49:3 NKJV) And He [the LORD] [says] to Me, 'You are My servant, O Israel, In Whom I [manifest My glory].'
(Isa 49:4 NKJV) Then I said, 'I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely My just reward is with the LORD, And My work with My God.
(Isa 49:5 NKJV) [Whereupon the Servant declared] And now the LORD ... Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob [Israel] back to Him [has said that], Israel will be gathered to Him [the LORD], and I [the Servant] shall be [glorified] in the eyes of the LORD, And My God [shall have been] My strength'
(Isa 49:6 NKJV) Indeed He [the LORD] says, 'It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a Light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.' "
(Isa 49:7 CBL Interlinear) [Isaiah writes of the LORD]: Thus [has said] Yahweh [the LORD], the Redeemer of Israel, His [Israel's] Holy One; to the despised One [the LORD's chosen Servant]; [the LORD has said] to the abhorred One [the chosen Servant] of the nations [the Gentiles], to the Servant of rulers [of the world], [all speaking of the LORD's chosen Servant - the LORD said to Him]: "Kings, they will see, and princes, they will rise up; and they will bow down because of Yahweh [the LORD] Who is faithful - the Holy One of Israel; And [Isaiah wrote] "He [the LORD] chose You" [to be His Servant - to provide salvation to the world unto everlasting life in the Eternal Kingdom of God, ref. v. 8].
(Isa 49:8 CBL Interlinear) Thus the LORD has said [to His Servant], "In the time of favor [in the sense of in the acceptable time] I will have answered You, and in the day of salvation I will have helped You; I will have preserved You and I will give You as a covenant to the people to raise up [in sense of to restore] the earth, to inherit the desolate inheritances.
(Isa 49:9 NKJV) That You may say to the prisoners, 'Go forth,' To those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves.' They shall feed along the roads, And their pastures shall be on all desolate heights.
(Isa 49:10 NKJV) They shall neither hunger nor thirst, Neither [scorching wind] nor sun shall strike them [down]; For He Who has mercy on them will lead them, Even by the springs of water He will guide them.
(Isa 49:11 NKJV) I will make each of My mountains a road, And My highways shall be elevated.
(Isa 49:12 NKJV) Surely these shall come from afar; Look! Those from the north and the west, And these from the land of Sinim.
(Isa 49:13 NKJV) Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted." '''
(Isa 49:1 NKJV) '''[Isaiah writes that the LORD's Servant has said] "Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar! The LORD has called Me from the womb; From the [womb] of My mother He has made mention of My name. (Isa 49:2 NKJV) And He [makes] My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, And [the LORD] [makes] Me a polished shaft; In His quiver He has hidden Me. (Isa 49:3 NKJV) And He [the LORD] [says] to Me, 'You are My servant, O Israel, In Whom I [manifest My glory].' " ''' =
Chapter 49 begins with a command by the LORD's Servant to the peoples of the world - from the "coastlands" referring to the nations of peoples living on coastlands to those "peoples from afar" expressions which overall convey the concept of all the peoples of the world - evidently including Gentiles as well as Jews - to listen to One Who has been called by "Yahweh," the LORD God to be the LORD's Servant. The message of the LORD's Servant is being conveyed through the prophet Isaiah. It is evident from the phrase in the first verse, "The LORD has called Me from the womb; From the [womb] of My mother He has made mention of My name," that this Servant was to be born a Human being in the future because it is implied that the Servant had not yet made His presence in the world known up to that time; and the promises that are made relative to the Servant are indicated as future ones. The Servant is both identified with and yet distinguished from Israel throughout chapter 49 in the first and third person singular; hence neither the nation Israel nor a remnant of Israelites is in view - as some have contended, (Isa 49:1).
The next verse indicates that the LORD's Servant's mouth was made "like a sharp sword" - a weapon which would bring sharp judgment upon men with the words that He would speak. The phrase, "In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me," indicates that the LORD God would provide protection and concealment for His Servant until it was time for the Servant to bring that judgment upon all mankind. The next phrase, "And [the LORD] [makes] Me a polished shaft" refers to the Servant as a polished arrow shaft conveying the Servant wielding judgment upon mankind. The word rendered "polished" conveys no defects in order to make the path of the arrow true, in the sense that the Servant is to be without sin - His judgment therefore being True and Righteous. The arrow is stipulated as hidden in the LORD's quiver implying that the Servant will be secure and hidden until judgment time, (Isa 49:2).
The Servant then said that the LORD said to Him, "You are My Servant, O Israel, In Whom I [manifest My glory]." The LORD God named the Servant, "Israel," implying a single individual and indicated that in Him would the LORD God manifest His glory. Although neither the nation Israel nor a remnant of Israelites is in view, as some contend. He is portrayed as the perfect expression as an individual of what God intended all Israel to be like. The Servant is characterized as sinless - unlike the nation Israel or the remnant. In the following chapters, the LORD's Servant is taught, He suffers, He is vindicated, and He imparts God's truth to others, who are judged by their attitude toward Him. There is not, in fact, in these chapters a single expression necessitating or even suggesting that the servant is a group rather than an individual. Moreover, in chapter 53, His work is unique, for none other in the OT, either within or outside Isaiah, dies as an atoning sacrifice for human sins, (Isa 49:3).
(Isa 49:4 NKJV) ''' "Then I said, 'I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely My just reward is with the LORD, And My work with My God. (Isa 49:5 NKJV) [Whereupon the Servant declared] And now the LORD ... Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob [Israel] back to Him [has said that], Israel will be gathered to Him [the LORD], and I [the Servant] shall be [glorified] in the eyes of the LORD, And My God [shall have been] My strength' " ''' =
Then the Servant of the LORD declared, "I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and in vain," in the sense that His mission to bring Israel to repent and trust in the LORD would at first be in vain. His strength would be spent, implying the physical end of Himself. So the Servant would be rejected at first and then killed. Yet in all of this He declared, "Yet surely My just reward is with the LORD, And My work with My God," implying His trust in the LORD's plan through Him would finally be fulfilled. Note that the Humanity of the LORD's Servant as opposed to His Diety is in view in this chapter. Other chapters in Isaiah reveal that the Servant would be vindicated (50:8) and He would be rewarded after His death (53:8) and be resurrected unto His just reward, (53:10). For the Servant finished with, "Yet surely My just reward is with the LORD, And My work with My God," (Isa 49:4).
Verse 5 has the Servant of the LORD relaying the message that the LORD gave to Him: [The Servant declared] "And now the LORD ... Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob [Israel] back to Him [has said that], Israel will be gathered to Him [the LORD], and I [the Servant] shall be [glorified] in the eyes of the LORD, And My God [shall have been] My strength." Notice that the Servant is once again defined as one single individual formed by the LORD in the womb - an individual Human being but without sin and with a supernatural mission. The success of the Servant's mission which includes bringing Jacob, i.e., the tribes of Jacob - the people of Israel, back to the LORD is further confirmed. Since the mission of "Israel," the Servant of the LORD, was to gather Israel back to the LORD then the Servant could not be the people of Israel, but an individual named "Israel." Since none of this had occurred up to this time, then all of this was to have been accomplished in the future. The Servant therefore declared: "And I shall be glorified in the eyes of the LORD, and My God shall have been My strength," in the sense that the Servant of the LORD in His Humanity would complete His mission via the strength - the power of the LORD, (Isa 49:5).
(Isa 49:6 NKJV) ''' "Indeed He [the LORD] says, 'It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a Light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.' " (Isa 49:7 CBL Interlinear) [Isaiah writes of the LORD]: Thus [has said] Yahweh [the LORD], the Redeemer of Israel, His [Israel's] Holy One; to the despised One [the LORD's chosen Servant]; [the LORD has said] to the abhorred One [the chosen Servant] of the nations [the Gentiles], to the Servant of rulers [of the world], [all speaking of the LORD's chosen Servant - the LORD said to Him]: "Kings, they will see, and princes, they will rise up; and they will bow down because of Yahweh [the LORD] Who is faithful - the Holy One of Israel; And [Isaiah wrote] "He [the LORD] chose You" [to be His Servant - to provide salvation to all mankind unto everlasting life in the Eternal Kingdom of God, ref. vv. 8-13].''' =
And then the LORD declared to His Servant relative to the scope of His mission: "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a Light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth." So the Servant shall not only be the Instrument by which the tribes of Jacob, i.e., of Israel - those whose physical lives at the time of the regathering have been preserved - will be gathered back to the LORD God, but also their salvation and the salvation of the Gentiles as well - to all mankind - for the LORD declared that He will give His Servant "As a light to the Gentiles," in the sense of providing revelation of the truth to all mankind about the LORD God, especially His salvation unto everlasting life in the Eternal Kingdom of God through His Servant, (ref. vv. 8-13).
Note that this
had been the LORD's message all along - that salvation was to be provided
for all mankind through a Descendant of Eve
;
and that Descendant would descend from Abraham ;
and that Descendant would be the LORD's
chosen Servant as testified to in the words of the LORD given to the
Prophet Isaiah, (Isa 49:6).
Isaiah reports what the LORD (Yahweh) had conveyed to him: that the LORD, the Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel had said to His chosen Servant, His Servant of rulers [of the world] - His Servant Who would become the despised One and the abhorred One of the Gentiles - the LORD said to His Servant: 'Kings, they will see, and princes, they will rise up to acknowledge; and then they all will bow down to the LORD's chosen One because of the LORD - the Holy One of Israel - is faithful - the Holy One of Israel.' And Isaiah wrote about the LORD relative to His Servant, 'He chose You' [to accomplish this mission to fulfill the day of salvation for all mankind which it is implied the Servant of the LORD would successfully fulfill, (cf. v. 9)], (Isa 49:7).
(Isa 49:8 CBL Interlinear) ''' Thus the LORD has said [to His Servant], "In the time of favor [in the sense of in the acceptable time] I will have answered You, and in the day of salvation I will have helped You; I will have preserved You and I will give You as a covenant to the people to raise up [in sense of to restore] the earth, to inherit the desolate inheritances." ''' =
In Isa 49:8, Isaiah reports that the LORD, speaking to His Servant said, "Thus the LORD has said, 'In the time of favor...' - the time decreed by God for effecting His eternal plan of the regathering of Israel to the LORD, the eternal restoration of the earth, and the provision of eternal salvation for all those of mankind who choose to believe in the LORD's Servant for that unto the Eternal Kingdom of God.
'I will have answered You,' - in the sense of the LORD having answered His Servant's concerns which the Servant expressed in verse 4, ('I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain'), referring to the Servant's point of view that He had failed in His Human lifetime to restore Israel and the earth, and to gather His people to Himself as well as the world.
And the LORD's answer to His Servant which would be given "In the time of favor' was as follows:
'And in the day of salvation I will have helped You;
'I will have preserved You' - in the sense of preserving His Human life, (via resurrection unto a glorified body).
'and I will give You as a covenant to the people,' to fulfill God's covenant promises to Israel, (cf. Isa 42:6), to raise up [in the sense of restore] the earth, and to inherit the desolate inheritances' - in the sense of the Servant fulfilling the LORD's covenant with His people Israel to restore all things of the earth forever - especially the inheritances promised to them which had become desolate - the Promised Land, (Isa 49:8).
(Isa 49:9 NKJV) ''' "That You may say to the prisoners, 'Go forth,' To those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves.' They shall feed along the roads, And their pastures shall be on all desolate heights. (Isa 49:10 NKJV) They shall neither hunger nor thirst, Neither [scorching wind] nor sun shall strike them [down]; For He Who has mercy on them will lead them, Even by the springs of water He will guide them. (Isa 49:11 NKJV) I will make each of My mountains a road, And My highways shall be elevated. (Isa 49:12 NKJV) Surely these shall come from afar; Look! Those from the north and the west, And these from the land of Sinim. (Isa 49:13 NKJV) Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted." ''' =
'That You may say to the prisoners,' - those Israelites in captivity...
'Go forth' - in the sense of commanding them, and all mankind, to go forth from all over the world to the land of Israel, evidently to return to the Promised Land to be gathered there before the LORD's chosen Servant.
'To those who are in darkness,' - darkness in the sense of those who are Gentiles who needed the Light of God's revelation about Himself and His salvation - which is in His chosen Servant, (Isa 49:6) ...
'Show yourselves. They shall feed along the roads, And their pastures shall be on all desolate heights' in the sense of the LORD providing food even along the roads, and pastures on high ground, formerly desolate heights which would be restored - all implying unprecedented and eternal prosperity, (Isa 49:8-9).
The LORD continued to expound upon the time of "the salvation to the ends of the earth," (ref. v. 6): "They shall neither hunger nor thirst - [no more hunger or thirst anywhere on the Earth, implying major and eternal changes in the Earth's topography, climate, etc.]. Neither [scorching wind] nor sun shall strike them [down] - implying a worldwide beneficent climate]. For He Who has mercy on them will lead them, Even by the springs of water He will guide them. I will make each of My mountains a road, And My highways shall be elevated - [implying major restoration and beneficent changes to the Earth's topography that are everlasting in nature]. Surely these shall come from afar; Look! Those from the north and the west, And these from the land of Sinim - [implying coming to Israel to receive the blessings and the salvation of the LORD, (ref. Isa 49:5), corroborating that salvation is for all peoples]
Note that the country named Sinim is implied as very remote from Israel, yet known in Israel, suggesting Persia or some other country from afar.
In verse 13, the LORD declares for the heavens to sing, the earth to be joyful, the mountains to sing because He will have comforted His people, and will have had mercy on His afflicted - referring to Israel, (Isa 49:10-13). Note that the Everlasting Kingdom of God is in view!
****** END OF EXCERPT FROM ISAIAH 49 ******
(Isa 61:1 Septuagint) "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because He hath anointed me; He hath sent me to preach good tidings unto the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and sight to the blind.' (Isa 61:1 NKJV) "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; (Isa 61:2 Septuagint) to declare the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of recompense; to comfort all that mourn. (Isa 61:2 NKJV) To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn."...
(Isa 61:10 Septuagint) and they shall greatly rejoice in the LORD. Let my soul rejoice in the LORD; for he has clothed me with the robe of salvation, and the garment of joy: he has put a mitre on me as on a bridegroom, and adorned me with ornaments as a bride. (Isa 61:10 NKJV) 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. (Isa 61:11 Septuagint) And as the earth putting forth her flowers, and as a garden its seed; so shall the LORD, even the LORD, cause righteousness to spring forth, and exultation before all nations." (Isa 61:11 NKJV) 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," (cont.) =
Since the Book of Isaiah, especially chapters 7, 9, 40, 49, 53, 60 and 61 have in view deliverance from eternal condemnation, i.e., deliverance from the consequences of sin unto eternal life and entrance into the Eternal Kingdom of God through the atoning sacrifice for sins of the Messiah / Savior; as opposed to being limited to deliverance from temporal difficulties and restoration to prosperity at the end of the Israelites' captivity in Babylon, (Isa 40:1-2); then Isa 61:2 has in view the proclamation "of the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn," i.e., for (1) the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ to make provision for eternal salvation through His atoning sacrifice for the sins of all mankind and for (2) for the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ to sit in judgment upon unbelievers in the Day of the LORD and to comfort all who mourn in the sense of mourning for their sinfulness before God when He comes to earth to institute His eternal Kingdom. There are evidently two functions of the One Messiah / Savior in view; but not necessarily to be accomplished at the same time. Note that "Day" and "year" are in a parallel position in Isa 61:2. They are therefore used synonymously to refer to an indefinite point of time. Scripture and history has already recorded that the Anointed One, the Christ, has come to make provision for salvation through His atoning sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. It therefore remains for Him to come to complete the eternal restoration of Jerusalem and His people Israel and execute judgment upon the nations of the world.
Note that the phrase in Isa 61:2b, "And the day of vengeance of our God" is echoed in Isa 63:4 with "For the day of vengeance is in My [the LORD's, (v. 3)] heart. And the year of My redeemed has come," corroborating that Isa 61:2b refers to the "day" (the time) when the LORD will come to bring vengeance upon all those who oppose Him, restore Jerusalem and His people Israel to godly splendor, and commence His Eternal Kingdom on the earth:
1) [Compare Isa 62:1-63:6 with an excerpt from Isa chapter 40]:
(Isa 62:1 NKJV) "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.
[Chapter 62 begins with "For Zion's [Israel's / Jerusalem'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," (Isa 62:1). The context is the prophet Isaiah speaking on behalf of Israel to the LORD, (cf. v. 6). The tone is one of Isaiah's impatience and persistence with the LORD to fulfill His promise of restoration and salvation of His people Israel - a vision of which the LORD provided to Isaiah which might occur in Isaiah's time in chapter 60:
(Isa 60:1 NKJV) "Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.
(Isa 60:2 NKJV) 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.
(Isa 60:3 NKJV) The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.
(Isa 60:4 NKJV) 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.
(Isa 60:5 NKJV) 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.
(Isa 60:6 NKJV) 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.
(Isa 60:7 NKJV) 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."
The salvation
stipulated in Isaiah chapters 60 & 62 indicates that all Israel will
be declared righteous when she is saved. Hence an eternal salvation is in
view - a future time when the LORD will come to carry out the eternal
restoration of Jerusalem; credit, transform and rule His people Israel
unto the Righteousness of God, wield judgment upon the nations of the
world, and establish His Eternal Kingdom. All of this could have been
imminent in Isaiah's time; but it did not occur because all Israel of that
time did not repent unto a moment of faith in the LORD to make provision
for their salvation unto eternal life in the Eternal Kingdom of God, (cf.
Isa 7:14-16 & 9:6-7 & 39:1-40:5 )]
Isa 62:2-5 portrays that Eternal Kingdom:
(Isa 62:2 NKJV) "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."
(Isa 62:3 NKJV) "You shall also be a crown of glory In the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem In the hand of your God."
[Gentiles and kings the world over will see the godly righteousness of Jerusalem / Israel reflecting the glory of God. And Jerusalem / Israel shall be called by a new name - from the mouth of the LORD Himself to manifest His glory to the world. They will, by the hand of the LORD, be so remarkably restored that the city will be like a crown of glory - a diadem, (a large metal ring worn on the head), evidently of precious metal and bejeweled with precious stones worthy of the glory of the LORD. Israel and Jerusalem will be His adornment, displaying His splendor, (cf. Isa 35:2; 46:13; 49:3; 55:5; 60:9, 21; 61;3)]
(Isa 62:4 NKJV) "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."
[After centuries of being forsaken in the sense of abandoned by the LORD and termed desolate - a geographical desert wilderness all around her, Jerusalem and Israel will be called "Hephzibah," lit., "My delight is in her;" and "Beulah," lit., "married one" conveying the sense of the city's and Israel's new and flourishing relationship with the LORD being like happiness in a marriage - the surrounding land to be restored - bursting with vegetation and animal life]
(Isa 62:5 NKJV) 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.
[Verse 5 further comments / explains verse 4's analogy of Jerusalem's and Israel's stunning transformation to glory in the Eternal Kingdom of God as reflected in the happiness of a godly marriage: As a young man who marries a virgin - a perfect and holy marriage being in view - "so shall your sons marry You" - in the sense of a perfect and holy relationship with the LORD - as in a perfect and godly marriage. And furthermore, "As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you" - just as the bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so God will rejoice over His bride, reflecting His splendor and glory through His wife, (cf. Isa 54:5), His people Israel, and His city Jerusalem from where He will rule, (Isa 54:1-17)]
[The city of Jerusalem and the Israel of Isaiah's time is in view in Isa 62:6-12 which anticipates the LORD's imminent coming to restore Israel and Jerusalem and establish His Eternal Kingdom with them, representing His glory and righteousness.]:
(Isa 62:6 NKJV) 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,
(Isa 62:7 NKJV) And give Him no rest till He establishes And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
[Verses 6 and 7 depict watchmen / prophets on the walls of Jerusalem crying out to the LORD to come and bring in His Kingdom as if it might be any day - any moment. They were to "Give Him no rest" in the sense of constantly praying and crying out to Him to come to establish His Eternal Kingdom and make "Jerusalem a praise in the earth."]
(Isa 62:8 NKJV) 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.
(Isa 62:9 NKJV) 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."
[Isa 62:8-9 affirm the final and eternal restoration of Israel via the sworn testimony of the LORD that by His omnipotent power He will restore Jerusalem and Israel. And the LORD promised by His sworn testimony that when Jerusalem is restored, it will never again fall to its enemies. No longer will Israel's food and drink be given to her enemies - those that gather it shall consume it, and praise the LORD for it - and drink the wine in the LORD's Holy courts.
Whereupon Isa
62:10-12 portrays the imminency of the LORD's coming. There was to be in
the Israel of Isaiah's time an expectation and urgency that the people
would be prepared physically and spiritually as well through a moment of
faith in the coming Messiah for eternal life in the Kingdom of God, (cf.
Isa 40:1-5 ).
These three verses which follow, unmistakably convey that implication with
urgent, sharp, repeated commands in preparing for the LORD's imminent
arrival]:
(Isa 62:10 NKJV) ''' "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!"
(Isa 62:11 NKJV) 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.'
(Isa 62:12 NKJV) And they shall call them The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD; And you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken." ''']
[Urgent preparation is in view, a highway is to be built up, stones taken out, a banner lifted up, people were expected to arrive, evidently many and from far away - from around the world, (ref. v. 11).
Notice that in
verse 10 the banner which was to be lifted up was to give a message to all
the peoples of the world who were to come to Jerusalem in Isaiah's time
from around the world. This banner was evidently to proclaim to the whole
world that temporal deliverance and salvation unto eternal life for all
mankind from the LORD was at hand. His coming to earth was imminent -
should all Israel believe in Him for this. And His reward (to be
distinguished from the gift of eternal life by faith alone) would be with
Him, - eternal rewards for those believers who were faithful to Him; and
His work of vengeance was before Him - for those who did not believe in
Him, (ref. v. 11). Whereupon verse 12 proclaims that mankind shall call
the people of Israel, "The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD"
- their eternal destiny being in view. Verse 12 goes on to say, "And
you [Jerusalem] shall be called Sought Out, A City Not forsaken" =
referring to Israel and Jerusalem in the eternal state where all mankind
will seek out the wisdom of God's people and the godly splendor of His
city, Jerusalem. This is the city from where the LORD will rule on the
throne of David, (Isa 9:6-7
But the people of Israel never repented unto trusting in the LORD to accomplish all of this in their day - to this day.
The coming of the LORD in Isaiah's time to restore Jerusalem and Israel to godly glory and establish His Eternal Kingdom on the earth predicated upon all Israel believing in the LORD for salvation unto eternal life was previously declared by the prophet Isaiah in chapter 40:
****** EXCERPT FROM ISA 40 ******
(Isa 7:14 YLT) '''Therefore the Lord Himself [is giving] to you [plural, i.e., Judah] a sign, [behold], the Virgin [the pregnant one] [the one giving birth to] a son, And she [has called] his name Immanuel. (Isa 7:15 NKJV) Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. (Isa 7:16 NKJV) For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings... (Isa 9:6 NKJV) For unto us [Israel, Isa 1:1, 8:18] a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:7 NKJV) Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this... (Isa 39:1 NKJV) At that time Merodach-Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard [lit., was hearing] that he had been sick and had recovered [lit., was recovering]. (Isa 39:2 NKJV) And Hezekiah was pleased [lit., was being pleased] with them, and showed them [lit., was showing them] the house of his treasures - the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all his armory - all that was found [lit., had been found] among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. (Isa 39:3 NKJV) Then Isaiah the prophet went [lit., was coming] to King Hezekiah, and said [lit., was saying] to him, "What did these men say [lit., have these men said], and from where did they come [lit., were coming] to you?" So Hezekiah said, "They came [lit., had come] to me from a far country, from Babylon." (Isa 39:4 NKJV) And he said, [lit., was saying], "What have they seen in your house?" So Hezekiah answered, [lit., was answering], "They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them." (Isa 39:5 NKJV) Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: (Isa 39:6 NKJV) 'Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried [lit., have been carried] to Babylon; nothing shall be left,' says the LORD. (Isa 39:7 NKJV) And they shall take away [lit., be taking away] some of your sons who will descend [lit., shall be descendants] from you, whom you will beget [lit., be begetting]; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.' (Isa 39:8 NKJV) So Hezekiah said [lit., was saying] to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good!" For he said, "At least there will be peace and truth in my days." (Isa 40:1 Holman) "Comfort, comfort My people," says your God. (Isa 40:2 NKJV) "Speak [to the heart of] Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare [has been] ended, that her iniquity [is to have been pardoned], For she has received from the LORD's hand Double for all her sins." (Isa 40:3 HOLMAN) A voice of one crying out: ["In the wilderness, prepare the way of the LORD]; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. (Isa 40:4 HOLMAN) Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rough places a plain. (Isa 40:5 NKJV) [And] the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken [it].' " ''' =
In view in this passage in Isaiah chapter 40 is the imminent return in ancient times of the Israelites from Babylonian captivity to a Jerusalem which was to be rebuilt by them. Israel's past iniquity had been pardoned through having received double punishment for all her sins, (Isa 40:1-2). Whereupon the next verse portrays the voice of a prophet announcing the imminent coming of the LORD in His glory to establish on earth the Eternal Kingdom of God conditional upon all Israelites making the necessary preparation: "A voice of one crying out, 'In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; Make a straight highway for our God in the desert, Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rough places a plain," [And] the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken [it].' (Isa 40:3-5).
The phrases such as "In the wilderness, prepare the way of the LORD; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rough places a plain," (Isa 40:3-5), cannot be literal because such a fulfillment of these phrases which portray the world completely without hill or valley, or uneven or rough ground is not literally possible with finite, flawed man; nor useful in enabling the coming of the LORD, Who is Creator and Master of the physical world, and would not be hindered by any physical obstruction. And from whence does it begin and to where does the highway go which is to be built for our God in the desert? One can only conclude that the prophet crying out is speaking figuratively of the way of God's Perfect Righteousness which can only be via every one of a generation of Israelites removing the spiritual hindrances from within oneself to receive the coming of the LORD through trusting alone in the LORD alone to deliver one from one's sins to provide the gift of God's perfect Righteousness within oneself unto eternal life; whereupon the LORD would come to establish His everlasting Kingdom of Heaven on the earth through His people Israel - having prepared His way of Perfect Righteousness within man by providing it for and within each individual by faith as a free gift. In the past, Israel's lack of faith had blocked her fellowship with the LORD and caused punishment and captivity to befall her, (cf. Isa 39:1-8). Nevertheless the ancient Israelites returning from Babylon had their opportunity to see the salvation of their God come into the world but failed to prepare for the LORD to bring in His Kingdom via repentance unto faith. Notice that this repentance cannot mean doing godly works in order to receive remission (forgiveness) of sins in order to enter the Kingdom of God, as some contend; because doing godly works cannot erase sinful deeds. Nor can repentance mean to turn from sin in the sense of not committing sins any more; for that is a task which is not possible given the sinful nature of every individual. Hence the LORD postponed the completion of His mission for when a future generation of Israelites would prepare itself properly for His coming.
According to the context of the Book of Isaiah chapters 1 through 40, the coming of the LORD and His Righteousness into the world would begin as a Child: born of a maiden / virgin Whom she called His name Immanuel, (Isa 7:14-16).
(Isa 7:14 YLT) '''Therefore the Lord Himself [is giving] to you [plural, i.e., Judah] a sign, [behold], the Virgin [the pregnant one] [the one giving birth to] a son, And she [has called] his name Immanuel.
(Isa 7:15 NKJV) Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.
(Isa 7:16 NKJV) For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings'''
So a Child
shall be born of a maiden / virgin. His name shall be called "Immanuel"
meaning "God is with us," (Isa 7:14-16
).
(Isa 9:6 NKJV) "For unto us [Israel, Isa 1:1, 7:14-16; 8:18] a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
(Isa 9:7 NKJV) Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."
So He will be
born of Israel, hence a Son of Israel; and be declared, "Wonderful,
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." He will
come to establish His Everlasting Kingdom rule over the world on the
throne of David from Jerusalem through His people, Israel, (Isa 9:6-7
).
The time of His everlasting rule would begin when national Israel
responded to Him by faith in order to be delivered each one of his sins,
(Isa 40:3). When that becomes the case in history, every obstacle to God's
rule of righteousness will be removed; which Isaiah 40:4 expresses
figuratively in order to convey a spiritual meaning of God's provision of
the gift of His Righteousness to man: "Every valley will be lifted
up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will
become smooth, and the rough places a plain." Hence all mankind will
see the glory of the LORD - His Perfect Righteousness - when He comes to
rule over His everlasting kingdom on the earth, (Isa 40:5).
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!"
All of this was declared by the prophet to be true, for the mouth of the LORD had spoken it to him, (Isa 5:16; 6:3; 7:14-16; 9:6-7; 39:5; 40:1-5).
Since the preparing of the way of the LORD in the wilderness and making a straight highway for our God in the desert, the building of roads, flattening out of mountains and hills, lifting up of valleys, making all crooked places straight, and making every rough place smooth would not be required in a literal sense, in order to enable the coming of the LORD to rule the world and enable all mankind to see Him in His glory when He comes; and since there are no passages in Scripture which corroborate any of this in a literal sense, nor would it be feasible for man to remove every physical obstruction to His coming on the planet; then the language of Isa 40:3b-40:4 must be figurative for a spiritual meaning. So the peaks and valleys, crooked highways and places, and rough places symbolically represent hindrances to God's Righteousness - caused in the context of Isaiah by Israel's (and the world's) lack of faith and consequent acts of unrighteousness. In the past, Israel's lack of faith had blocked her fellowship with the LORD and caused punishment and captivity to befall her, (cf. Isa 39:1-8).
So the time of the LORD's rule would begin when each one of national Israel, to whom the message of the prophet crying out was exclusively directed, responded to it evidently via a moment of faith alone in the coming LORD alone to deliver one from ones sins such that each one would be provided with the gift of God's perfect righteousness within oneself unto eternal life and by that prepare the way of the LORD to come to rule over His everlasting Kingdom of Heaven on the earth.
****** END OF EXCERPT FROM ISA 40 ******
(Isa 61:1 Septuagint) "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because He hath anointed me; He hath sent me to preach good tidings unto the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and sight to the blind.' (Isa 61:1 NKJV) "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; (Isa 61:2 Septuagint) to declare the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of recompense; to comfort all that mourn. (Isa 61:2 NKJV) To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn."...
(Isa 61:10 Septuagint) and they shall greatly rejoice in the LORD. Let my soul rejoice in the LORD; for he has clothed me with the robe of salvation, and the garment of joy: he has put a mitre on me as on a bridegroom, and adorned me with ornaments as a bride. (Isa 61:10 NKJV) 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. (Isa 61:11 Septuagint) And as the earth putting forth her flowers, and as a garden its seed; so shall the LORD, even the LORD, cause righteousness to spring forth, and exultation before all nations." (Isa 61:11 NKJV) 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, (cont.)" =
(1 cont.) [Compare Isa 62:1-63:6 with an excerpt from Isa chapter 40] (cont.):
(Isa 63:1 NKJV) "Who.is this who comes from Edom, With [crimson, (v. 2)] 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.'
[The context of Isaiah chapter 62 has in view the LORD's promise to return and fulfill His covenant with His people, Israel. He will restore Jerusalem and His people to eternal glory. But the following chapter #63 portrays the LORD's coming to exercise His wrath and vengeance upon all who oppose Him and His people, Israel, on the earth.
In Isa 63:1, the question will be asked at this future time of the Day of the LORD by the watchman / prophet stipulated in Isa 62:6 and evidently in view in 63:1 of, "Who is this Who comes from Edom with dyed garments from Bozrah [a city in Edom]." The watchman was watching for the LORD's coming as Deliverer and Savior of His people, Israel. But the Day of Vengeance and the Year of Redemption are one and the same event - of the One and the same LORD, (ref. Isa 63:4). Although the watchman was looking for the LORD, the Redeemer of His people; He will also be the LORD the Avenger as well, with His blood stained robes coming. Edom and its city Bozrah representing the wicked nations southeast of Israel that so often opposed and were at war with Israel. Furthermore, all those of the world who are against God are in view as indicated in Isa 63:6 as well as in chapter 34 which preceded the chapter under review:
(Isa 34:1 NKJV) "Come near, you nations, to hear; And heed, you people! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, The world and all things that come forth from it.
(Isa 34:2 NKJV) For the indignation of the LORD is against all nations, And His fury against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to the slaughter.
(Isa 34:3 NKJV) Also their slain shall be thrown out; Their stench shall rise from their corpses, And the mountains shall be melted with their blood.
(Isa 34:4 NKJV) All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, And the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; All their host shall fall down As the leaf falls from the vine, And as fruit falling from a fig tree.
(Isa 34:5 NKJV) 'For My sword shall be bathed in heaven; Indeed it shall come down on Edom, And on the people of My curse, for judgment.'
(Isa 34:6 NKJV) The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, It is made overflowing with fatness, With the blood of lambs and goats, With the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, And a great slaughter in the land of Edom.
(Isa 34:7 NKJV) The wild oxen shall come down with them, And the young bulls with the mighty bulls; Their land shall be soaked with blood, And their dust saturated with fatness."
(Isa 34:8 NKJV) For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, The year of recompense for the cause of Zion."
The watchmen-prophets portrayed in Isa 62:6-7 were on the walls of Jerusalem in Isaiah's time expecting and praying to the LORD for the salvation of Israel to come through a Savior Who will come to establish Jerusalem as an object of worldwide praise. But in chapter 63, there is prophesied One, [later to be established as the LORD, (vv. 4-7)], Who comes from Edom, Whose garments are described as crimson evidently stained with the blood from slaughtering His enemies there, (ref. v. 2). Note that the city name "Edom," means red.
The LORD is depicted in Isa 63:1 as traveling "in the greatness of His strength," i.e., in His Almighty power. For it is evidently the LORD Himself and the Day of the vengeance of the LORD, and the year of His redeemed which are in view, (cf. Isa 63:4). For the context of the LORD and the Day of the LORD in chapter 62 has not been changed in chapter 63 except to focus on His vengeance against the enemies and the enemies of His people Israel, (ref. Isa 63:1-6), as opposed to the redemption of His people, (ref. Isa 62:1-12) - all part of the same future time frame. Note that the phrase "my redeemer" in Isa 63:4 points to the LORD.]
(Isa 63:2 NKJV) Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?
(Isa 63:3 NKJV) '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.
(Isa 63:4 NKJV) For the day of vengeance is in My [the LORD's] heart. And the year of My redeemed has come.
[In verse 2, the LORD's garments are described as stained red evidently with the blood of those who opposed Him, implying that He killed them.
Verse 3 continues the context with the LORD being alone in His mission of vengeance, with the blood of His enemies sprinkled upon His garments as wine stains the garments of those in a winepress.
Verse 4 declares that this is the day of the LORD's vengeance, the year of His redeemed [Israel] has come. He will fight to free forevermore His people from oppression, and redeem those that believe in Him and His salvation.]
(Isa 63:5 NKJV) 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.
[The LORD observed that there was no one to help Him with His work of vengeance and salvation. Therefore it would be His own arm which would bring salvation, His own fury sustaining Him in His mission]
(Isa 63:6 NKJV) I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, Made them drunk in My fury, And brought down their strength to the earth."
[Verse 6 expands the LORD's judgment to worldwide implying that the reference to Edom in verse 1 was an appropriate example of the worldwide judgment of God upon all nations, where Edom represents all Gentiles, (cf. Isa 34:5-7).
So Isa 63:4, "For the day of vengeance is in My [the LORD's, (v. 3)] heart. And the year of My redeemed has come," in the context of Isaiah chapter 63 of the day when the LORD will come to the earth to trample His enemies, (ref. Isa 63:3), corroborates the meaning of the phrase "And the day of our God," in Isa 61:2 to be the day (time) when the LORD comes to restore Jerusalem and Israel to godly glory on the earth, trample His enemies and establish His Eternal Kingdom, bringing temporal and eternal salvation to those of Israel and all Gentiles who choose to believe in Him, (cf. Isa 61:3-11); and bringing death and destruction for all those who do not believe.]
(Isa 61:1 Septuagint) "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because He hath anointed me; He hath sent me to preach good tidings unto the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and sight, (lit., "opening the eyes"), to the blind.' (Isa 61:1 NKJV) 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; (Isa 61:2 Septuagint) to declare the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of recompense; to comfort all that mourn. (Isa 61:2 NKJV) To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn.
(Isa 61:3 Septuagint) That there should be given to them that mourn in Sion glory instead of ashes, the oil of joy to the mourners, the garment of glory for the spirit of heaviness: and they shall be called generations of righteousness, the planting of the LORD for glory. (Isa 61:3 HOLMAN) to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the LORD, to glorify Him. (Isa 61:4 Septuagint) And they shall build the old waste places, they shall raise up those that were before made desolate, and shall renew the desert cities, even those that had been desolate for many generations. (Isa 61:4 NKJV) 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. (Isa 61:5 Septuagint) And strangers shall come and feed thy flocks, and aliens shall be thy ploughmen and vine-dressers. (Isa 61:5 NKJV) Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. (Isa 61:6 Septuagint) But ye shall be called priests of the LORD, the ministers of God: ye shall eat the strength of nations, and shall be admired because of their wealth. (Isa 61:6 NKJV) 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 [yourselves]. (Isa 61:7 Septuagint) Thus shall they inherit the land a second time, and everlasting joy shall be upon their head. (Isa 61:7 NKJV) 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. (Isa 61:8 Septuagint) For I am the LORD who love(s) righteousness, and hate(s) robberies of injustice; and I will give their labour to the just, and will make an everlasting covenant with them. (Isa 61:8 NKJV) For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery [, i.e., plunder] for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant. (Isa 61:9 Septuagint) And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring in the midst of peoples: every one that sees them shall take notice of them, that they are a seed blessed of God; (Isa 61:9 NKJV) 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 [lit., seed] whom the LORD has blessed. (Isa 61:10 Septuagint) and they shall greatly rejoice in the LORD. Let my soul rejoice in the LORD; for he has clothed me with the robe of salvation, and the garment of joy: he has put a mitre on me as on a bridegroom, and adorned me with ornaments as a bride. (Isa 61:10 NKJV) 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. (Isa 61:11 Septuagint) And as the earth putting forth her flowers, and as a garden its seed; so shall the LORD, even the LORD, cause righteousness to spring forth, and exultation before all nations. (Isa 61:11 NKJV) 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." =
Isa 61:3-11 go on to describe circumstances that heretofore have never occurred as stipulated - they are yet future. The passage elaborates upon the eternal blessings which will replace the temporal cursings upon individuals, especially Israelites, at the commencement of and their entrance into the Everlasting Kingdom of God, implying their possession of eternal life themselves. In view are those who are Israelites who have been adorned with the garments of salvation - having been covered with the gift of the robe of God's Righteousness which will be indicative of their godly righteous character given to them indicating that they have been made worthy by God through a moment of faith alone in the Messiah / Savior unto eternal life in the Everlasting Kingdom of God, (cf. Isa 61:10-11):
In view in Isa 61:3 are those - the people of Israel in the Eternal Kingdom of God - to whom the LORD will provide glory, oil of joy, garments of glory; and they will be called righteous trees, planted by the LORD, to glorify Himself. The LORD's giving is portrayed by a double verb imparting an emphatic sense: hence it could be expresed that 'the LORD will surely provide' to those of Israel who have mourned their sinfulness before a Holy God in the Eternal Kingdom of God as follows:
(1) They will receive glory in the sense of a crown of glory; for they will no longer mourn their sinfulness as one who would throw ashes upon ones head for being in mourning for the dead; for they are no longer dead in their sins in the sense of being spiritually dead and condemned to Gehenna / the Lake of Fire forever.
(2) They will receive the oil of joy, a perfumed ointment which is poured upon ones head at joyous feasts symbolizing the Holy Spirit instead of throwing the ashes of mourning on ones head - implying sinfulness and being out of fellowship with God, under His discipline;
(3) They will wear bright colored garments of praise indicative of thankfulness to God for His gift of Righteousness unto eternal life instead of garments such as sackcloth that indicate despondance and a spirit of heaviness when one is overcome with ones sinfulness before a Holy God.
(4) Verse 3 goes on to say - as rendered in the Holman version: "And they [Jews] will be called righteous trees, planted by the LORD, to glorify Him" - they will display God's glory and splendor, as opposed to being as a reed, bowed over with the darkness of sin, (Isa 61:3).
Then Isa 61:4 says that they, referring to Jews, (cf. Isa 58:12, and Gentiles as well, (cf. Isa 60:10), will rebuild the old ruins of Jerusalem, and raise up that which had been desolate - and renew the desert cities, even those that had been deserted for many generations.
(Isa 58:12 NKJV) "Those from among you, (v. 1), Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In."
"The sons of foreigners [Gentiles] shall build up your [Jews, (vv. 1-5)] walls, And their [Gentile] kings shall minister to you; For in My [the LORD's, (v.v. 1-2), wrath I struck you, But in My favor I have had mercy on you."
Verses 4-9 of
Isa 61 portray a restoration far beyond what had been foretold and what
had been accomplished by the return from Babylon of the exiled Jews, These
six verses foretold of the Eternal Kingdom of God as previously reflected
in Isa chapter 60 .
These verses also portrayed Israel as a kingdom of priests, something
which was proclaimed as early as at Sinai, (Ex 19:6). But this has never
been realized in history so far. Furthermore, Israel was foretold to be a
kingdom of priests was to be for the whole world, (Isa 61:4).
Furthermore, in Isa 61:5-6, the text indicates that non-Israelites will tend Israel's flocks, farmlands and vineyards. For all Israel will be priests of the LORD, who will serve mankind in that capacity. And they will eat the strength of the Gentile nations; and Israel will be admired because of their wealth, which she will inherit from the Gentiles, (cf. Isa 60:5, 9, 11, 15).
These expressions in chapter 61 echo chapter 60. None of this has occurred in history; for the returns from exile in Egypt and Babylon fell far short of what has been described in Isaiah chapters 40, 60-63 and elsewhere. Israel has yet to become a "kingdom of priests," (Isa 61:6; Ex 19:6).
Verse 7 goes on to declare that Israel shall inherit the land a second time, evidently referring to their past generations being disinherited via being taken into captivity to Assyria and Babylon, (Hos 1:10; 2:23); but this second time they will have it as an everlasting inheritance with "everlasting joy upon their heads," implying everlasting life in the Eternal Kingdom of God. The Masoretic text as translated in the NKJV, also indicates that instead of shame, Israel shall have double honor - a double portion instead of confusion, a double portion. The phrase rendered "double honor" in the NKJV refers to the inheritance that the firstborn son receives from his father. In Isa 61;7 it refers to a special honor for the Israelites of the Eternal Kingdom of God, implying that they will be honored as firstborn sons of mankind - the preeminate people of the world, (Isa 61:7).
Verse 8 goes on to explain that the LORD God will cause all of this to occur because the LORD said, (Isa 61:8 Septuagint) "For I am the LORD Who [loves] righteousness, and [hates] robberies of injustice; and I will make an everlasting covenant with them."
The Masoretic text as translated in the NKJV has verse 8 as, "For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery [, i.e., plunder] for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant," indicates with the phrase "I hate robbery for burnt offering," that the LORD hates hypocrisy such as when one makes a burnt offering but does not wholly burn up the offering, consuming part of it himself. For the burnt offering was to be completely burnt and its smoke to go up wholly before the Lord, indicating complete exaltation of the Lord and complete dedication of oneself to Him. There could be no partial dedication. That would be robbery of what belongs to God. Hence when one did not follow this instruction, it was hateful to God.
Both versions of Isa 61:8 indicate that the LORD will direct Israel to being righteous, hence in truthfulness. And that He will make with them an everlasting covenant - in the sense of confirming and finally fulfilling in history His everlasting covenant that He had made first to Adam and Eve - to be through Abraham and his descendants, Israel; (Isa 61:8).
In the Eternal Kingdom of God, Israel and her descendants will be known among the Gentiles - all the peoples of the world - especially in the sense of their being blessed by God. Everyone will take notice of them. And the Israelites of the Eternal Kingdom of God will greatly rejoice - evidently all the time, (Isa 61:9).
In verse 10, writer / speaker Isaiah begins a first person identification as an Israelite resident of the Eternal Kingdom of God, as follows: (NKJV) "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." From this it is evident that Isaiah considered the arrival of the Eternal Kingdom of God as imminent, and himself to be a resident in the Kingdom. Note that the voice of verse 10 cannot be the Messiah / Savior Himelf as He does not need salvation, nor being given the robe of Righteousness implying having been given by imputation the gift of God's Righteousness - for He is Righteous Himself, being God, (Isa 9:6-7).
Isaiah's
statement in verse 10 corroborates that salvation unto eternal life in the
Eternal Kingdom of God is in view. For the speaker declares that he will
be clothed with the garments of salvation, covered with the robe of
righteousness; i.e., being imputed with God's perfect Righteousness. For
when the Eternal Kingdom of God commences all of Israel who enter it will
be in mortal bodies who can procreate and are capable of sinful activity,
nevertheless controlled by the Righteous Rule of God, (Ref. Isa 61:11; cf
Isa 11:1-9; Zech 14:16-21; Ps 72:1-19; Micah 4:1-8,
).
And this robe will evidently be visible to others "As a bridegroom
decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her
jewels." The imagery of a bridal feast throughout this chapter (Isa
61:10) as well as in chapters Isa 49:18; 62:4-5) imply that the Eternal
Kingdom of God will be an eternal celebratory feast with Israel as the
bride of God, and He her husband, (Isa 61:9-10).
Verse 11 affirms that the LORD will enforce His Righteousness upon all mankind - especially His people Israel, (Isa 61:11 NKJV) "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."