Dr. D.L. Cooper Commentary On Isaiah
Biblical Research Monthly-July 1945


THE TWO RESTORATIONS OF ISRAEL
Chapters 44:24--45:25.

THIS MONTH'S study consists of Isaiah 44:24--45:25. This block of scripture constitutes a single literary unit in the Book of Isaiah. The prophet introduced his message by addressing Jehovah, who is the God of creation, of providence, and of performance (44:24-28). The forecast covers Israel's restoration from Babylonian Captivity under Cyrus (45:1-13); her final restoration to the land from her world-wide dispersion (45:14-19); and finally, the call for all nations to come and accept the salvation of God, which prediction will be fulfilled in the great evangelistic campaign that will be conducted by the 144,000 Jewish evangelists of whom we read in Revelation, chapter 7.


Jehovah, The God of Creation, of Providence and of Performance

The prophet presented himself before his audience as the representative of Jehovah, Israel's Redeemer. In former studies we have seen that the one who thus spoke of Himself was none other than the Messiah of Israel, who redeemed the nation from Egyptian bondage, who paid the redemption price for Israel and for the world at Calvary, and who will literally redeem the nation, that is, the remnant of the people, and restore them to fellowship with God and to their own land. This one, Israel's Messiah, is the one who thus speaks to the nation in the oracle which we have for consideration.

He speaks of Himself as the one who "formed" the nation. As we have already seen, He was the creator of the Jewish nation in that He performed a biological miracle upon the bodies of Abraham and Sarah, when they were past the age of parenthood, and made possible the birth of Isaac. It is doubtless to this miracle that reference is made in 44:24. He is not only the creator of the Jewish race, but He is the creator of all things, for He has stretched out the heavens above and spreads abroad the earth. He being the omnipotent God, the creator of all things, throws out the challenge in this connection by saying, "Who is with me?" This interrogation demands a negative answer. This God of creation is also the God of providence, for it is He who, according to Isaiah 44:25 "frustrateth the signs of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish." These prognosticators and diviners make forecasts. Many of them, of course, have done that by the power of the devil and demons, but they do not have the ability to see very far into the future. Thus when they make such predictions through human agencies, their prognostications fail. God overrules history and prevents the fulfillment of their forecasts.

He is also, according to verse 26, the God of performance. He "confirmeth the word of his servant, and performed the counsel of his messengers." A similar thought is found in God's call to Jeremiah. The Lord assured him: "I watch over my word to perform it." (Jer. 1:11,12). No word from God is without-power. Has He not spoken, and will He not do it?

Jehovah has spoken other things and has fulfilled His promises to the letter. Isaiah called attention to the fact that this omnipotent Jehovah had spoken concerning Jerusalem saying, "She shall be inhabited; and of the cities of Judah, They shall be built, and I will raise up the waste places thereof." These statements refer doubtless to former predictions which the Lord had made relative to Jerusalem and Palestine. Now the Lord in these verses (44:26-28) made a very definite prediction concerning the one whom He would use in restoring the Jews to their land and in giving them permission to build the city and temple. This prediction is such a very important one that I must quote it: "Thus saith Jehovah ... that stretcheth forth the heavens ... that frustrateth the signs of the liars ... that confirmeth the word of his servant ... that saith to the deep ... that saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built; and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid" (44:24-28).

According to this forecast God declared through Isaiah that He would use Cyrus to do two things: he would issue a decree saying concerning Jerusalem, "She shall be built; and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid." Thus God declared that Cyrus would order the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the building of the Temple. About this statement there cannot be any controversy among those who really and truly believe that the Bible is the very Word of God, which is infallibly inspired. Thus, according to this prediction, Cyrus would not only issue the decree for the building of the Temple, but also for the rebuilding of Jerusalem. If words mean anything at all, this passage can mean nothing less than this.

Did Cyrus in fulfillment of this promise, issue a proclamation authorizing the rebuilding of both the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. Some sincere brethren say that he issued a decree only for the re-building of the Temple. As proof of this position they refer to Ezra 1:1-4, which gives the proclamation that was decreed by Cyrus for the rebuilding of the Temple. But nothing is said in this passage about the restoration of Jerusalem. Because of this fact, many sincere brethren say that the decree of Cyrus included only the Temple--and not the city. They take this position because they cannot harmonize the Ussher chronology, which is accepted today universally, with the position that Cyrus issued the decree for both the building of the Temple and the city. The year in the accepted chronology for the issuing of the decree by Cyrus is 536 B.C. In Daniel 9:25 we are told that the beginning of the seventy weeks of years of this prophecy dates from the year of the issuing of the decree for the rebuilding of Jerusalem. According to Daniel, there would be 483 years from the issuance of the decree to rebuild the city to the cutting off of King Messiah. Cyrus issued the decree for the rebuilding of the Temple, according to the received chronology, in the year 536 B.C. Christ was crucified in the year 30 A.D. Then from the issuing of the decree to the crucifixion there were 565 years (one year is deducted in passing over from the B.C. dates to the A.D. dates.) But Daniel said that there would be 483 years from the issuing of the decree to rebuild the city to the crucifixion of the Messiah. There is an excess of 82 years in the received chronology. It is therefore concluded by these earnest, sincere scholars, that Cyrus did not do what God through Isaiah foretold that he would do, namely, to issue the decree for the rebuilding of the city.

When all the facts of the Book of Ezra are studied, one is driven to the conclusion that Cyrus did issue the decree for the building of both the Temple and the city. (For full proof of this position, see either of my volumes, The 70 Weeks of Daniel, or, Messiah: His first Coming Scheduled.)

When one makes an investigation of the chronology of the Old Testament and compares it with the received chronology, which we have accepted from Ptolemy, a heathen astronomer, one will see that Ptolemy guessed at the facts and gave us the wrong chronology. It is impossible to fit the scriptural facts into the false chronology which we inherited from a heathen chronologer. The B.C. dates are incorrect. Since God said that Cyrus would issue both decrees, we are confident that he did.


The First Restoration of Israel Under Cyrus

There were to be but two restorations of Israel to her own land. The second one is the final regathering at the close of this age and the beginning of the Millennium (Isa., chap. 11). According to Isaiah 45:1-13, Cyrus was the chosen of God to act as the agent in Israel's first restoration to her own land.

Concerning this ruler we see from Isaiah 45:1 that God calls him his "anointed." Prophets, priests, and kings in Israel were anointed. Saul, David, and Solomon were called the Lord's anointed or messiah, each being the messiah in his day. Since Cyrus, the heathen king who did not know God, was to be the agent whom God would use to send His people back to their own land, the Lord called him His messiah. Thus, in an accommodated sense, Cyrus was God's messiah.

In order that he might accomplish the work which He had outlined for him, God said that He would hold Cyrus' hand to subdue nations before him. God does overrule in the affairs of men and gives the kingdom, the authority, the power, and the might to whomever He chooses. No king is delivered by a multitude of hosts. A horse is a vain thing for safety. The eye of the Lord is upon the righteous and His ears are open unto their prayer (Psalm 33). Notwithstanding these fundamental principles of God's government of the nations of the world, there are those who say that God is on the side of the largest gun. Such statements are but expressions of human wisdom. God does confound the mighty and the strong and does lift up the humble and weak. When the Lord wants to destroy a powerful nation, He takes away the wisdom of its leaders (Isa. 19:11-15). He erects barriers and difficulties before nations. At the same time He clears the way for the nations whom He can use in forwarding His plans and purposes of the ages. Such is the teaching of Isaiah 45:1-3.

But why, one may ask, did God open the way for Cyrus to world conquest? The answer to that question is found in, the following verses: "For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. 5 I am Jehovah, and there is none else; besides me there is no God. I will gird thee, thou hast not known me; 6 that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none besides me: I am Jehovah, and there is none else." (Isa. 45:4-6).

From verse 4 we see that God gave success to the arms of Cyrus purely and solely for the sake of the Jewish nation. His servant-- "For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called thee ..." Israel is indeed the hub of the nations. All history revolves around that people. The nation that blesses Israel will be blessed; those that curse her will be cursed. Germany is today where she is and will be for years to come because of her mistreatment of the Jewish people.

In verse 5 the Lord declares that He is Jehovah, the Self-Existing One, and that there is none besides Him. In our exposition of this book we have seen on several occasions that the word Jehovah has four connotations. Sometimes it refers to God the Father; at other times, to God the Son; and in other places, to God the Holy Spirit. In still other connections the facts of the context indicate that it indicates the Holy Trinity, the Three-in-One. It is not always possible for us to be dogmatic and say that it has any certain one of these connotations in a given place. In this verse, however, it seems that it signifies the Holy Trinity; and yet it is possible that it refers to the second person of the Trinity.

The Lord declared, "I will gird thee, though thou hast not known me ..." God uses men, means, and nations in the forwarding of His plans and purposes. At the same time they may be unconscious of being instruments in His hands. The reason that He girded Cyrus, though he was a heathen and did not know the Almighty, was that He might bring a blessing into the life of Israel, with the ultimate purpose that they "may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none besides me: I am Jehovah, and there is none else." Thus the Lord used Cyrus in bringing a blessing into the life of the Jewish nation. But this was not the ultimate goal. God, in bringing a blessing to Israel, intends that she shall pass it on to all nations in order that all may come to a true knowledge of the one Jehovah. This result has never been accomplished, but God did use Cyrus in restoring Israel after the Babylonian captivity. This return was a step in the unfolding of His plans. History would have been entirely different from what it has been if God had not used Cyrus and had not restored Israel as He did. Eventually, when we shall know fully even as we are fully known, we shall see that God used Cyrus in the restoration of Israel to her own land after the Babylonian captivity in the carrying out of His plan of the ages.

God furthermore, in verse 7, declared that He forms the light and creates darkness, that He makes peace and creates evil. He forms the light and causes it to withdraw, which action produces that condition called darkness. He makes peace. He also creates evil--evil in the sense of calamity or punishment. In other words, in this verse the Lord declares that He does all of these things, and that it is He who is overruling and controlling all things. At the same time He allows man to exercise his own freedom.

In verse 8 of our passage the prophet, seeing the future by inspiration, was led to exclaim, "Distil, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, that it may bring forth salvation, and let it cause righteousness to spring up together; I, Jehovah, have created it." Here the restoration of Israel from Babylonian servitude furnished a kind of foretaste to the prophet of the great and final restoration of Israel in the future. He thought of the blessings that come to Israel and the world in terms of the showers and rains which produce fruitful seasons. He therefore called upon the skies to pour down righteousness. Moreover, he wanted the earth to open and receive the blessings sent from heaven. God's using Cyrus and various providential occurrences were to the prophet in this figure the showers from heaven; the fruit of these showers being that of salvation and righteousness with all their attendant blessings.

Seeing the unfolding of God's plan through the ages, especially as it pertains to the nation of Israel, the prophet in verses 9 and 10 threw out a warning against any and everyone who might speak against God and strive with his Maker. Anyone who finds fault with God's plan is by the prophet compared to a potsherd among the potsherds of the earth. It is not for the clay to speak to the potter who fashions it. God is shaping history. He is marching majestically through the centuries and is carrying forward His banner as He overrules the movements of the nations. It is not therefore for man to find fault with anything that the Lord does.

In verses 11-13 we find further confirmation of the position stated above regarding Cyrus and his being used of God to issue the decree for the restoration of the people and the building of the city of Jerusalem, as well as the decree that the Temple should be rebuilt. That the reader might see the force of this statement, I quote these verses.

Thus saith Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: Ask me of the things that are to come; concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands, command ye me. 12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens; and all their host have I commanded. 13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward, saith Jehovah of hosts. (Isa. 45:11-15).

In verse 11 the prophet challenged his audience, speaking for God, in inquiring regarding things to come. What things especially? Those that pertained to His "sons," the children of Israel. Then in verse 12 the Lord called attention to the fact that He is the one who has created the earth, in fact, the entire universe. Not only has He done this, but He declared, "I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways; he shall build my city [Jerusalem], and he shall let my exiles go free [the Jews in Babylonian exile go free], not for price nor reward, saith Jehovah of hosts." In this verse God makes the positive, unequivocal statement that it was He who raised up Cyrus. This He did in righteousness. What He did in connection with Cyrus and through him was all in accordance with the high, divine standards of righteousness. Moreover, He declared that He would make the paths straight for Cyrus, who would build the city of Jerusalem and who would allow the exiles to go free--without money or without price. In view of this plain utterance it is impossible for me to see how anyone who believes the Scriptures to be the Word of God can reach any conclusion other than that Cyrus issued the decrees for both the building of the Temple in Jerusalem and also the restoration of the city. I am thoroughly convinced that Cyrus did issue this decree involving the restoring of the Temple and the city. I am of the profound conviction, moreover, that the seventy weeks of Daniel began with the year that Cyrus issued this decree, that the Messiah was cut off exactly 483 years after that time--according to the prophecy of Daniel, chapter 9. It is very important that all Bible students who believe the Word should have a clear conception of this teaching. It is time for us to awake, to throw off the heathenism in our chronology, and to accept the biblical dating.

The Second Restoration of Israel

In Isaiah, chapter 45, we see an application of the biblical principle known as the "law of double reference." The principle involved in this law may be stated thus: The prophet pictured before his audience something in the near future and blended that description with another one of a similar character in the more distant future. As we have just seen, in the first thirteen verses, the prophet was speaking of the restoration of the Jews from Babylonian captivity under Cyrus the Persian. From that event he was carried forward by the Spirit of God and saw the final regathering of Israel to her own land and into fellowship with her God. This is set forth in verses 14-17.

14 Thus saith Jehovah, The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall go after thee; in chains they shall come over; and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God. 15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour. 16 They shall be put to shame, yea, confounded, all of them; they shall go into confusion together that are makers of idols. 17 But Israel shall be saved by Jehovah with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be put to shame nor confounded world without end (Isa. 45:14-17).

Throughout the centuries Israel has been the tail of the nations, whereas in the great Kingdom Era she will be the head (Deut. 28:15). This same teaching is set forth in the following passage:

"He subdueth peoples under us, And nations under our feet" (Ps. 47:3).

According to our present passage God will give in exchange for Israel other nations, who will become the servants of His Chosen People in the future. This is in perfect keeping with the promise that the Lord made through Isaiah to the effect that the Jewish people will become the priests and ministers of God, whereas certain of the Gentile nations will become their servants (Isa. 61:5,6).

In the midst of this passage which speaks of the future restoration and glory of Israel, the prophet declared, "Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour." For the blessing and good of humanity the Lord has hidden Himself, as it were, behind the material universe. Nevertheless, that which may be known of God is manifest to all nations: "For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse" (Rom. 1:20). All who have not forgotten to return thanks to God, but who are longing for more light can see His everlasting power and divinity and can thus acknowledge Him who is, in a particular sense, "the God of Israel, the Saviour." Although God has seemingly retired behind the material universe, He nevertheless is in the forefront of affairs and is directing the course of history. He will therefore eventually eliminate all idolatry from the face of the globe. Those who persist in such pagan practices will of course be banished from the earth and sent to their eternal place of distress and banishment from the presence of God and the glory of His might.

In contrast with the wicked, pagan nations Israel will be saved with an everlasting salvation, for the Lord declared, "But Israel shall be saved by Jehovah with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be put to shame nor confounded world without end." All nations shall perish as nations. All human philosophies, national ideologies, cultures, and civilizations shall pass away. In fact, those characteristics that distinguish the various nationalities will be abolished. Not so with Israel. Though she shall pass through the fiery furnace of the great Tribulation, she loses neither her nationality nor identity; for the Lord declared through Jeremiah: "For I am with thee, saith Jehovah, to save thee: for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have scattered thee, but I will not make a full end of thee; but I will correct thee in measure, and will in no wise leave thee unpunished" (Jer. 30:11).

The Lord's restoring Israel and saving her with an everlasting salvation is in line with His eternal plan and purpose, which He had when He created the universe. This thought is expressed as explanation of the promise found in verse 18: "For thus saith Jehovah that created the heavens, the God that formed the earth and made it, that established it and created it not a waste, that formed it to be inhabited: I am Jehovah; and there is none else." According to this verse when the Lord created the heavens and the earth, they were not in the condition in which they are now. "The Rock, his work is perfect ..." (Deut. 32:4). When God created the earth it was perfect. Later some calamity overtook it and reduced it to the chaotic condition described in Genesis 1:2. That this position is correct may be seen from the fact that God said specifically that He did not create the world "a waste." He formed it that it might be inhabited. Nevertheless Genesis, chapter 1, tells us that it was a waste or became a waste. If it was created perfect and if it was a waste, evidently there was a calamity which overthrew the primitive condition and reduced it to that state of desolation and waste.

When the Lord created the universe and related each of the planets and constellations, balancing them by the power of gravitation, he had a definite specific plan in view with reference to this earth--that it shall be inhabited. It is still His purpose, according to Isaiah's statement, that it shall be inhabited, in the fullest sense of the term.

When God created Adam, He told him to be fruitful and to multiply and fill the earth. He gave the same instructions to Noah. Man has disobeyed this command. Birth control at the present date is defiance flung into the face of the Almighty. God will eventually deal with the world for breaking the everlasting covenant which is described in Genesis 9:1-16. Because man has violated this everlasting covenant, the Lord will bring the great Tribulation upon the earth. (See Isaiah 24:5 and its connections.)

When Israel is brought back into fellowship with God, the earth will be populated and there will be plenty of room for everyone. The earth at that time will give its increase. Ideal conditions will prevail.

Concerning this future the Lord declares that He has not spoken in secret. He has given His message of love in plain terms, saying to Israel that she should seek Him. When she seeks Him, it will not be in vain. He speaks righteousness and declares correct things.


Invitation to the Lost

In verses 20-25 the prophet gave the universal invitation to those who survive the Tribulation to assemble themselves and consider the real status of things. Idolatry is nothing. Images shall pass away. God from the beginning has declared the course of history and conditions and things shall develop exactly as He has foretold.

Since fulfillment has proved the inerrancy and correctness of the message of God, He calls to those surviving the Tribulation saying, "Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else." Here is a universal call for all to look in faith to Him and accept Him in order that they might live. The Lord foretold that Israel--the remnant-- "shall look unto me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son ..." (Zech. 12:10). The same idiom appears in both of these passages. The looking referred to in them is looking in faith to God for salvation. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ. There is no other way than this. Thus the necessity for the proclamation of the truth.

God has sworn by Himself, according to Isaiah 45:23, "... that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." In view of this time of universal recognition of God and homage to Him, the prophet for the Lord plead (in verse 22) for all to accept God's salvation.

There is salvation and righteousness only in Jehovah. He also has strength, for those who accept Him. From the New Testament we learn of the righteousness which He has provided for all who wish to accept. The most concise and fullest statement of this righteousness apart from the law is set forth in Romans 3:21-31. An examination of our passage in Isaiah and a comparison of it with Paul's statement in Romans reveals the fact that both the prophet and the Apostle were speaking of imputed righteousness which is given to all who believe.

"In Jehovah shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory" (vs. 25). Men cannot be justified by their good works or anything that they accomplish, have, or do. Only in Jehovah--Jehovah our righteousness, the Lord Jesus Christ--can the seed of Israel be justified. Because of this fact, the truth of the gospel must be proclaimed, by those who have it and who know God's plan, to Israel now. May the Lord God stir our hearts and open our eyes to see His truth and may He give us moral and spiritual strength, power, and courage to put into practice now what we learn from His Word. The blessings of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob rest upon all who know and who love Him.



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