Biblical Research Studies Group-The Message of the Prophet Isaiah-Israel In Gods Future Plan

Dr. D.L. Cooper Commentary On Isaiah Biblical Research Monthly-May, 1946 ISRAEL IN GOD'S FUTURE PLAN Chapters 62:1--63:6

THE PASSAGE, 62:1-63:6, constitutes a literary unit in the Book of Isaiah. This sermon falls naturally into four divisions: 1. God's intense Interest in Israel (verses 1-5); 2. Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem (verses 6-9); 3. Jewish Evangelization Commanded, (verses 10-12); and 4. Messiah's Return to Deliver Israel (63:1-6).

God's Special Interest in Israel

"For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness go forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burneth. And the nations shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory; and thou shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of Jehovah shall name. Thou shall also be a crown of beauty in the hand of Jehovah, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate; but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah; for Jehovah delighted in thee, and thy land shall be married. For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee; and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee" (Isa. 62:1-5).

According to verse 1 God declares that He will not hold His peace; neither will He take any rest until Zion's righteousness goes forth as brightness and her salvation as a lamp that burns. Since the prophet is representing God and speaks of Jerusalem's righteousness and salvation, it is clear that Jerusalem here, not only refers to the literal city in Palestine, but especially to the people who acknowledge that Jerusalem is their mother city.

God is especially interested in the city of Jerusalem and in her people. He therefore cannot cease thinking of and talking about this people. Beginning with Genesis 12 and running through the entire Old Testament, God is constantly speaking of Israel. He mentions other nations only as they come in touch with the Chosen People. In the four records of the Gospel we see Israel playing and important role. In Acts of the Apostles likewise we observe them, although in this latter book the church is occupying the central position on the historic stage. In the Jewish section of Romans, chapters 9-11, the Apostle shows that God has at the present time laid Israel aside because of her unbelief, and that, eventually by her returning to faith, she will return to Him and become the channel of world blessing. Occasional references to the Jews are found in the Epistles. In the seventh chapter of the Book of Revelation, we see 144,000 Jewish evangelists who are the ones conducting the world-wide revival, which occurs in the Tribulation. Thus God continually talks about Israel because He is especially interested in her.

The Lord is interested in the salvation of each individual. The call is, "Whosoever will, may come." Yet in the verse which we have under consideration, God says He can never take any rest until the sons and daughters of Jerusalem are all clothed with His righteousness and are the happy recipients of His salvation. Thus this is the national aspect of Israel's salvation, which is under consideration in this passage.

The Lord nowhere speaks of His being concerned in the salvation of any other nation as He does regarding Israel. Is He longing especially for the salvation of the Hebrew race, showing partiality? No one can accuse God of such feeling; for the Lord, through Peter, declared that He is no respecter of persons. Everyone in all the nations who fears God and works righteousness is acceptable to Him (Acts 10:35). While this is true, God is more interested in the salvation of the Jewish race as a people than He is in any other nation. To show this, I wish to use this little illustration: Every reader knows something about the game of tenpins. In this game there are ten pins placed in certain positions on the floor. They form the shape of a "V" with the apex of the triangle facing the player, whereas the base is on the opposite side. The game is to strike the kingpin, placed at the apex of the triangle. If it is hit squarely, in falling it will strike the two in front; and they in falling knock the three in front of them. Then those three in falling knock over the four in the back row. Thus with one stroke it is possible to knock down all of the pins. The one who does that is of course the winner. God, as we see in the Scriptures, has placed Israel in the position of the kingpin. As we learn in Genesis 12:3, He plans to bless all nations in and through Abraham's seed. If it could be possible to convert genuinely every Chinaman in the world, this fact would not mean the conversion of the world. The same thing is true with reference to the people of India or of any other race. But when the Hebrew people are converted and all accept the Lord Jesus Christ nationally as their Messiah and Redeemer, saved Israel will lead all nations to a knowledge of Jesus Christ. The blessing therefore of the world is contingent upon the conversion of the Jewish race. Because of this fact God is especially interested in the salvation of Israel.

That she will be converted and be clothed with the righteousness of God is set forth in verse 2 of the quotation above. All nations will see Israel thus clothed in the righteousness of God and called by a new name which He alone will give.

At that time Israel, genuinely saved, will be like a crown of beauty or a royal diadem in the hand of her God. A crown or a diadem is a symbol of authority and power. Thus Israel converted will be the symbol of God's authority over all nations.

Jerusalem has lain in ruins at various times in the past. She has been termed "Forsaken." Moreover the land of Israel has been spoken of as being "Desolate." But the time which loomed before the prophet's mind in this passage is an era when Jerusalem will be called "Hephzi-bah" and the land of Palestine will be termed "Beulah." The former of these two Hebrew words, which have been transliterated, means my delight is in her. The latter one signifies married. When Israel thus accepts her Lord and is brought into fellowship with Him, there will be an intense desire for the land of the fathers in the heart of every Hebrew. This thought is expressed in the following words: "For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee; and as a bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee." From the message of these first five verses we see that God is especially interested in Jerusalem and her sons.

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

"I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night: ye that are Jehovah's remembrancers, take ye no rest, and give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. Jehovah hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength. Surely I will no more give thy grain to be food for thine enemies; and foreigners shall not drink thy new wine, for which thou hast labored: but they that have garnered it shall eat it, and praise Jehovah; and they that have gathered it shall drink it in the courts of my sanctuary" (Isa. 62:6-9).

According to verse 6 above God has placed watchmen upon the walls of Jerusalem, that are praying night and day for her peace and glorification. Angels in the Book of Daniel are called watchers or watchmen. Men likewise are thus designated. Since God has put watchmen upon the walls of Jerusalem, who do not hold their peace day nor night because of their praying for her, and since there are no men who are on those walls thus praying, one comes to the conclusion that these watchmen are none other than angels who, knowing the purposes of God concerning the Holy City for the future, are bringing those plans before the Almighty in earnest, sincere intercession.

Since God is interested in the future of Jerusalem and the Jewish people, and since the angels are likewise interested in them, the prophet called upon those whom he terms "Jehovah's remembrancers," those who really remind God of His promises, to pray constantly for the peace of Jerusalem. Thus, he used the very strongest language possible: "Take ye [people who know God and who know how to pray] no rest and give him no rest, until he establish, and until he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth" (Isa. 62:6,7).

In these verses Isaiah was addressing all people who know God in a personal manner and who believe in prevailing intercession, urging them to pray constantly for the conversion of Israel and for the establishment of Jerusalem as the praise of the whole earth.

We may not understand the philosophy of prayer. We may realize that God knows that we have need of certain things before we speak to Him of them. Nevertheless He urges us to pray for the very things which He constantly gives us. The Lord will make Jerusalem the praise in the earth sometime in the future, but He invites us to co-operate with Him in believing, earnest prayer in order to hasten the time when He will be justified, in view of all of the facts, in making the Holy City the praise in the earth. It is therefore a great privilege conferred upon mortals that the Lord has urged us to remind Him of His promises concerning Jerusalem and the Jewish people.

In verses 8 and 9 the Lord shows why He urges praying people to remind Him of His plan to make Jerusalem the praise of the whole earth. When we read these verses, we see that the Lord has taken an oath that the time will come when Israel will produce her own crops without any fear that foreigners or enemies will come and devour the same. On the contrary, those who produce the crops will enjoy them. They will partake of the fatness of the land and realize that all blessings flow from the hand of God to them. They therefore will praise the Lord and magnify His name; Thus along with petitions are to go praise and thanksgiving.

Jewish Evangelization Commanded

"Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up an ensign for the peoples. Behold, Jehovah hath proclaimed unto the end of the earth. Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. And they shall call them The holy people; The redeemed of Jehovah: and thou shalt be called Sought out, A city not forsaken" (Isa. 62:10-12).

In verse 10 we see the exhortation, "Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up an ensign for the peoples." How are we to understand this verse? Is it to be taken literally, or figuratively? When we look at the verses, as we have just done, preceding this one, we see that the prophet was speaking of a spiritual ministry of prayer concerning the fulfillment of His plans and purposes regarding Israel. Then, when we look at verses 11 and 12, we likewise note that a preaching ministry to Israel is enjoined by the prophet. In view of these facts one would think that verse 10 deals with some phase of a spiritual ministry. Is the prophet urging the construction of a literal highway up to Zion over which the people of Israel may journey? In ancient times when one monarch made the announcement that he intended to visit the sovereign of another country, the host king would prepare a special road over which his royal guest might travel--if there was none already made; that is, he would construct a highway beginning at his border and running to his capital in order that his guest might come in royal estate to visit him. Such a thing as this was done in 1898 when the ex-Kaiser of Germany made the announcement that he wished to visit Jerusalem. The Turkish authorities sent forth men from Jerusalem to construct a highway from Jaffa to Jerusalem. They also took out a large section of the ancient city wall at the Jaffa gate in order that the Kaiser might ride into the Holy City in royal estate. Was the prophet talking about something like this? It is hardly likely that he was. But, as noticed above, the verses preceding and following are speaking of a spiritual ministry. We may conclude that this verse likewise is discussing a spiritual ministry that must be performed in order that Israel's long-awaited King might appear in her midst. This interpretation is confirmed by verse 11. Here we see that God has sent a proclamation to the end of the earth--to those who believe in prayer and who believe that His plans and His purposes will be fulfilled to the very letter. Hence, the people of God who remind Him of His plans are urged to take a special message to the Jewish people, to the daughter of Zion. The content of this message is this: "Behold, thy salvation [Zion's] cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him."

The special message that the praying people of the world are to deliver to the Jewish people is that their salvation is coming. This term is a rather broad and comprehensive one. The word appearing here in the original is derived from the one rendered Joshua; but in this context it has the suffix, thy, Jerusalem's Joshua is coming. The meaning of the word, Joshua, is Jehovah's deliverance or salvation. Praying people are therefore to say to the Jewish people that their Joshua is coming to them. This word, in shortened form, when translated from the Hebrew into the Greek and from the Greek into the English, is simply the word Jesus. Jesus then is Jerusalem's salvation. She will never have any deliverance until she calls for Him to return and accepts Him wholeheartedly.

But what coming is here foreseen? This question is answered by the next statement. Those bringing the message to Israel are to focus attention upon the coming of the Lord Jesus when He brings His reward and has His recompense with him. Clearly then it is the message of the second coming which we are to bring to the Jewish people. The Lord takes people as they are and not as they ought to be. When Jesus was talking with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, He approached her in a common practical manner by asking water of her. One word brought on another until He had an excellent opportunity to speak of the salvation which He had for her. Of course He did not lose His opportunity but made it good. He brought her to a saving knowledge of Himself. She was the occasion, on account of her telling her fellow townsmen of Jesus, of bringing many of them to a saving knowledge of the Messiah. The Jew is thinking in terms of deliverance from his present evil plight and a bright glowing future. When Israel is depressed as she is at the present day, we are to come with a message of His glorious return in power and splendor to take the world situation in hand and to deliver His faithful people. In our approaching the Jewish people in this manner, as the Lord has instructed us, we gain their attention, disarm them of prejudice, and have an excellent opportunity of speaking the truth to them concerning the future. When we have done that, the Lord will open up in the conversation an opportunity for us to present the facts concerning His first coming. We do not therefore have to force the issue and press the question concerning one's salvation unduly. We thus have an opportunity of leading up to this most important question of personal salvation. Of course our Lord taught us how to reach the Jew of the present day.

Not only are we to tell them of the glorious return of the Lord Jesus to take the world situation in hand, but we are to inform them that they will yet be called "The holy people, The redeemed of Jehovah; and thou shalt be called Sought out, A city not forsaken" (verse 12). From this quotation we learn that there is a marvelous and a glorious future before the Hebrew people. They are yet to be recognized as the holy people, the people of a holy God. They are to be the redeemed of Jehovah, and Jerusalem shall be called "Sought out, A city not forsaken." There is no wonder then that the Psalmist declared that wonderful things are spoken of thee, "O city of God" (Ps. 87:3).

Messiah's Coming to Deliver Converted Israel

When the complete and full message regarding Israel's Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, is thus presented to the Jewish people in the manner here enjoined and in the spirit of love, God's word will not return unto Him void, but it shall accomplish that whereunto He has sent it; namely, to bring back His people to Himself. When the truth has thus been sown in their hearts, Israel of this future day will acknowledge the national sin--as we see in such passages as Isaiah 53:1-9--and will plead for the Messiah to return. This fact is clearly set forth in Hosea 5:15: "I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly." When Messiah came the first time, both Ephraim and Judah committed the heinous crime against Him of rejecting Him. He has gone away and returned to His own place, where He has been ever since. Never will He return to this earth to deliver His ancient people until they acknowledge their offence and seek His face earnestly. According to this passage they will do this very thing in their tribulation, in the time of Jacob's trouble--the Great Tribulation. When they thus make the confession of their national sin and plead with Him to return, He will do so. This coming is set forth graphically by the prophet in 63:1-6. Isaiah who was in Jerusalem was carried forward to the conclusion of the Great Tribulation; and, as he was viewing the events of the end time, he looked from his place to Edom and saw a stranger coming toward the Holy City from Bozrah in Edom. He recognized instantly that this one was glorious in His apparel and that He was marching in the greatness of His strength. He therefore asked the question, "Who is this one?"

The reply coming from the approaching stranger was this: "I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save." There is but one who speaks in righteousness and who is mighty to save, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. So we can see that this is a vision of His descending from heaven to Edom, where doubtless many Jews will be who flee from the persecution of the anti-Christ. They will be in dire straits at that time and will be praying for their deliverance. He will therefore come to them in their distress.

But the prophet saw Him red in His apparel and His garments like the one who treads in the winepress. He therefore asked this approaching stranger, Israel's Redeemer, why was His raiment thus besprinkled. The answer came back that He had trodden the winepress of the wrath of God alone because there was no one to assist. He came in indignation and in wrath against His inveterate enemies and delivered His people from the clutches of the evil one.

According to verse 4 the day of vengeance was in Messiah's heart and the year of His redeemed had come. He therefore came forth from heaven in power and great glory executing vengeance upon all of the enemies of Israel.

According to verse 5 He looked about to see whether or not there was any one who was present to help Him. On finding no one, He took the world situation into His own hand and by His omnipotency brought salvation to the faithful remnant that was awaiting His appearance. He therefore trod down the people in His anger and made them drunk in His wrath and poured out their lifeblood upon the earth.

Such a passage as this one should be read in the light of such scriptures as the nineteenth chapter of Revelation.

Our Lord when He was here upon earth the first time manifested the gentle qualities of love, peace, kindness, and grace. When He comes in fulfillment of this prediction, He will show forth His lion qualities; for He will destroy all His enemies and will deliver His people who will be blessed by Him forever and ever.

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