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Dr. D.L. Cooper Commentary On Isaiah
Biblical Research Monthly-July and August, 1946
ISAIAH'S VIEWING THE FUTURE
Chapter 65
THERE ARE chapters in the Scriptures which are fundamental for an understanding of the unfolding of the ages. Isaiah, chapter 65, is one of these. In this passage the prophet was carried forward by the Spirit of God (II Peter 1:21) and was given a clear picture of the present Christian Dispensation, of the Tribulation--a period of seven years, during which God will pour out His judgments upon the world--and of the great Kingdom Age, which will be ushered in by the return of our Lord to take the reins of government into His own strong hands and to reign upon the earth for a thousand years.
I. THE CHRISTIAN DISPENSATION 65 "I am inquired of by them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. 2 I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, that walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts; 3 a people that provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens, and burning incense upon bricks; 4 that sit among the graves, and lodge in the secret places; that eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; 5 that say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. 6 Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, yea, I will recompense into their bosom, 7 your own iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith Jehovah, that have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I first measure their work into their bosom" (Isa. 65:1-7).
A. The Church In verse 1 of this passage the church of Jesus Christ is seen and foretold. Here the prophet, speaking for God, declares that He is inquired of by them who had not previously sought after Him, and that He is found by them that had not inquired for Him. Moreover, the prophet, still speaking for Jehovah, declared, "I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name." The prophet sees people other than Jews inquiring for and seeking after God. The Lord is represented here as turning to them and letting them know that He is present, and that they can come to Him and accept Him. These thus coming to Him are a nation upon which God's name had not been called. Israel was the nation upon whom God's name had been called. Hence the Lord constantly spoke of Himself as "the God of Israel," and of Israel as His chosen people. But in this vision the prophet sees those from other nations coming to the Lord and being received by Him.
Who are they? There is but one answer: the believers from all nations who now accept the Lord and who constitute "an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession ..." (I Pet. 2:9). That I am correct in thus interpreting this passage is evident from the fact that the Apostle Paul quoted it in Romans 10:20 and applied it to the believers of the present age. Moses likewise saw the believers of this age and spoke of them in Deuteronomy 32:21, which passage is likewise quoted by Paul in Romans 10:19 and applied to the church. From these facts it is clear that the prophets of the Old Testament did see the Christian Dispensation and the church of Jesus Christ. This fact is further confirmed by an examination of I Peter 1:11,12. In this passage the Apostle declared that the prophets who spoke of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow did speak of the grace that is brought unto us by the Lord Jesus and that is announced by those who proclaim the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter declared in Acts 3:24, in his speaking of the Christian Dispensation and the gospel message, that the prophets spoke of these days. But Ephesians 3:1-6 has been interpreted as meaning that the church was not revealed to the Old Testament prophets. But a careful reading of verses 5 and 6, for instance, shows that, instead of Paul's stating that it was not known, he actually said that it had been made known by the prophets. Concerning this mystery of Christ he declared that it "... was not made known unto the sons of men as it hath now been revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit" (Eph. 3:5). Paul stated that this mystery had been made known to the prophets but not with the same clarity and fullness of details as it has now been revealed to the prophets and Apostles of the New Testament Era. All the facts, therefore, show that the Christian Dispensation and the church were made known in Old Testament times.
B. Israel In Her Rejection In Isaiah 65:2-7 we have a picture of Israel during the present dispensation as she is out of favor with God. In verse 2-5 the prophet has given us the reason why God turned from His ancient people and is giving a special invitation to those of other nations who will come and partake of His blessings. Unfortunately the Jewish people developed a spirit of self-righteousness and superiority, thinking themselves better than the nations. At the same time Israel developed many practices, as we see in these verses, contrary to the will of God. Of course, while she is in this condition, she cannot be acceptable to God.
In verses 6-7 the prophet reminded Israel that God will not always keep silent, but will recompense into her bosom her iniquities and those of the fathers. He has punished His chosen people at various times. They have suffered as no other nation has. Their troubles are not over. In fact their real distress has never broken forth against them, as it will in the Tribulation. Throughout the Prophets appear many pictures of the Tribulation and its devastating judgments. For instance, in Isaiah 2:12-4:1 is a very vivid portrayal of the terrors of that day. Again, these are seen in Isaiah 24:1-20.
II. THE TRIBULATION
"8 Thus saith Jehovah, as the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants sake, that I may not destroy them all. 9 And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains; and my chosen shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. 10 And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me. 11 But ye that forsake Jehovah, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for Fortune, and that fill up mingled wine unto Destiny; 12 I will destine you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but ye did that which was evil in mine eyes, and chose that wherein I delighted not.
13 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be put to shame; 14 behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall wail for vexation of spirit. 15 And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen; and the Lord Jehovah will slay thee; and he will call his servants by another name: 16 so that he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes" (Isa. 65:8-16).
Though Israel has been rejected by the Lord during the present dispensation, her being cast off is not complete; neither is it permanent. His eye still watches over His people; and, though they have suffered untold persecution, He has prevented their being destroyed. Israel will survive the destruction of all the nations (Jer. 30:11). In Isaiah 65:8,9 God sets forth His protection of the nation as such. In Palestine the grapevines are not trained to grow upon any kind of lattice-work or wires, but lie flat on the ground. Thus the vines themselves, as they lie on the ground after the annual growth has been pruned away, look like rods four or five feet long lying in rows. In the spring these vines are lifted and rocks are placed under them to hold them off the ground. But the new year's growth comes out and spreads in both directions. At the time of the full foliage and of the harvest the vines almost meet in the middle between the rows. The prophet was familiar with such scenes. He pictured two men walking along between the rows of vines. One is represented as about to put his foot upon a cluster, or bunch, of grapes. The other quickly shouts for him not to destroy the entire bunch, though some of the grapes are bad; because a blessing is in it. He thus used this illustration to indicate God's preservation of the nation when she is dispersed among the Gentiles. For the sake of the good ones, the Lord has preserved the nation and has not allowed any hostile power to destroy His people. The reason for His thus protecting them is that "I [Jehovah] will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains ..." (vs. 9). There has always been a remnant of the nation that has thirsted after God and desired to do His will. There is a remnant according to the election of grace at the present time. These of course learn the truth, accept it, and receive Jesus Christ as Lord, Saviour, and Messiah. By so doing they become members of His body and will be translated, if they are still alive, at the time of the rapture. At the same time there is a portion of the nation that will enter the Tribulation and that will constitute the faithful remnant. They will not have at that time seen the full light of the truth. But their hearts will be yearning for God. During the Tribulation the truth will be given them and at the end of that time of sorrowing all constituting this remnant will see the truth, and accept Him. Then He will come, delivering them from all their sorrows. That portion, then, constitutes those who will inherit His mountain.
In verse 10 the Lord spoke of this same faithful remnant that will have flocks of sheep in the plains of Sharon and in the valley of Achor. While the prophet mentioned these two places, it is not to be assumed that these are the only localities where they will live. The Lord gave all the land extending from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates to Abraham and his seed forever. When this promise is made good, the curse will be lifted, the desert will blossom as the rose, and Israel will live in her own land.
In verses 11 and 12 the prophet threw out a warning against all of those in Israel who turn aside from the truth and who worship idols. The gods, Fortune and Destiny, are mentioned, and those worshiping them are warned of the fate awaiting them. There is a play on words in the following clause, "... that fill up mingled wine unto Destiny; I will destine you to the sword." Those who depart from Jehovah will thus be destined to the judgments of war and pestilences which will come upon the earth at that time.
That idolatry will spread like a prairie fire over the earth is seen from various statements of the prophets. The Apostle John (Rev. 9:20,21) likewise foretold that all races will revert to idolatry. Isaiah the prophet saw the Jews thus engaging in idolatry at the time of the Tribulation and warned them against the impending judgments. The reason that the stroke of judgment will be so very severe is stated in the latter part of verse 12: "... because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but ye did that which was evil in mine eyes, and chose that wherein I delighted not." These words are a reference to the evangelization program of Israel. God saves people by faith. Faith comes by hearing. Hearing must be the result of the proclamation of the truth. God thus calls people by the preaching of the gospel. Here the prophet looks forward to the time of the Tribulation and sees that Israel will have been evangelized completely in the Tribulation. The apostate portion of the nation will not heed the message. On the contrary, they will choose their own ways and the judgment of God will have to fall upon them. It is for us who have the truth to give it to Israel now so that, after the church is raptured, those honest hearts in which we sow the word now may yield to the truth, accept the Lord Jesus Christ, and go forth in the power of the Spirit of God, proclaiming the glad message to their brethren according to the flesh, as well as to the Gentile world. (See Rev. 7:7.)
In verses 13 and 14 the situation, both of God's faithful servants in Israel and of the apostate portion of the nation, is set forth. The judgments of Almighty God will fall thick and fast upon the apostates. But those of the faithful remnant who are seeking after God will be protected, and their needs will be provided for miraculously. This fact is set forth in Isaiah 33:13-16. The protection of the faithful remnant is likewise set forth in Revelation 12:1-17. The woman in this instance is a symbol of the faithful remnant which flees to the place that God has prepared for her, and which is protected at that time.
At the conclusion of the Tribulation, after the wicked in Israel have been slain, a new order will be introduced. This fact is set forth in verses 15 and 16. The apostates who die under the powerful judgments of the Tribulation will leave their names for a memory to those who survive as the ones upon whom the curse of God fell. The new order mentioned in these verses involve the introduction of a new political set-up, the inauguration of a new spiritual regime, and the institution of a new ethical and moral world. These facts are only hinted at in this chapter, but may be seen from parallel and related passages.
Every vestige of the present order and all things connected with it will be hidden or covered. This is seen in the last clauses of verse 16. During the Tribulation, as we learn from many passages, not only the heavenly bodies will be wrecked; but this earth likewise will become a desolation and a waste, the result of the terrific judgments of the Tribulation. But when the new order is introduced, all the wreckage and everything connected with the present age will be covered up and hidden. There will therefore be nothing to remind anyone of the present time, during which sin and Satan reign all but universally.
III. THE MILLENNIAL AGE
"17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create; for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people; and there shall be heard in her no more the voice of weeping and the voice of crying. 20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days; for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree shall be the days of my people, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for calamity; for they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them. 24 And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith Jehovah" (Isa. 65:17-25).
The reason that the wreckage will be covered and hidden, as we have just seen, is given to us in verse 17 in the following words: "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." This sentence, introduced by the conjunction "for," is an explanation of why the wreckage will be hidden. At the beginning of the Millennial Age, our Lord, the creator of all things, will create the heavens anew. A careful study of Isaiah, chapter 34, and II Peter, chapter 3, shows us that at the end of the Tribulation the heavenly bodies are dissolved and pass away with fervent heat. Though the earth is burned by the terrific heat coming from the great heavenly conflagrations and from the explosions that will be occasioned upon earth, yet the earth is not destroyed in the sense of being annihilated; but it is greatly damaged. Life upon earth could not continue very long under the conditions which will result from the Tribulation. In order that there may be a glorious reign of righteousness, the Lord will have to create new heavenly bodies to take the place of those that are dissolved. He likewise will create new materials upon earth which will cover up the wreckage, and which will make possible that wonderful era when the glory of God covers the earth as the waters cover the sea.
In verse 18 the prophet foretold that the Lord will create Jerusalem a rejoicing and her people, the Jewish nation, a joy. What Jerusalem is this? The answer is found in verse 19, which tells us that in this Jerusalem which is created anew there will never again be heard the voice of weeping and the voice of crying. Obviously, then, this Jerusalem which will be created anew is the one in which there has been weeping and crying. But after it is created anew, there will nevermore be any sorrow or sadness. Instantly we know then that this Jerusalem is the Jerusalem in the land of Palestine, which has undergone so very many terrific sieges during its long, checkered history.
When the Lord has thus created the heavens above anew and the earth anew and Jerusalem a joy in the whole earth, the curse will be lifted. There will nevermore, according to verse 20, be babies dying in infancy. There will of course be no disease, no sickness. All children will be allowed to live to be one hundred years of age. During this time they must accept the grace of God and the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ which was purchased on Calvary nineteen hundred years ago. Those who do not accept Christ before their one hundredth birthday will, when that day is reached, fall under the curse and will be blotted out of the land of the living--"and the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed." From verse 21 we see that men will build houses and live in them; that they will plant vineyards and orchards and eat the fruit of them. The earth at that time will yield its full strength and increase.
There will be no depression, no bank failures, or anything of that nature. The man who builds a house will have the opportunity of living in it. The one who plants an orchard or grove will live to enjoy the fruit of his labors. Longevity will be restored to the human family, "... for as the days of a tree shall be the days of my people, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands."
There will be no earthquakes, no calamities, no wars, or anything of that nature to destroy the crops and the property of the people who live upon the earth. This is seen from verse 23. At that time the Lord will anticipate the prayers and the petitions of His people and will have the answer on the way before they utter their requests. Thus all of their needs will be anticipated and will be provided for by the Lord. That is not the order of today; for, according to Luke 18:1f, the disciples of the Lord Jesus are to pray always and not to faint. If we are confident that a certain thing is within the will of God, we are to continue to bring that matter before the Lord until He answers it.
The prophecy finally concludes with the account of the lifting of the curse from the animal creation. The wolf and the lamb at that time will feed together and the lion will have his nature changed, for at that time he will eat straw like the ox. But the serpent will still go upon its belly. It seems from the Genesis account that he walked upright; but, since he was the one whom Satan used as a cat's-paw, he has been going upon his belly and will continue to do so even during that glorious era of our Lord's thousand-year reign.
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