(Continued-January 1946)

In these verses the prophet is carried forward to the end of the age, as is evident from the flow of thought. He sees the nations of the earth gathering together against Israel and his beloved city, Jerusalem. This is the same vision as that of Zechariah 14:1ff. In the latter passage, however, the Lord says that He will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle. In the Isaiah prediction, on the other hand, He says that they are not gathering there by Him. There seems to be a flat contradiction. But when all the facts are taken into consideration there is perfect harmony. Each of these statements is made from a different angle. This might be illustrated by such a passage as Isaiah 10:5-7. The Assyrian, Sennacherib, was to go against Jerusalem, according to this passage, of his own free will and accord. He would be prompted by the desire for gain and for exploiting the nation. Though he was free to do as he chose--within certain limits--the Lord was the one who was overruling and was bringing him against His Chosen People in order to punish them for their wrongdoing. Thus from one angle God could say that He was bringing Sennacherib against the Jews; but from another standpoint, He could declare that He was not but that Sennacherib was coming of his own accord. The situation seems to be similar in these two instances.

The prophet furthermore, in verse 15, assured Israel that whoever gathers against her should fall because of her. God has threatened to curse the one who curses Israel. All of those nations throughout the centuries that have persecuted the Jews have gone down in utter defeat eventually and have largely disappeared from human history. Both the Babylonians and Assyrians disappeared practically from the historic scene. Those in modern times who have persecuted the Jews have become second rate powers. Look at Germany today! She is where she is--largely because of her ill-treating Israel. No weapon that is formed against God's Chosen People shall prosper. Moreover, every tongue that rises up against Israel in judgment at the time here foreseen shall not do so with impunity. On the contrary, the judgment of God will fall upon all her enemies.

On the other hand, those who are servants of Jehovah will inherit this great millennial Jerusalem with all of its rights and privileges, and their righteousness shall be of Him. This is a reference to imputed righteousness. Man's righteousness, in the sight of God, is as a filthy garment. But the righteousness of which the Lord here speaks is His own righteousness which He gives to those who come and accept Him by faith. Jeremiah, in speaking of King Messiah, said that He shall be known as "Jehovah our righteousness." This is an Old Testament way of speaking of the righteousness of our blessed Lord in His satisfying all the demands of the holy law and of His sufferings in our stead. When we by faith accept Him and His atonement, His righteousness is imputed to us. The stroke that was due to fall upon us fell upon Him and by His stripes we are healed. May we avail ourselves of this righteousness and walk in His light, thus glorifying Him.

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