Comments on Isaiah-F B Hole

8/9/2019 Comments on Isaiah-F B Hole

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Comments On Isaiah

By F. B. Hole

http://www.biblecentre.org

Isaiah 1: 1-4: 6

Of all the prophets Isaiah is the richest in the number of his references to the Christ who

was to come, and in the variety of the figures under which He is presented to us. It isevident that it divides into three main sections (! Isaiah "#$, chiefly occupied with

pronouncing %udgment upon Israel and the nations, but with repeated references to Christ,

in whom alone is hope of blessing found. &hen ('! Isaiah #"#), an historical section,recording *od+s deliverance, both national and personal, granted to one of the best ings

of -avid+s line recording also how failure mared him. &hen lastly (#! Isaiah 0",

mainly occupied with predictions concerning the coming 1essiah both in His humiliationand in His glory, but presenting it against the dar bacground of the idolatry of Israel in

Isaiah+s day, and their re%ection of Christ at His first advent.

&he brea that appears, as we reach Isaiah 0, is very evident, as also the change in the

main themes. 2o much so that critical and unbelieving theologians have asserted thatthere must have been several writers or compilers of the boo. &hey spea of two or more

Isaiahs. 3hen we turn to 4ew &estament 5uotations from the boo, we find no trace of

any such idea. Here is one fact which strongly negatives it.

In the Old &estament *od is spoen of as, 6&he Holy One of Israel6 only about #7 times.

8ust #0 of these occur in Isaiah, so it is the characteristic title of *od in his boo. &hese#0 are almost e5ually divided between chapters "#), and 0", occurring times in

the first part, and times in the second. &his strongly supports unity rather than pluralityof authorship.

&he first verse shows that Isaiah+s ministry was in the southern ingdom and e9tended

into four reigns. &hree of the ings mentioned did mainly what was right, one especially

so, and only one"ha;" turned aside and did evil.


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2odom and *omorrah would have fallen on them. &his is ever *od+s way. gain and

again in the past He had maintained a small remnant for Himself in the midst of general

departure. He has done so through the church+s history. He is doing so today.

=erse 0 has a solemn voice to us. &he prophet liens the religious leaders of his day to

the rulers and people of those cities of wicedness, that centuries before had beendestroyed. 3e say, religious leaders because of the verses that 6follow, where they and

the people are shown to have been ;ealous and punctilious observers of the ritual of8udaism. 3hat were they doing> &hey were offering sacrifices and burnt"offerings,

bringing oblations and incense, observing new moons, sabbaths, appointed feasts and

assemblies, spreading forth their hands with many prayers. 3ere not these things right, asordered through 1oses >


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as silver, and purging away their dross. &he e9pression, 6turn 1y hand,6 is also found in

Eechariah #: 7, where also, as here, it denotes an action of blessing and not %udgment.

&his is 5uite plain in the ne9t verses of our chapter. But the redemption of Eion and herconverts will be through %udgment.

&he testimony of 2cripture is consistent that the earthly blessing of the coming age will be reached, not by the preaching of the *ospel, but by %udgment. &his is again declared

most plainly when we reach Isaiah ': ), 0. clear 4ew &estament corroboration of thisis found in evelation $: . &his %udgment will mean the destruction of the

transgressors. &hey may have forsaen the @ord and turned to false gods with their oas

and gardens, but these evil powers will avail them nothing. ll will be consumedtogether.

Isaiah is introduced as a 6vision6 Isaiah ' is 6the word6 but again concerning 8udah

and 8erusalem. &he opening verses enlarge further upon the good things that will come to

pass when redemption by %udgment taes place. &he first thing is that the house of

8ehovah shall be established and e9alted. &hus it ever is, and must be. *od must have Hisrightful place, and from that blessing will flow out to men.

But the house of the @ord is here called very significantly, 6the house of the *od of

8acob,6 for then *od will manifestly have triumphed over the self"centred crooednessthat mared 8acob, and has been perpetuated in his descendants. &his will be so clear that

all nations will flow to the house to learn of *od, so that they may wal in His law.

8udgment having been accomplished, men will be mared by obedience *odward, andconse5uently peace among themselves.

How significant is the word 6neither shall they learn war any more.6 Of recent years men

have certainly been learning war, and all too efficiently have they learned it, so thatmortal fear grips their minds. It is beyond the power of manind to achieve what is predicted in verse , though one day they will imagine they have reached it by their own

schemes and say, 6?eace and safety,6 only to meet 6sudden destruction,6 as foretold in

&hessalonians $: #. &he succeeding verses of that 4ew &estament chapter are in eepingwith verse $ of our chapter. &he house of 8acob is entreated to leave the false lights of

their idolatries and wal in 6the light of the @ord.6 &hat they will do, when the coming

age arrives. It is what we are privileged to do today, since we are brought into the light aschildren of light, and of the day that is to dawn when Christ shall appear.

&he prophet returns to the e9isting state of the people in verses "). From other peoples

they had imported various forms of spiritist practices. &hey were prosperous in material

things plenty of silver and gold and treasures, and also horses, which were a lu9uryforbidden to Israel+s ings, according to -euteronomy 7: . ll this led to the land

being full of idols, before which both poor and great abased themselves. &ruly a

deplorable state of things.

3hat then was to be e9pected> 8ust that which the prophet now had to announce. Helooed beyond the more immediate, disciplinary %udgments, that were impending through


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the ssyrians or Chaldeans, to 8ehovah being manifested in His ma%esty, when His 6day6

will be introduced. evelation : $"7, gives us an amplification of verses 0, ) and

', for men were filled with haughtiness and lofty loos, though they bowed down beforetheir idols.

&he list of things, upon which the day of the @ord will fall in %udgment, is veryimpressive. It will evidently mae a clean sweep of all the things in which fallen man

boasts, even things pleasant and artistic. Instead of accepting and even enlarging the products of man+s inventive sill, as an introduction to the millennial age, as some have

imagined, it will remove them, as well as the idols and the idolatrous notions that gave

them birth. &oday men are being humbled as they receive the grace and truth of the*ospel. &hen men will be abased and their false glory depart, as the glory of the @ord

shines forth.

3hat then is the spiritual instruction to be derived from this prophetic declaration> &he

last verse of the chapter supplies it. s it was with Israel in Isaiah+s day so in the world

today, man is catered for, man is magnified but if we 63al in the light of the @ord6(verse $!, his littleness is seen, and we 6cease from man.6 He is but a dying creature

because of his sin. Before *od he counts for nothing in himself. 3e now, in the light ofthe cross of Christ, that he is worse than nothing. How ama;ing then is the grace that has

stooped to bless such as ourselves.

Having spoen of the day of the @ord and its effects in Isaiah ', Isaiah deals again with

the e9isting state of the people in Isaiah # maing plain also how *od was chastisingthem, and would continue to do so. &he famine and confusion and oppression, with its

accompanying miseries, so that 8erusalem should be ruined, might not come on them

immediately, but they would ultimately, though *od would favour the righteous as verse

0 indicates. &he ancients and princes of the people were the leaders in the evil of thatday.

But the evil of the day was not confined to the leaders, or to the men of the nation, such

as are described in verses ' and #. &he women also were deeply implicated. &heir state isdenounced from verse to the end of the chapter. &hey adopted all the devices, well

practised in the heathen world, in order to increase the seductiveness of their attractions

and, as the closing verses state, the very men they tried to attract should fall by the sword,and so fail them.

&he first verse of Isaiah 4 completes this grievous theme, and here we believe we do

travel on to the last days. &he destruction of male life will be so great that women

themselves will be found advocating some ind of polygamy to cover the reproach ofspinsterhood, prepared to be no real e9pense to the man whose name they tae. &his may

read strangely to us, but when we consider the predictions of 2cripture as to the strife and

warfare which will mar the end of the age, we are not surprised. ead, for instance, the prediction as to the warfare, 6at the time of the end,6 given in -aniel : 0"$


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&he words, 6in that day,6 occur at the beginning of verse ' as well as in verse , and here

we see clearly that the 6day6 in 5uestion is the period that introduces the age to come, the

time of the second dvent. &he word translated, 6Branch6 is used of our @ord five timesin the Old &estament, and has the sense of a sprout" 6a 2prout of 8ehovah for glory and

beauty6 (4ew &rans!. Here we see, though somewhat veiled, an allusion to the -eity of

the promised 1essiah. &he figure used is that of a living tree putting forth a sprout whichdisplays its own nature and character. nd the living tree here is 8ehovah Himself while

the words, 6for glory and beauty,6 carry our thoughts to the robes made for aron, and to

their typical significance as stated in Hebrews ': 7.

&wice in 8eremiah do we get the @ord 8esus alluded to as the Branch, or 2prout (8er. '#:$ 8er. ##: $! but there what is emphasised is righteousness. It is the character He

displays rather than the 2ource from whence He springs. gain in Eechariah the

e9pression occurs twice (Eech. #: D Eech. : '!. &here the emphasis lies on the fact thatthough He springs forth from 8ehovah, He is to tae the place of the 2ervant, and enter

into 1anhood to serve. eading the five occurrences in the fuller light of the 4ew

&estament, we see how full were these early predictions as to our blessed @ord. &he onein our chapter is the first and deepest of them all.

3e may remar that Isaiah : , presents the @ord 8esus as a 6od Gor, 2hoot " a

different word from 2prout out of the stem of 8esse,6 and lower down in that chapter He

is 6a oot of 8esse6 two e9pressions which remind us of, 6the oot and the Offspring of-avid,6 (ev. '': !. 62prout6 of 8ehovah is what He was essentially. 62hoot6 of 8esse

and -avid is what He became in His holy 1anhood.

4ot only will Christ be thus revealed in that day but also a godly remnant will be found,

spoen of as, 6them that are escaped of Israel.6 &his indicates how fierce and destructive

of life will be the great tribulation that is elsewhere foretold. =erse # enforces the samefact, and from our @ord+s prophetic discourse, recorded in three of the *ospels, we learn

that 8udah and 8erusalem will be the very centre of that time of trial and persecution,which will only be ended when the @ord intervenes in power at His second advent. &hose

that remain will be alive spiritually and holy, and en%oy the e9cellent fruits which will be

produced by His presence.

But before this happy state of things can be produced there must be that wor ofcleansing of which verse speas, described as 6a spirit of %udgment and by the spirit of

burning6 that is, by fire. 3e may remember that 8ohn the Baptist said of our @ord, 6He

shall baptise you with the Holy *host and with fire6 (1att. #: !. He indicated also that

it was the chaff that should be burned, while the wheat was gathered into His garner. Inour chapter the wheat is described in verses ' and #. &he burning of the chaff will purge

and wash away the filth. &he cleansing of 8erusalem, indeed of the whole earth, will be

by a wor of %udgment and not by the preaching of grace.

Once %udgment has accomplished its cleansing wor the presence of *od can be restored

to 8erusalem, dwelling not merely upon a special building, lie the temple in 2olomon+s

day, but rather upon every dwelling"place and convocation. His presence will be


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signalised as of old by a cloud in the daytime and a flame by night. 3hen that taes

place, who shall be able to strie a blow at 8erusalem> &he presence of *od and the glory

accompanying it will be protection. 3ho can strie through a defence lie that>

&he word translated 6tabernacle6 in verse , is not the one used for the tabernacle in the

wilderness but for the feast of tabernacles or booths. ny e9treme, either of heat or ofrain, will be so slight that no more than a booth will be needed. verything necessary will

be found in connection with the presence of *od in the midst of His people, redeemed by %udgment.

&he first of the minor sections of the boo ends with chapter . Conse5uently we observe

that though we have had before us from the outset a very dar picture of the sinful andcorrupt state of the people, which would bring upon them the %udgment of *od, we are

conducted at its close to Christ as the 2prout of 8ehovah, in whom all hope is found. 3e

shall find this feature repeated. &he ne9t section, Isaiah $: "Isaiah ): 7, ends with

Immanuel. &he third section ends, in Isaiah ', with the 2hoot and oot of 8esse, and the

%oy that He will bring to pass.

s we further consider Isaiah, we shall note some of those things, 6concerning Himself,6

which, when He e9pounded them on the day of His resurrection to the two disciples

going to mmaus, caused their hearts to burn within them. Considering them rightly, theywill have the same effect upon us.

Isaiah 5: 1-Isaiah 9: 7

Isaiah $ begins with what we may call, &he 2ong of Isaiah. If we turn bac to

-euteronomy #', we may read the song of 1oses, which is partly retrospective and

partly prophetic. 1oses uttered his song at the start of Israel+s national history Isaiahuttered his towards its close. &he testimony of both is the same. &he failure of the people

was complete.

Israel had been 8ehovah+s vineyard, and He had ordered everything in their favour. veryfruitful spot had been their location with all necessary e5uipment. &he law, given through

1oses, had fenced them about, so as to protect them from contamination from outside, if

they had observed it. 1oreover they were a 6choicest vine,6 for they had descended frombraham, one of *od+s choicest saints. &hus everything had been in their favour. 3hat

had been the result>

esult there was, but of a wholly worthless and evil sort. 3here %udgment should have been oppression was found: where righteousness, only a cry of distress. Once again wehave to notice that the charge against them concerns moral depravity rather than lac of

ceremonial observances.

3hen the @ord 8esus spoe of Himself as 6the true =ine,6 (8ohn $: !, the minds of His

disciples may well have turned bac to this scripture, as ours also may do. Israel was the piced sample of humanity in which the trial of the whole race too place. &he


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condemnation of Israel is the condemnation of all of us but it was in the cross of Christ

that the condemnation was formally and finally pronounced. &he first man and his race

condemned and re%ected. &he 2econd 1an, and those who are of Him and in Him,accepted and established for ever.

&he song of Isaiah ended, the prophet dropped figurative language for the hard, plainfacts of Israel+s sin. 2i9 times over does he utter a 63oe6 upon them in verses D"'$, and

again we notice that it was their moral evils that stirred the -ivine wrath. &he first woe isflung at the men of grasping covetousness, who aimed at monopoli;ing houses and lands

for themselves. 8udgment in the form of desolation for both houses and lands would fall

upon them.

&he second woe is against the drunard and pleasure"seeer. &he %udgment awaiting them

is described down to verse 7. 3e may observe that similar catastrophe ever follows a

people given over to pleasure and debauchery. &he great oman mpire did it in her later

years, and then crashed. If Britain and other nations of today do it"what then>

&he third woe (verse D! is uttered against those who sin openly, violently, in defiance of

*od. &he fourth is against men of a subtler type, who overturn all the foundations of right

and wrong. ccepting their ideas and teachings the multitude become confused and

perverted, condemning what is good and applauding what is evil truly a terrible state ofthings.

&his leads, no doubt, to what is denounced in the fifth woe. &he men who do thus pervert

the mental outloo of their fellows, pose as being the wise and prudent leaders of others.t least they consider themselves to be such. nd the effect of their teachings"new and

progressive, as they would call them"upon those who imbibe them, leads to the

denunciation of the si9th woe. &hey go bac to their drin and debauchery, and perverteverything that is right in their dealings with others. If they accept the teaching, indicatedin verse '0, that is what they will do.

fter the second woe no details of what would be involved are given till we reach verse

'. &hen the pent"up wrath, merited by the last four woes, is made plain. nd in verses

'"#0, there is revealed how all si9 woes would bring upon them chastisement fromwithout. &he nations that soon would descend upon them lie a roaring lion, and were

doubtless headed up in the mighty ssyrian of those days, whom the @ord called, 6&he

rod of 1ine anger6 (Isaiah 0: $!.

Having been used to pronounce this si9"fold woe, Isaiah was given a vision of the gloryof 8ehovah on His throne, attended by the angelic seraphim. Of their si9 wings only two

were used for flight. First came the covering of the face in the presence of inscrutable

glory then the covering of their own way from their eyes lastly their activity in theservice of their *od a suitable lesson for ourselves. 2pirit of worship and self"

forgetfulness precedes service. &he very door of the temple was moved at the -ivine

presence and this was followed by a spiritual movement in Isaiah. It wrought deep


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conviction of sin and uncleanness, so that having %ust pronounced in the name of the @ord

si9 woes upon others, he now called for a woe upon himself.

Here we see e9emplified the statement, 6=erily every man at his best state is altogethervanity6 (?s. #): $!. &his happened to Isaiah in the year that Jing K;;iah died, who was

one of the better ings, but ended his days a leper because he dared to push his way intothe temple of *od. Here Isaiah found himself before *od in His temple, and he

instinctively used the language of a leper (see, @eviticus #: $! realising that sin isleprosy of a spiritual sort. 4o sooner had his confession been made than the way of

cleansing was revealed. @ive coal, that had been in contact with the sacrifice was applied

to his lips and the sin and uncleanness removed. Only sacrifice can cleanse sin aforeshadowing of the death of Christ.

&hen came the challenge as to service, and Isaiah+s response and as a result he was

specially sent as the messenger to Israel. s often pointed out, the unvarying order is:"

first, conviction second, cleansing third, commission in the service of *od. Isaiah said,

6Here am I send me.6 3hen *od was about to commission 1oses, He had the response,in effect, 6Here am I send somebody else,6 as we see in 9odus : # though He

overruled it and 1oses was sent. @et us all"especially the young Christian"give Isaiah+sresponse and not that of 1oses, lest the @ord pass us by, to our loss at the %udgment seat

of Christ.

It is instructive to note 4ew &estament references to this scene. In 8ohn ': , the blind

re%ection of 8esus is the theme, and we discover that Isaiah 6saw His glory, and spae ofHim.6 &hen in cts 'D: ', ?aul refers to our chapter and says, 63ell spae the Holy

*host . . .6 2o here is one of those allusions to the &rinity, which are embedded in the Old

&estament. In verse # we have 6Holy,6 repeated, not twice nor four times but three and

8ehovah of hosts is before us. In verse $, 6the Jing, the @ord of hosts,6 whom we find to be the @ord 8esus. In verse D, 6the voice of the @ord,6 which is claimed as the voice of the

Holy *host. *od is One and yet &hree: &hree and yet One. Hence, 63hom shall I send,and who will go for K2>6

=erses )"$, give us the message that Isaiah was commissioned to give. It was indeed of

great solemnity. &hings had reached such a state that hardening and blindness was to fall

on the people, so that conversion and healing would not be theirs, and they would bedriven out of their land. &he only gleam of hope as to themselves would be found in the

fact that *od would have His tenth in a holy seed: in other words, He would preserve for

Himself a godly remnant. &he position was the same among the 8ews in ?aul+s day, as

omans shows, and it is e9actly the same today. &he national blindness still persistsand there is still a believing remnant, but now incorporated in the church.

3ith Isaiah 7 we pass into some historical details of the reign of ha;, which are

recorded in ' Jings $ and . He wrought much evil and was now threatened by analliance against him of ?eah, the usurper on the throne of the ten tribes, and e;in of

2yria. If they had slain or removed ha;, they would have broen the line of descent, by

which, according to the flesh, Christ came, as indicated in 1atthew : ). &his *od was


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not going to allow, so Isaiah was instructed to tae his young son, 2hear"8ashub, which

means, 6&he remnant shall return,6 and intercept ha;, telling him their scheme should

not succeed, and that within $ years the northern ingdom should be destroyed.

Invited to as for a sign that should confirm this prophecy, ha; declined, not because he

had implicit faith in the word of the @ord but because swayed by his idols he wasindifferent. 4evertheless the great sign was given " Immanuel, born of a virgin " which

was indeed valid, both 6in the depth,6 and 6in the height above.6 4otice the order of thesetwo e9pressions, and then read phesians : ), where it is emphasi;ed that the descent

comes before the ascent on high.

fter this prophecy had been fulfilled in the coming of Christ the 8ews made great effortsto avoid giving the Hebrew word the force of virgin, treating it as meaning merely a

young woman and to this day unbelievers have followed in their train. &he 2eptuagint

version, made by 8ews long before the pre%udice arose, translated the word by the *ree

word which without any 5uestion means virgin. &his one fact effectively destroys the

effort to destroy the prophecy.

=erse $ is admittedly obscure, but we believe it signifies that the coming One, though

6*O- with us,6 is yet, as born of the virgin, to grow up both physically and mentally

according to the laws governing human life. &his we see to be the case in @ue ': 0"$'.

=erse appears to allude to 2hear"%ashub, who was with Isaiah, for the word translated

6child6 is not the one so translated in chapter ): , but one meaning 6lad6 or 6youth.6 &he

prediction of that verse came to pass through the power and rapacity of the ssyrianings, as the closing verses of this chapter state. &he desolations that would follow are

then described.

In all this there is only one hope for Israel, or indeed for any of us, and that is, *od

himself stepping into the scene by way of the virgin birth. &hus was fulfilled the earliest prophecy of all, that 6the 2eed of the woman6 should be He, who would bruise the head

of the serpent, the originator of all the sin and sorrow. &he virgin birth of Christ is not %ust

a mere detail, an insignificant side issue in the -ivine plan. It is fundamental and

essential. By it the entail of sin and death, inherent in the race of dam, was broen.Christ was not 6of the earth, earthy,6 but 6the 2econd 1an . . . the @ord from heaven6 (

Cor. $: 7!. In Him, risen from the dead, a new race of man is begun.

second child of Isaiah is mentioned in chapter 8. His long name was significant of the

approaching con5uest by ssyria of the two powers that were at that moment threatening8udah. @ie a flood from the river the ing of ssyria would overflow even through

8udah, though he was not allowed to tae 8erusalem in He;eiah+s time. ssyria did not

now then, and the nations have not nown since, that the land belongs primarily toImmanuel and only secondarily to the 8ew.

=erses ) and 0 doubtless had an application to the day when Isaiah wrote, but their force

abides. ?alestine holds a very central position and it is becoming more and more evident


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that its potential riches are great. &he peoples may associate themselves in contending

leagues in order to lay hands on it but they will be broen in pieces, 6for *od is with us6

literally 6for Immanuel.6 Christ is *od and when He is manifested in His glory, thenations will be as nothing before Him " only 6as a drop of a bucet,6 as presently Isaiah

tells us. mong the nations today the idea of a confederacy is strong but this will be the

end of it.

Isaiah, however, was warned against the idea of a confederacy for himself and his people.It would be doubly wrong in their case, inasmuch as they had been given the nowledge

of *od, and He was to be their trust. &his we see in verses "D. ha; in his day was

een on a confederacy, and in the last days there will be strong confederacy between theman, who will become the wilful ing and false prophet in 8erusalem, and the predicted

head of the revived oman empire and this instead of the fear of the @ord.

&he reason of this is revealed in verse $. Immanuel is truly the sanctuary of His people

but He would become 6a stone of stumbling and for a roc of offence,6 by the fact of His

re%ection. &his is made 5uite plain in ?eter ': D. &his He is to 6both the houses ofIsrael,6 though He was re%ected mainly at the hands of the house of 8udah.

In these striing verses the godly are owned as Immanuel+s 6disciples.6 &hough the mass

of the people fall and are broen, as the @ord said in 1atthew ': , the testimony andthe law will not fail, but will be bound up among those who really fear the @ord. 2uch

will wait upon the @ord instead of turning to confederacies with men, and they will loo

for the appearing of Immanuel. 3hen He appears in His glory those given to Him, andcarried through the time of tribulation, will be for a sign and a wonder. &his applies also

today, as we see by the 5uotation in Hebrews ': #. &he saints given to Him today will be

manifested with Him in glory. nd what a sign and wonder it will be when He thus

displays the 6e9ceeding riches of His grace,6 (ph. ': 7!.

=erse ) returns to what was then taing place in Israel. &hey were turning to the spiritist

practices of the heathen with necromancers and soothsayers, trying to get guidance for

the living from those who were dead, when the law and testimony was available for them,in which light from *od was shining. If they did not spea according to that, there would

be 6no light in them6 or, 6for them there is no daybrea.6 &he principle of all this is more

abundantly true for us today, inasmuch as the coming of Christ has so greatly amplifiedthe word and testimony of *od, enshrined in the 4ew &estament 2criptures. If men turn

from that to the illusive spars, generated by man+s wisdom and achievements, there will

be no light in them, and no daybrea for them when Christ returns.

Instead of daybrea there will be darness and gloom, so graphically described in the twoverses that close this chapter and the opening verse of Isaiah ). &here was this darness in

the days of ha;. It e9isted in the day when Christ came, and it will doubtless be very

pronounced at the end of the age. &he way in which this prophecy is applied to the @ord8esus and His early ministry, when we turn to 1atthew : #", is very striing. 3hat

wonderful spiritual light streamed forth from Him, both in His words and His miracles,


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for the blessing of those who had been sitting in darness, whether they had eyes to see it

or not.

&he opening verses of Isaiah 9 follow one another in a very instructive and delightfulse5uence. =erse continues the picture of great darness and affliction that closed

chapter D. =erse ' tells of the great light that burst in upon the darness. =erse #, of thegreat %oy that follows for translation authorities tell us that the word, 6not,6 should be

deleted. =erse speas of the great deliverance that will be granted: verse $, of theremoval by burning of all that speas of warfare, so that great peace is established.

eferring this to the first advent of the @ord 8esus, as 1atthew does, we recogni;e that

these great things have been the result in a spiritual way. &hey are %ust what the *ospel brings, whether to 8ew or *entile. &hey will be achieved for Israel, and indeed for the

saved nations, in the coming day when the @ord appears in His glory. &hen every

oppressor will be completely destroyed and peace will descend upon the earth.

=erse begins with, 6For6 that is, it supplies the basic reason or ground on which the prophecy rests. &he meaning and implications of the great name, Immanuel, are unfolded

to us. He is truly the 6Child6 born to the virgin but He is also the 62on6 given. In the

fuller light of the 4ew &estament we can see how fitting is the word 6given6 here rather

than 6born.6 He who was 62on6 became 6seed of -avid according to the flesh6 (om. :#! that is, by His birth of the virgin. Hence His 2onship preceded His birth, and, as the

fruit of inspiration, the prophecy was so worded as to be in harmony with the truth later

to be revealed.

&he government is to rest on the shoulder of Immanuel, and the full import of the name is

now given to us under five headings. &he first is 63onderful6 that is, 2ingular and

beyond all powers of human scrutiny. &hen He is 6Counsellor6 One involved in thecounselling which precedes -ivine acts, as for instance, 6@et Ks mae man . . .6 (*en. :'!. &his must be so inasmuch as He is 61ighty *od.6 gain, being so, when He taes

flesh and blood, His name of course must be, 6*od with us.6 1oreover, He is 6Father of

eternity,6 as more literally the words read. ternity has its origin in Him. &he ascriptionof -eity to the Child born could not be more distinct.

@astly, being all this, He is 6?rince of peace,6 the only One who, in this rebellious world,

can establish it upon a permanent basis. &his He will do by the warrior %udgments,

predicted in verses and $. Becoming 62eed of -avid,6 as we have seen, He will sit uponthe throne of -avid, and having crushed man+s rebellion and evil, He will govern with

%udgment and %ustice to the glory of *od and the blessing of men. &he 2econd dvent of

our @ord will see these great predictions fulfilled to the letter.

&he epoch in which we live is not the day of *od+s government upon the earth but theday of His grace, when government is still in the hands of the *entiles and *od is

gathering out of the nations a people for His name. &he time of grace may soon end, and

then *od will arise to deal with the world problems created by the sin of man. &o bring


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the whole earth into sub%ection will indeed be a colossal tas, but as our scripture says,

6&he ;eal of the @ord of Hosts will perform this.6 3e may well re%oice that so it will be.

Isaiah 9: 8-Isaiah 14: !

t this point the prophet resumed the denunciation of the people and their sins, which had been suspended that he might relate his vision of 8ehovah of Hosts and give the

prediction concerning Immanuel. 3e now learn how *od+s hand was stretched out upon

them in anger and discipline. In Isaiah $, woe was pronounced upon them si9 times, andnow we get the hand of *od stretched out in wrath four times over"verses ', 7, ', and

Isaiah 0: . &here seems to be an increase of severity as we proceed.

&he ten tribes had been chastised with much destruction, but in their pride they declared

that it gave them the opportunity to rebuild on a much improved scale. &hey spoe then %ust as men are speaing today as they view the destruction wrought in the recent war.

&he @ord warned them that their ally, e;in of 2yria, would be overthrown, a toen of

the overthrow coming upon themselves.

But again the people did not accept the discipline and turn to *od who sent it.Conse5uently they would be deceived by prophecy that was false, and from the highest to

the lowest face a cuffing off and disaster. But this too would fail of any true effect.

Hence further miseries would come upon them and inter"tribal strife. &he wrath of the

@ord would daren the land and yet be as a fire and the people as fuel. nd still His anger would remain.

&hey would still practice deceit and treachery and oppression, and bring upon themselves

what is described as 6the day of visitation.6 Having forsaen their *od, He would be norefuge for them in that hour of distress, and His hand would still be against them. &his brings us to the ssyrian, in verse $.

But we pause a moment to remar that, as so often in Old &estament prophecy, there is an

ultimate fulfilment as well as a more immediate one, and this surely is the case here. Forinstance, there were prophets speaing falsely in Isaiah+s day, but the very special

6prophet that speaeth lies,6 who is 6the tail6 is a reference to the antichrist of the last

days %ust as 6the day of visitation6 loos on to that special day of trial that is yet to come.

2imilarly 6the ssyrian,6 that now we are to consider, has this double application " thethen e9isting great power centred in 4ineveh, and also that 6ing of the 4orth,6 which

was ssyria, that we read of in the last days.

In Isaiah+s day the power of ssyria was threatening all the nations. *od had taen that

people up as the rod of His anger to chastise many a nation that was far from Him " andIsrael among them. @ater *od used the Chaldeans in the same way, and this it was that

disturbed the mind of Habau, and led him to protest that, bad as Israel might be, the

Chaldeans, whom *od was going to use against them for their discipline, were worse. 3esee here what we see also in Habau that *od may use an evil nation to chastise His


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faithless people, but only under His strict supervision and control. *od was now sending

him, as verse says, against an hypocritical nation"evidently the ten tribes and 2amaria.

But the ssyrian himself did not reali;e this, and therefore, 6he meaneth not so,6 butintended to ravage 8erusalem as well as 2amaria, doing to them what he had already done

to many of the surrounding peoples. s we now from the historical 2criptures, thoughhe distressed and threatened 8erusalem he did not tae it. s verse ' intimates, he would

be used to perform on 8erusalem that which *od intended and then he himself would be punished and humbled. He was only lie an a9e or a rod in the hand of the @ord and

could not dictate to the One who wielded him. &he Holy One of Israel would consume

him and bring down his pride and importance.

3e now how all this was fulfilled in the days of He;eiah. 2amaria was led captive, but

when 2ennacherib attempted with proud boasts to tae 8erusalem his forces received a

conclusive blow directly from the hand of *od, and he himself was shortly after slain by

two of his sons, as we read in ' Jings ): #7.

&he double application of the latter part of Isaiah 0 is, we thin, 5uite evident. In verses

'0"'#, *od pledges Himself to preserve a remnant though He was to permit a great

consuming in the land, according to His holy government. &his promise of a remnant

covers the whole 6house of 8acob,6 for it must have been given some years before the tentribes were taen into captivity. *od did preserve a remnant in those far"off days when

the prophecy was given, and He will yet do so in the coming days at the end of this age.

2o again, in verses '"#, there was the plain assurance to the inhabitants of 8erusalemthat they need not fear the ssyrian. He would afflict them as with a rod, yet *od would

destroy him eventually. &his came to pass, as we have seen, though he would come to the

very gates of the city and, 6shae his hand against the mount of the daughter of Eion, thehill of 8erusalem.6 His progress through the towns, as he approached, is very graphicallydescribed. He would seem to be lie a great cedar of @ebanon, stretching his mighty

bough over the city, but 8ehovah of hosts would lop his bough with terror.

ll this also has an application to the last days, as is manifest when we commence

reading Isaiah , for there is really no brea between the two chapters. &he @ord 8esus isthe 6od Gor, 2hoot out of the stem of 8esse,6 and the 6Branch,6 and the chapter presents

Him in the power and glory of His second coming. &hat the 2pirit of the @ord, in seven"

fold fulness, rested upon Him at His first coming is very true, and when we read of our@ord that, 6*od giveth not the 2pirit by measure (8ohn #: #!, there may be a reference to

what is stated here, as also there is in 6the seven 2pirits,6 mentioned in ev. : ev. #:

ev. : $ ev. $: and in this last reference they are 6sent forth into all the earth,6 aswill be the case when the 2hoot of 8esse comes forth endowed with this seven"fold

fulness.

3e are reminded also of the candlestic in the &abernacle with its si9 branches springing

from the main stem. &he oil, typical of the Holy 2pirit, fed its seven lamps. &he 6Branch6is to grow or more accurately, 6be fruitful,6 and when Christ in the plenitude of the 2pirit


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fills the earth, fruit will abound for there will not only be wisdom, but the might to

enforce its dictates, and all controlled by the fear of the @ord.

1oreover He will not be dependent, as are human %udges, on e9ternal things on what Hesees or hears since He will possess that 65uic understanding,6 which will give Him that

intuitive nowledge, which springs from His -ivine nature, so that His actions, whetherin favour of the poor and mee or against the wiced, will be mared by absolute

righteousness. t last an age of righteousness will have dawned.

s the result of this, peace will descend upon the earth, so much so that all antagonism

and ferocity will depart, even from the animal creation. &he creature was made sub%ect to

vanity, not of its own will but by reason of the sin of dam, and it is to be 6deliveredfrom the bondage of corruption6 (om. D: '0, '! but the postle gives us a detail not

made nown to Isaiah, for it will be the time when not only the 2hoot of 8esse will be

manifested, but also the manifestation and glory of the sons of *od.

&he picture of millennial blessedness, presented to us in verses "), is a very delightfulone. 1issionaries would tell us, we believe, that to slay and eat a id of the goats is a

special attraction for the leopard, %ust as the wolf naturally slaughters the lambs. ll

creation shall be at peace, all ferocity abolished even the poisonous serpent deprived of

its venom and its desire to bite. &he earth in that day, instead of being full of theconfusion and the conflicts created by the fall of man, will be full of the nowledge of the

@ord as the waters cover the sea. How do the waters cover the sea"bed> &hey do so

completely, without one crevice being unfilled. 2uch is the lovely picture that is presented to us here.

nd how can such wonderful things, not only for Israel but for all creation, be brought

about> =erse 0, we thin, sheds light on this, for there we discover that the @ord 8esus is predicted as the 6oot of 8esse,6 as well as a 62hoot6 out of his stem. 3e are reminded atonce that in the last chapter of the Bible the @ord presents Himself to us as 6the root and

offspring of -avid6 an allusion doubtless to our chapter. Here 68esse6 is used we believe,

to heighten the contrast, for -avid had become a name of great renown, whereas 8esseonly reminds us of the otherwise unnown farmer from whom -avid sprang. From one

small and unnown the great 1essiah was to spring, and yet to be the oot from which

8esse sprang.

2o, if as the 2hoot we thin of Christ in His holy 1anhood, as the oot we have to thinof Him in His -eity. In His 1anhood He sprang out of Israel, and had special lins with

that people. Introduce His *odhead, and all men come at once into view. 2o it is, as often

noticed, in the *ospel of 8ohn, where the word 6world6 occurs with great fre5uency andso it is here for the word 6people6 in our version should be 6peoples6 that is, the nations

generally, to whom the oot will stand as an 6ensign6 or 6banner,6 and to Him will the

*entiles see: and 6His rest will be glory,6 as the margin reads. *reed will go out andglory will come in. 3hat a day for the earth that will beA


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&his wonderful prophetic strain continues to the end of Isaiah 1!" and four times do we

get the e9pression, 6in that day.6 &he first we have glanced at in verse 0, when the

promised 1essiah shall be manifested in His *odhead glory, and bring blessing to theremotest peoples. &he second is in verse , for in that day there will be a re"gathering of

Israel, and the predictions concerning this continue to the end of the chapter. 3e must not

mistae the present migration of 8ews to ?alestine for this, since verse speas of whatwill be accomplished in the day of Christ+s manifestation, and it will be an act of *od and

doubtless accomplished through Christ for 6@ord6 in verse is not 68ehovah6 but

6donai,6 the title used for instance in ?salm 0: , when -avid by the 2pirit spoe ofthe coming 1essiah as 6my @ord.6

1oreover, when that re"gathering is brought to pass, the division between the ten tribes

and the two will have disappeared, and the nations that surround Israel will have been

subdued, and there will be an alteration in geographical conditions both as to gypt andssyria. 4one of these things have yet come to pass.

But these things will come to pass, and 6in that day,6 when they do, there will burst forthfrom Israel a song of praise far deeper and more sincere than that which was sung in

9odus $. But let us recapitulate for a moment. In verse 0, 1essiah appears in His-eity and glory as the rallying centre for all manind. He draws all to Himself, according

to 8ohn ': #'. But this means, as the rest of the chapter shows, that Israel will get

redemption blessing, far more wonderful than their past redemption from gypt. &henfollows, as Isaiah ' opens, the triumph song of this new redemption. 8ehovah had been

angry with them, and rightly so in view of their past of tragic wicedness, but now He

has become their Comforter, their 2trength and their 2alvation.

If verses and ' remind us of 9odus and $, verse # is reminiscent of lim, which is

mentioned in the last verse of chapter $. &he lim wells were very welcome andrefreshing but here is something far more wonderful, of which lim was only a faint type,

since the salvation that Israel will then receive will be not only of a temporal sort but alsospiritual and eternal.

Our short chapter ends with praise in view of that which will be the very clima9 of their

blessing " the 6Holy One of Israel6 in the midst of them. &his was foreshadowed when,

redeemed from gypt, the &abernacle was erected in their midst with the cloud of gloryresting on it. &his which will be brought to pass 6in that day6 will far e9ceed what was

accomplished under 1oses 3ith this striing prophecy a definite division of the boo

reaches its close.

3hat we have seen we might almost call, the burden of 8acob. 8udgment has to 6begin atthe house of *od6 ( ?eter : 7!. Israel was that of old time, but though their heavy guilt

brings on them heavy %udgment, a bright future waits for them at the end. &he %udgment

having begun at them, we now find the surrounding nations %udged. burden lay uponthem from the hand of *od and as the prophet uttered the burden it lay also doubtless on

his own spirit. Isaiah # begins the 6burden of Babylon.6 &he 2pirit of *od foresaw that


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this city would become the chief oppressor, and the original seat of *entile. power when

the 6times of the *entiles6 should set in.

&he predicted destruction will arrive when 6the day of the @ord6 sets in, as verses and )show hence the terrible overthrow, detailed in verses "0, will be witnessed in the last

days, and be e9ecuted upon the proud *entile power of which Babylon was the head andfront, as we see in -aniel ' and -aniel 7. =erse speas of punishing 6the world6 for

their ini5uity, and of convulsions in the heavens as well as the earth, such as the @ord also predicted in His prophetic discourse. But in verse 7 the prophecy does descend to a

%udgment more immediate, which was e9ecuted by the 1edes, as the boo of -aniel

records. It is in this connection that the statement is made that the destruction of Babylonshould be complete and irremediable. &he prediction has been fulfilled unto this day and

still stands. nything that might appear to be to the contrary applies, we %udge, to the

dominant *entile power, which does still e9ist, and of which Babylon was the beginning,or to that 6mystery6 Babylon of evelation 7, which represents the false professing

church, left for %udgment when the @ord comes for His true saints.

&he first three verses of Isaiah show that the %udgment of Babylon clears the way for

mercy to flow to Israel. &his had a partial fulfilment in the days of Cyrus, as the openingverses of ;ra record. It will have a far greater and more complete one when the times of

the *entiles come to an end. &hen, not only will Israel be established once more in their

own land but they will be the supreme nation, ruling over the others who formerlyoppressed them, and completely at rest themselves. In that day they will tae up the

proverb against the ing of Babylon, that fills verses "'# of the chapter.

3hen Isaiah uttered this prophecy Babylon was still dominated by the ssyrian power.

century or so later it became 6the golden city6 under the great ing 4ebuchadne;;ar,

spoen of as the 6head of gold6 in -aniel ': #D. 3ith him the times of the *entiles began,and they will close under the potentate, called 6the beast6 in evelation #, who is to be

raised up and inspired by 2atan, who is called 6the dragon.6 ll the world will worshipthe beast and the dragon who, though unseen, lies behind him.

Isaiah+s prophecy in these verses applies first to the visible ing " verses ". &he @ord

will brea his sceptre and cast him into hell as is more fully e9plained in evelation ).

#$atan%s Ori&inal $in'

But in verses '"$, we seem to pass from the visible ing to 2atan, whose nominee he is

to be. 2atan, whose original sin was an attempt at self"e9altation unto e5uality with *od,is to be 6brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit,6 as we also see in evelation '0.

=erses # and are most striing. 4otice the five"fold repetition of 6I will.6 &he very

essence of sin is the assertion of the will of the creature against the Creator. In *enesis ',*od said to dam, 6&hou shalt not6 but in *enesis #, tempted by 2atan, dam virtually

said 6I will.6 &he complete contrast to this is found in ?hilippians ', where the One who

was 6the 1ost High,6 whose throne was 6above the stars of *od,6 who could not


17/93

6ascend,6 since there was no place higher than the one He occupied, descended and too

the form of a 2ervant. 2atan sought to e9alt himself and is to be abased. Christ humbled

Himself, and He is, and shall yet be, e9alted.

In the succeeding verses we seem to come bac to the %udgment of the visible ing, of his

city, and of all those that follow him. It will be no partial or provisional dealing of *od but a final %udgment that will mae a clean sweep of his power and ingdom, a %udgment

more severe than that which has fallen upon others.

t verse ' we pass bac again to the more immediate %udgment of ssyria. Kpon the

mountains of Israel, which the @ord calls 61y mountains,6 he should be broen. &his had

not been accomplished in the year that ing ha; died, for that was the third year of ingHoshea of the ten tribes, and 2amaria was carried captive by the ssyrian in Hoshea+s

ninth year. In verses ') and # 6?alestina6 means apparently, 6?hilistia6 the country to

the south west of 8erusalem. t that moment all might seem peaceful, but their %udgment

was coming, and their only hope and trust was to be reposing in Eion.

4ow Eion does not mean simply 8erusalem, for that city too would ultimately fall under

*od+s %udgment. Eion was founded by the @ord in His mercy when He intervened and

raised up -avid, so that it has become a symbol of the mercy and grace of *od. &his we

see in such a scripture as Hebrews ': ''. In that grace, which Eion represents, the godly poor amongst the people will trust. &hey did so in days that are past. &hey will do so in

days that are to come.

&hey are doing so today. re we amongst them>

Isaiah 15: 1-Isaiah !: 18

It is clear that, when *od acts in %udgment, He begins at the innermost circle. It was so inthe days of 8erusalem, as we see in ;eiel ): and the same principle holds good in

4ew &estament times, as stated in ?eter : 7. In Isaiah we have seen the predictions of

%udgment first uttered against Israel, though with promises of restoration and glory intheir 1essiah. fter this follows the %udgment of the nations surrounding Israel.

3e have seen Babylon head the list, to which %udgment is prophetically meted out

without any promise of restoration. 4ow in Isaiah $ and , 1oab comes into view, a

people that in its origin stood in a distant relationship with Israel. gainst them too %udgment is pronounced but with a note of sympathy (see, Isa. $: $! which is altogether

absent in the case of Babylon. &he 1oabites were a pastoral people but dwelling on highground east of the -ead 2ea and strongly fortified. In verse , r is the city and Jir thefortress. ll should be laid waste.

&he prophecy refers to %udgment which would speedily fall on 1oab in view of their

haughty pride, as the last verse of Isaiah shows. &he opening verse of that chapter also

refers to the tribute that 1oab used to pay, as we see in ' Jings #: .


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-avid,6 whose throne will be established, and who will be 6hasting righteousness6 Before

that hour stries *od will have a people whom He calls His, though they are 6outcasts6 in

the earth, and 1oab will do well to give them shelter. &hat 1oab will e9ist in the lastdays is made clear in -aniel : as we saw also in our prophet, when considering

Isaiah : .

In the days of Isaiah, -amascus had been allied with the ten tribes. Its 6burden6 fills the

three verses that open Isaiah 7. &he prophetic strain however 5uicly passes from-amascus to the children of Israel for disaster was to come on both, since both had united

in alliance against 8udah. &he figure is used of harvest, whether of corn or of grapes,

which would leave them poor and thin, yet a remnant would be left, lie a gleaning ofgrapes or a few berries on an olive tree, and that remnant will turn their eyes to 6the Holy

One of Israel,6 and away from the idolatrous things that formerly held them.

ll this found a fulfilment in days immediately ahead, yet will have an ampler fulfilment

in the last days yet to come. &he prediction about the 6pleasant plants,6 or 6plantations,6

and the 6strange slips 6 is often referred to in connection with the recent doings of 8ewishimmigrants in ?alestine. &hey have indeed been busy with plantations in their agricultural

colonies and have imported vast 5uantities of vine cuttings from other lands in order tore"establish vineyards.

But loo at verse , which predicts that, though this wor will have a promising

beginning, it will suffer a crushing blow. nd, how> By a great and antagonistic uprising

among the nations, of which the rest of the chapter speas. Here doubtless we have a brief yet comprehensive sight of the final convulsions among the nations, when *od will

mae 8erusalem 6a cup of trembling6 and a 6burdensome stone6 to all the peoples round

about, and 6gather all nations against 8erusalem to battle6 (Eech. ': ', # Eech. : '!.

8erusalem and the 8ews will indeed be heavily chastised, but the proud nationsthemselves will meet ultimately the fury of *od and be scattered before Him, lie chaff

or thistle"down is blown away by a whirlwind. s we view present doings in ?alestine letus not forget this solemn prediction.

Isaiah D opens with a call to a distant land that is to serve *od+s purpose in the last days,

helping to re"gather Israel. =erses ", appear to be parenthetical, so that verse 7 is

connected with verse #. Both verses ' and 7 spea of a people 6scattered and peeled Gorravaged,6 who without a 5uestion are those we now now as 8ews. Our chapter indicates

that, when in the last days *od gives the signal for their re"gathering, there will be a

distant people with ships who will do what they can to help them. But the parenthetical

verses show that, though *od overrules this, He is not directly acting in it. He retires, asit were, saying, 6I will tae 1y rest,6 observing what is taing place, but ultimately

bringing disaster upon it all, as we saw in the previous chapter.

nd yet, in spite of all this, the scattered and ravaged people will be recovered and brought as a present unto the @ord. =erse 7 does not tell us how this is to be accomplished

after the failure of the earlier attempt. 3hen we read 1atthew ': #, we find the @ord

shedding light on this matter. &he people who will be brought thus as a present to the


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@ord, will be 6His elect,6 and not %ust an assortment of patriots and fugitives, as we see at

present. nd they will be brought 6to the place of the name of the @ord of Hosts, the

mount Eion.6 lasA 8erusalem as it is at present cannot be designated thus. It is the placewhere 8ews are reassembling, hoping to display the greatness of their own name, while

still re%ecting their 1essiah.

&he 8ew has yet to discover the meaning of 6the mount Eion6 namely, grace flowing out

from *od, rather than merit through law"eeping, achieved by themselves. &he postle?aul reali;ed this, as we see at the end of omans . &hey have been shut up in unbelief,

6that He might have mercy upon all.6 &he contemplation of this over"abounding mercy to

Israel moved ?aul to the do9ology, concerning *od+s wisdom and ways, with which thatchapter closes.

3e resume the 6burdens6 on the surrounding nations, as we read Isaiah ). gypt, that

had so much to do with Israel and its history, now comes before us. gain we notice the

feature so common in these prophecies: the predictions soon pass from more immediate

%udgments to those that will mature at the end of the age. History tells us that soon afterIsaiah+s day gypt did fall from her former high estate, and things recounted in verses "

0, came upon them. &he princes of Eoan did become fools, though in the days of 1oseslong before 6the wisdom of gypt6 was highly regarded.


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of *od as we note that finally He will act in blessing to both peoples, who have been in

the past, and will yet be, Israel+s inveterate enemies.

&he short Isaiah !( brings us bac to events that were to happen, shortly after Isaiah was bidden to enforce his prophecy by a peculiar action. He foretold the coming overthrow of

gypt by his waling naed and barefoot. Other prophets, such as Hosea, were instructedto support their words by actions. &he ob%ect in view was to bring home to the inhabitants

of this 6isle,6 or 6coast,6 that is, ?alestine, that it was folly to put their trust in gypt fordeliverance from ssyria. It will doubtless be the same in the last days, as we see in

-aniel : #"$, where 6the ing6 of verse #, who will evidently be in 8erusalem, will

find no help in 6the ing of the south against the assault of 6the ing of the north.6

In Isaiah ' we return to the doom of Babylon. It is to be 6the desert of the sea.6 In

8eremiah+s prophecy against the city he says, 6&he sea is come up upon Babylon6 (8er. $:

'!, which helps to e9plain the e9pression. Babylon would be swamped by the sea of

nations and become a desert. In verse ' the call comes to lam and 1edia to go up and

besiege, helped to the spoil by treachery. =erses #"$, prophetically describe in the mostgraphic language the scenes of revelry, turning into confusion and terror, which are

described for us in -aniel $. &hen the prophet foresees a watchman, who from anoncoming chariot gets the tidings of the fall of Babylon, and announces it with a voice

lie the roar of a lion.

&he burden of -umah is compressed into very few words. He was, as *enesis '$:

shows, of the stoc of Ishmael, and 2eir was a dwelling"place of the sons of sau. &hese6burdens6 on the various peoples were bringing upon them a 6night6 of -ivine

displeasure. 3hat was the prospect that lay before them> &he answer was indeed

prophetic. morning was surely coming, but a night was coming also. &he morning will

be for those who fear *od and are sub%ect to Him: the night for those who are His foes.

In other scriptures very strong %udgment is pronounced against 2eir, but verse ' here

indicates that a door of mercy will open to them. If any have a desire to en5uire of *od

they may do so. nd if, as the result of en5uiry, any desire to return, they may do so.&hey are even invited to 6come.6 In these words we discern an indication and forecast of

that grace, which comes to light so fully in the 4ew &estament *ospel.

t the close of the chapter rabia comes under %udgment. -isaster should overtae them

too, but not in such overwhelming 6fashion as in the case of Babylon. &heir mighty menshould be 6diminished,6 and there should be a 6residue,6 and not a complete destruction.

It is striing that of all these burdens the one upon Babylon is the most complete without

any hope of recovery. 2o also in evelation 7 and D, the 61ystery6 Babylon is going to be completely destroyed and not a trace left.

But 8erusalem too must come under %udgment, as we see in Isaiah !! and here again, as

is so often the case, and particularly when Israel is in view, we find a double fulfilment

contemplated. &he prophet sees the city, once full of %oy, now full of misery and sorrow.It was 6the valley of vision,6 but now the vision had perished, and the valley was full of


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besieging chariots. nd in this dire emergency instead of turning to *od in repentance

and seeing His mercy, they busied themselves in taing all the measures of defence that

they new, and then settled down to en%oy themselves, even if death came on the morrow.

6@et us eat and drin for tomorrow we shall die6 is the recless cry of men who now

there is danger ahead, but are determined to have their fling before it arrives. &he postle?aul 5uoted these words in Corinthians $: #', showing that if this transient life were

all, and there were no resurrection of the dead, such a recless attitude might be %ustified.3e have come to an age in the world+s history when men are aware of awful dangers

ahead, and with no real faith in the resurrection world, this ancient saying is in control of

their lives. 3ith no fear of *od before their eyes, millions are determined to get all the pleasure possible out of life with the hope that death ends all. 3e are to be mared by a

spirit which is e9actly the opposite of this, and to be always abounding in the wor of the

@ord, nowing that there is the resurrection world, and that our labour is not in vain in the@ord.

@et us also remember that in an emergency it would be 5uite natural for us to do in principle what Israel was doing, as the enemy threatened them. &hey adopted what

looed lie wise military strategy instead of turning to *od, which would have involvedweeping, saccloth and repentance, such as mared 4ineveh in 8onah+s day. &he flesh in

us would prefer policy, that appears so wise, rather than penitence, that costs so much to

our pride.

&his thought is emphasised by the episode regarding 2hebna and liaim, recorded at theend of the chapter. 2hebna was a man with much riches passing through his hand for he

was the treasurer. &hus he had distinction in this life and building for himself 6a sepulchre

on high,6 he desired to perpetuate his memory when his life was over. 2elf"e9altation was

evidently his aim. He was re%ected, and *od would dispossess him so effectively that thechariots of his glory would turn out to be the shame of his lord+s house, as we see at the

end of verse D.

2hebna then was re%ected and liaim, whose name appears to mean, 6*od is setting up,6was to tae his place. &his transfer actually too place during the reign of He;eiah,

according to the word of the prophet, but we see in it a parable of what will tae place at

the end of the age, when the self"e9alting 6man of sin6 will be violently turned and tossedto destruction, and the once re%ected Christ shall be e9alted and established. Of Him

liaim, in this incident, was a faint type.

&his is evident when we read evelation #: 7, and note how our @ord claims for Himself

the very things that are said of liaim in verse '' of our chapter. He it is who is worthyto have the government laid upon His shoulder not only of 8erusalem and Israel but of the

whole universe. He it is who will hold the ey of -avid and will unloc and bring to light

and establish 6the sure mercies of -avid,6 of which we read in Isaiah $$. liaimdoubtless had a place of much authority under He;eiah, but the graphic and conclusive

figures, we find here, go far beyond him.


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4otice three things. First, the ey and the opening or shutting of the door, which no man

can reverse. 4o such door has ever yet been found under the control of mere man. &he

authority and power indicated is -ivine.

2econd, 6the nail in a sure place.6 3hat place on earth is sure> 3here has such a nail

been found> &he nail moreover is to be 6for a glorious throne to his father+s house,6 andto have 6all the glory of his father+s house6 hung upon him. *reat statements theseA &hey

only find proper fulfilment in our @ord 8esus Christ, for indeed, not only the glory off thehouse of -avid hangs upon Him, but also the glory of *od that is found in redemption.

But now, third, there comes the parado9. &he nail that is fastened in the sure place is to

6be removed, and be cut down and fall.6 Here surely we have one of those partly hiddenreferences to the re%ection and death of the 1essiah, which the Old &estament furnishes.

In the light of the 4ew &estament all becomes clear. He will be manifested as the 1aster

of every situation, and as the One upon whom everything hangs in the coming age, %ust

because,

6By weaness and defeat

He won the meed and crown.6

2o in the end of our chapter we have a reference prophetically to the removal of the man

of sin and the establishment of *od+s 1an " the 2on of 1an " in His e9cellence,

maintaining the glory of *od and the blessing of men.

&he series of burdens ends in Isaiah ! with 6&he burden of &yre.6 In those days this

very ancient city was the great centre of trade and commerce. &his is 5uite evident in

verse D of our chapter. In the days of -avid and 2olomon its ings had been veryfavourably disposed and helpful, but its great wealth and prosperity had wroughtcorruption, as seems always to be the case in this fallen world. In this chapter Isaiah

predicts a period of disaster and eclipse that should come upon the city, but with some

respite at the end of seventy years.

&he great 4ebuchadne;;ar laid siege to &yre and this is referred to in ;eiel '): D,

which speas of his having 6no wages6 for the long years he spent over it, for the &yrians

had time to remove all their treasure. 2till %udgment from *od did come on the proud and

rich and %oyous city, and her glory departed.

&he comparative mildness of the burden on &yre is accounted for, we believe, by the factthat it was not an oppressor of Israel. It presents to us a picture, not of the world as

oppressing and enslaving the people of *od, but as the scene of man+s successful and

opulent activities in forgetfulness and independence of *od.

&hus, in the chapters we have been considering, we have seen the world in all its aspects,

both secular and religious, brought under the %udgment of *od.


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%udgments are a few bright flashes of light, which direct our thoughts to the One in whom

is found the centre of all blessing"CHI2&.

Isaiah !4: 1-Isaiah !7: 1

&he last of these cities, upon which a 6burden6 rested, being disposed of, the propheticstrain moves on to mae nown in a more general way what would be the state of things

at the end of the age. It is a dar and sorrowful picture: the whole earth turned upside

down and the inhabitants scattered, no matter to what class they belonged. nd not onlyIsrael is in view, for though the closing accusations of verse $ may have special reference

to them, since laws and ordinances were specially given to them, the covenant of law,

given at 2inai, could not be termed 6everlasting.6 &he reference here is rather to thecovenant established with 4oah and the new world of nations of which he was the head,

according to *enesis ): ).

&he first ' verses of the chapter are filled with the gloom of earthly %udgments, but

when we reach verse # light begins to brea, for a remnant of *od"fearing ones isindicated, under the same figure as was used in Isaiah 7: . 2o that, even in the darest

hour, a note of praise will be sounded and *od will be acnowledged and honoured and

that in all parts, for 6the fires,6 is a poetic e9pression for the east, and 6isles of the sea6

for the west.

&hus *od will have His witnesses in all parts, though in the presence of abounding evil

and the %udgments of *od they may only be conscious of their leanness. &hus indeed it

ever is and must be with *od+s true servants. It is the false who spea of their fatness, as6rich and increased with goods.6 *od may empower His servants by His 2pirit, but they

are conscious of nothing but leanness in themselves.

=erses 7"'0, give us a graphic description of the terrible overturning of all human order

and institutions, that lies ahead. 2i9 times in these verses is 6the earth6 mentioned,referring rather to the established order and world"system of things than to the actual

earth"crust on which we live. ll will be violently shaen before they are removed by the

presence of the @ord.

&he three verses that close the chapter show the effect of His presence. 4ot only will punishment fall on the ings of the earth but also 6the host of the high ones . . . on high 6

will be %udged and 6shut up in the prison.6 3hat this means comes out more fully in the

boo of evelation, where we learn of 2atan and his angels being cast out of the heavens,

and then 2atan himself bound in the abyss, when the ings of the earth, under theleadership of the beast, are consigned to their doom. *od will %udge not only the nations

but also the 2atanic powers behind the nations. 3e get a glimpse of these powers in

-aniel 0: #, '0.

&hen shall be established a new order of things in the presence of which the very

institutions of heaven will be confounded, for 8ehovah of hosts will reign in glory 6before

His ancients.6 &his is a remarable word. He does not reign over His ancients when He


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reigns in Eion and 8erusalem, but before them. &hey are witnesses of His glory, and

remind us of the 6elders6 of evelation $. &he word here might be translated 6elders,6 we

understand, which confirms the thought.

nd, who is this 8ehovah of hosts> He is evidently 6the Jing of glory,6 but, as ?salm '

ass twice 63ho is this Jing of glory!6 3e now He is the One who bowed His sacredhead in death for our saes, according to ?salm ''. 2o our chapter ends with the power of

evil"both in its fountain head and in its ramifications" smitten from the earth and the @ord8esus enthroned at earth+s centre and reigning before the delighted eyes of His ancients.

4o wonder therefore that Isaiah !5 opens with a note of praise. &he @ord will then have

visibly done wonderful things, and His counsels of old will have been fulfilled infaithfulness and truth. 3hen these things come to pass it will be easy to sing the note of

praise, but it is our privilege as Christians to praise before they have come to pass: to"

62ing"till heaven and earth surprising,

eigns the 4a;arene alone.6

3hen the glad millennial day dawns it will mean the overthrow of man+s strong cities andof the terrible nations that built them. It will also mean the shelter and uplifting of the

godly remnant, as indicated in verse . 8ehovah will prove Himself to be for them 6a

refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat.6 3e turn to Isaiah #': '. and we find that

the same two things are to be found in a 1an: truly an e9traordinary statement, for anordinary man in a tornado is but the sport of the elements and no refuge at all. In very

deed, the 14 of chapter #' is no ordinary man, but to be identified with the 8ehovah of

our chapter. 3e now Him as the @ord 8esus Christ.

&he power of the great adversary, and of the nations who have become his tools, having been disposed of, full earthly blessing will be brought to pass, described as a feast of fat

things and of old, well"matured wine. It may have been to this that our @ord referred,

when He uttered the words recorded in 1atthew ': '). &he day of earthly %oy is coming,and it will e9tend to 6all peoples,6 for the word there is in the plural.


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indeed more so, since to us *od has been made nown in Christ in a far more intimate

way.

But this deliverance for the godly will involve the wor of %udgment upon the world ofthe ungodly, as verses $" show. *od is presented as the most 6Kpright6 One in verse 7.

He weighs the path of the %ust, which has a character in eeping with Himself. 2o, whilethe godly wait for His %udgments to be made manifest, His name is the ob%ect of their

desire and they are sustained by the remembrance of Him as He had been revealed tothem. &his saying is sometimes lined with Corinthians : ', '$, 6in remembrance of

1e,6 and not un%ustly, we thin. Only, their desires and remembrance will be directed to

One, who had made Himself nown to them in the past by deliverance through %udgment.3e remember the One who e9pressed -ivine love through death on our behalf, while our

desire goes out for His return in glory.

&his passage is in complete accord with the fact that the *ospel is being preached not to

convert the world but to gather out of it 6a people for His name6 (cts $: !. Favour

has been 6shewed to the wiced6 for over nineteen centuries, and unrighteousness is stillas rampant, if not more rampant, than ever. &he hour approaches when *od+s %udgments

will be let loose in all the earth, and then at last those who come out of the %udgments willhave learned righteousness. =erse 0 also shows that what is wrong is not merely man+s

circumstances but man himself. ?ut 6the wiced6 into 6the land of uprightness6 and still

6will he deal un%ustly.6 1any an ardent Communist or 2ocialist agitates, and labours toimprove the conditions under which the masses of manind live, under the mistaen

notion that granted right conditions all would be well. &he fact is that the root of the evil

lies in man, and the wrong conditions have been created by him. ?ut fallen man in his

unconverted state into the most ideal conditions and he will overturn and mar them.

In verses '"D, the prophet addresses the @ord on behalf of the remnant who fear Him.He confesses what a redeemed Israel will be brought to confess in the coming day. &he

peace that they then will en%oy is wholly the wor of *od. &hey will no longer spea oftheir wors but of the wors He had wrought on their behalf. &hen as a result of this they

are delivered from the old idolatrous powers that formerly forded it over them. 4o other

name but that of 8ehovah will be on their lips, and the very memory of their dead idols

will have perished. &hen they confess that only under the chastisements that *od inflictedon them, have they turned to Him and been increased. &heir own efforts produced no

deliverance for themselves nor for the earth.

=erses )"', give the answer of *od to this prayer of confession. 6&hy dead shall live,

1y dead bodies shall arise6 (4ew &rans.!. Here we have in a brief statement what isgiven in more detail in ;eiel #7, and alluded to in -aniel ': ' " the national reviving

of Israel, when *od raises up and gathers His elect. &hey had been dwelling 6in dust6"or,

as it is put in -aniel, sleeping 6in the dust of the earth6"they were to awae and sing It isworthy of note that, when proving to the 2adducees from 2cripture the fact of the

resurrection, our @ord did not 5uote these scriptures but went bac to His words to

1oses.


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&hough many 8ews are now bac in the land of their fathers this national reviving of a

spiritual sort has not yet come to pass, nor will it until 6the indignation,6 of verse '0 has

taen place. 3e identify the 6indignation6 with the 6great tribulation6 of 1atthew ': 'which in its most intense form will fall upon the 8ew, though 6all the world6 (ev. #: 0!,

will come under the stroe. &he *od"fearing remnant, owned here as 61y people,6 are

called upon to hide themselves during that terrible period, and this anticipates the fullerinstructions given by the @ord in 1atthew ': $"'.

&he severity of that hour and its world"wide effects are stated in the last verse of our

chapter. For well"nigh two thousand years the @ord has been in His place of mercy

towards rebellious man. &hen it is said, 6&he @ord cometh out of His place to punish,6not the 8ew only but 6the inhabitants of the earth6 generally. 8udgment is spoen of as His

6strange6 wor, but it will come to pass in its season, and we must never forget it. Israel+s

revival will tae place when the tribulation is over. &he believer today may loo to betaen out of the very 6hour6 of the coming tribulation, according to evelation #: 0.

Isaiah !7 continues the theme in somewhat poetic language. 4ote how four times isrepeated the phrase, 6In that day.6 8udgment in the first place will reach the evil power

that lies beneath the restless 6sea6 of nations. &his 6dragon6 that is in the sea can be noother than 2atan, and evelation no reveals how he will be dealt with. &hen at last Israel

will be no longer a fruitless vine but rather 6 vineyard of red wine.6 &hen peace will

ensue and Israel will be lie a tree that is full of blossom, and fill the face of the worldwith fruit becoming what *od from the outset intended them to be. &his will never come

to pass as the result of their efforts. &hey will have to fulfil what is said at the beginning

of verse $, 6let him tae hold of 1y strength.6

=erses 7" however, show that this desirable end will only be reached when *od brings

to a finish His governmental %udgments upon that people. &here is 6the ini5uity of 8acob6which will have to be purged from them by these severe dealings from the hand of *od.


28/93

centuries: as publicly shall they be recovered, restored and blessed, when *od+s wor

with them and in them is brought to completion. &hen at last in the holy mount at

8erusalem they shall give to the @ord that worship which is His due. 3hat a day that will beA

But how privileged are we, Christians, who may worship *od revealed as Father, while praise is still silent in Eion. 3e worship today in spirit and in truth presently *od will be

addressed as 6&hou that inhabitest the praises of Israel6 (?s. '': #!.

Isaiah !8: 1-Isaiah 5: 1(

Having recorded this prediction of the gathering from lands of affliction to 8erusalem of a

remnant, who shall worship the @ord there, the prophet again reverted to the denunciation

of the e9isting state of the people. nd first phraim, that is, the ten tribes, came beforehim"verses "#. &hey were debased as drunards and yet wore pride as a crown. gainst

them the @ord would bring 6a mighty and strong one,6 lie a devastating storm or flood"

doubtless the ssyrian army.


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But while mercy brings a solid foundation in blessing for the believer, it involves

%udgment for the unbeliever, as the subse5uent verses show. 6I will appoint %udgment for

a line, and righteousness for a plummet6 (4ew &rans.!, and this results in the hail of*od+s %udgment sweeping away the refuges of lies and the covenants with death that men

mae. &his came to pass for Israel shortly after Isaiah+s day, and it will come to pass on a

world"wide scale at the end of this age, though %udgment is declared to be *od+s 6strangewor6 (verse '!.

&he latter verses of our chapter spea thus of the unsparing %udgments of *od, described

as 6a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth,6 so they are not to be confined

to Israel. &his shows indeed that the end of the age is mainly in view, and the figure usedin verses '#"'), indicates that the harvest of %udgment to be reaped is the result of the

ploughing and sowing that has preceded it on man+s part.

Isaiah !9 continues this solemn strain. &he city where -avid dwelt was once riel,

meaning 6&he lion of *od,6 but it was to be brought low. &hough He;eiah, a godly ing

was either on the throne, or shortly to ascend it, the state of the people was as describedin verses )"#. &heir eyes were closed to *od and to His word. 4either the learned nor

the unlearned had any reference to His word, and any fear *odward that possessed themwas taught 6by the precept of men.6 Conse5uently their religion was mere lip"profession

without heart"reality, and therefore offensive to *od. 4o wonder that %udgment came

from the hand of *od.

nd thus it always must be. 3e find the postle ?aul alluding to this scripture in cts #:, for he spoe of prophets"in the plural"and so he did not only have Habau : $ in

his mind. If men close their eyes against the light and turn things upside down, they have

to reap the fruit of their ways. How much of today+s religion is %ust a matter of drawing

near to *od with the mouth while the heart is far away from Him> @et each of us %udgeourselves as to this matter.

&hough %udgment against riel was e9ecuted soon after Isaiah+s day, yet the terms of the

prophecy go far beyond that, for the destruction of her foes is plainly announced in verse7, and again at the end of the chapter. &he adversary will be %udged, and those amongst

themselves who were watching for ini5uity and maing a man an offender for a word,

will be cut off. &his will only come to pass at the end of the age, and then the name of the*od of Israel will be feared and sanctified, and those that erred shall be rightly taught.

But at the moment the people had to be called 6rebellious children6 (Isa. (: 1!, and the

prophet recurs to what they were doing at that time. He said of them, 6who tae counsel,

but not of 1e, and who mae leagues, but not by 1y 2pirit6 (4ew &rans.!. &hey wererelying on gypt, instead of turning to the @ord, and they are plainly told that gypt

would be a shame and a reproach instead of any profit to them. In the 4ew &ranslation

the latter part of verse 7 runs, 6therefore have I named her, rrogance, that doethnothing6 with a note that the word used is 6ahab6 which has that meaning.


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trouble. If they did this, the @ord would intervene on their behalf and the ssyrian be

destroyed.

But how should all this be accomplished> Isaiah ! furnishes the answer, *od+s Jingwould appear, reigning in righteousness, and a new order of things be established. 3e are

carried bac in thought to Isaiah , where Christ was presented as the 62hoot6 out of8esse in His 1anhood, and as the 6oot6 out of which 8esse sprang, as to His -eity. He is

to be Jing, and in verse ' His 1anhood is specially emphasised, befitting the fact that asJing He is characteri;ed by the seven"fold 2pirit of 8ehovah, of whom He is the visible

epresentative.

&his world has indeed been swept by tempests of 2atanic power, since he is 6the prince of the power of the air.6 In spite of all man+s cleverness it has proved itself to be 6a dry

place,6 devoid of real refreshment, and also 6a weary land,6 where men spend their lives

chasing what proves to be emptiness. &he futility of 1an+s efforts is being manifested

daily, and the cry from many may be summari;ed as 63anted a manA6 2atan+s man will

first appear, bringing evil to a clima9, but to be destroyed by the 1an of *od+s purpose,who will fulfil this word. He will introduce the three things indicated"sal+ation"

satis,action, and rein+i&oration in a land no longer weary but rather restful.

If verse ' gives a lovely picture of what Christ in ingly power will be, verses # and reveal that there will be a wor wrought in the souls of those who will enter these

millennial scenes and en%oy the blessedness of the reign of Christ. &hey will have become

a people of clear vision, of opened ears, of understanding hearts, and of plain and forcefulspeech. Observe the order. It is %ust the same today. First apprehension then heart

understanding and lastly the plain e9pression of what is believed, for out of the

abundance of the heart the mouth speaeth.

But the fact that grace will so wor in the hearts of some must mae more manifest theevil that will still control many others, and of this the succeeding verses spea. Other

scriptures show us that such will come under %udgment and not enter the ingdom.

In view of these predictions the prophet now maes an appeal to the people of his own

day, addressing it to those on whom the lesser responsibility rests. &he men of the nationwere mainly responsible, but the women too were careless and ease"loving, and upon

them also the sorrows would fall until *od intervened, not only by Christ, the Jing

reigning in righteousness, but also by the outpouring of the 2pirit from on high, of which8oel in his prophecy speas more specifically.

&hus in this chapter we have brought together both what will be established e9ternally by

Christ as Jing and 2aviour, and what will be wrought internally by the poured out 2pirit.

&hen indeed peace, 5uietness and assurance for ever will be reached as the wor andeffect of righteousness. &hese things men are seeing today, but they have not got the

secure basis on which they can be established. &hey will come in the future age, but

while we wait for that, we who believe en%oy t

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