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Isaiah 61 Waves of Blessing in the Book of Isaiah
They shall
build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, J. Thompson The book of
Isaiah is a hope-driven look at the sins of Israel, the Babylonian captivity, and the promise of
freedom from Babylon and other enemies, when Israel’s exiles return to their
homeland and to a renewed relationship with God. Israel’s
unfaithfulness, judgment, God’s faithfulness to his covenant, and the
regathering of Israel are recurring themes, and apply on more than one level.
They apply to the sins of the Israelites leading to their Babylonian
punishment, scattering, and regathering, and they have a longer-range meaning
to their Roman punishment, diaspora, regathering, future blessings, and kingdom
joys. In both cases the waves of judgment culminate in overwhelming waves of
blessing. There are
also important lessons in Isaiah for spiritual Israel, and nominal spiritual
Israel, but this article examines the prophecies as they relate to natural Israel.
In this respect the prophet Isaiah represents Christ and the church witnessing
to and comforting Israel. Cyrus, the deliverer of Israel, represents the Christ
in glory as their deliverer. Isaiah 61 will be used as a spring-board to
introduce some of the themes of the book. Layers of
Fulfillment Isaiah 61:1
is an example of how prophecies carry layers of fulfillment. The spirit of God
anointed Isaiah to preach the good tidings of Israel’s return from captivity in Babylon. In the
next layer the spirit of God was upon Christ as he preached to the
brokenhearted prisoners of sin who would become his bride (Luke 4:18). The
anointed followers of Christ then share in his anointing to preach the gospel
and free others who would join the church class. In the ultimate layer, the
spirit of God is upon the glorified Christ as they disseminate truth, heal, and
bring freedom from sin and death to Israel and the whole human family in the
kingdom. The waves of
blessing, one leading to another, are seen also in Revelation 22:17. The
receiver of the blessing blesses others, and those who are blessed go on to
bless others: “The spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let him who heareth
[the invitation of the Bride] say, ‘Come!’ [and spread the invitation to drink
of the water of life freely].” Every blessing we receive equips us to share the
blessing so that it can be passed on and on and on. In the
ultimate sense the Christ is anointed to proclaim the day of vengeance on
Israel’s enemies, the day of deliverance of Israel, which is a precursor to the
blessing of all the nations. “The day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the
year of my redeemed is come” (Isaiah 63:4). “It is the day of the LORD‘s vengeance, and the year of
recompenses for the controversy of Zion” (Isaiah 34:8; 35:1-5). Ripples of
righteous judgment flow on and on until they culminate in waves of blessing
that wash over all the world. The result of
the blessing of the Christ on Israel will be that the purified remnant of the
nation of Israel will be nurtured by Christ and grow in strength of character
to become strong and established in righteousness. They will be part of the
rebuilding process of the kingdom, the literal and symbolic rebuilding of
cities, and of relationships that have been devastated by sin and evil. The
Blessing Beginning in Israel Spreads to the Nations “They will
be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the
ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the
ruined cities that have been devastated for generations” (Isaiah 61:3-4, NIV). The
Israelites will be called “priests of the LORD”
(Isaiah 61:6) because they will share the blessings they receive with others so
that the people of the nations may also experience a personal relationship with
God and Christ through the New Covenant. Imagine the joy as more and more
people come into heart harmony with the one who can satisfy the deepest needs
and longings of the human heart. This
universal blessing is spoken of in Isaiah 2:2,3 also. In the last days the
ruling power of the Christ will be recognized as supreme, “and all nations
shall flow unto it.” People will realize their need for God and will invite
others to “go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob.” The teaching and spiritual instruction will
flow from Zion and Jerusalem. Isaiah 11:10
adds that “in that day” Christ on the throne of David, as ruler of Israel, will
stand as an inspiration for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his
place of rest, Israel. Those who join her will be glorious, and “the outcasts
of Israel” will be gathered “from the four corners of the earth” (verse 12).
Isaiah 19:18 may suggest cities in Egypt, even one known for evil and
destruction, will speak Hebrew and swear allegiance to God in spite of their
history. Isaiah 26
says a song of praise will be sung in Israel, and the opportunity to share her
covenant and blessing will be open to any nation that seeks righteousness
(verses 1 and 2). Israel will be enlarged by the increase of its population,
and by the influx of nations who join her covenant. It will all be to God’s
glory (verse 15). Every knee
shall bow and every tongue confess, realizing that God and Christ are the only
authority and source of strength. The descendants of Israel, including the
nations who join her, will become righteous and rejoicing (Isaiah 45:23-25).
All will be invited to satisfy their spiritual thirst and be blessed by “sure
mercies” given David, and nations that formerly had no respect for Israel will
come to her for a blessing (Isaiah 55:1,3,5). Isaiah 56
promises “the son of the stranger that hath joined himself to the LORD” will be blessed, “for mine house
shall be called an house of prayer for all people” (verses 3 and 7). A promise
is included to the eunuchs, cut off without posterity in the Holocaust or other
times of persecution: “I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be
cut off” (verse 5). Israel will
nurture the nations with love and tenderness, as a mother nurtures her child
(Isaiah 66:10-14). “In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and
blossom and fill all the world with fruit” (Isaiah 27:6, NIV). People
Will Voluntarily Support Israel Other
peoples will help in the process of rebuilding and upbuilding. “Aliens will
shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards” (Isaiah
61:5; 60:10,11, NIV). They will
come to Israel still chained in the habit of sin, pay respect to Israel,
confess God’s care for that nation, and that he is the only God. “Surely God is
in thee; and there is none else, there is no [other] God” (Isaiah 45:14). Foreign
nations will support and honor Israel, “kings shall be thy nursing fathers …
they shall bow down to thee” (Isaiah 49:23). Former persecutors will turn to
suppliants. “The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending, and
… shall call thee, The city of the LORD”
(Isaiah 60:14). The blessing Israel gives to others will be reciprocated
(Isaiah 60:10-16), and “they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto
the LORD out of all nations”
(Isaiah 66:19,20). Anti-Semitism
Destroyed Instead of
humiliation, prejudice, and hatred Israel will experience everlasting joy, and
“All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed” (Isaiah 61:9, NIV). “Although you have been forsaken
and hated, with no one traveling through, I will make you the everlasting pride
and the joy of all generations” (Isaiah 60:15, NIV). “He will
remove the reproach of his people [anti-Semitism] from all the earth” (Isaiah
25:8, NASB). “The hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain [Jerusalem],
but Moab [the enemy of Israel] will be trampled under him … they will spread
out their hands in it, as a swimmer spreads out his hands to swim. [But] God
will bring down their pride, despite the cleverness of their hands” (Isaiah
25:10,11, NIV). The spirit of
reproach will be crushed. Though some will resist honoring Israel, “swimming”
away from the will of God, the Lord will penetrate their prejudice and remove
their hate. False
Doctrines Removed In Isaiah 63
Christ glorified is pictured as symbolically treading grapes in a winepress.
But the purpose of this treading is not to make wine. The usual process is
interrupted and the blood of the grapes is poured upon the earth (Isaiah 63:6).
The wine—the teachings of Edom—are made ineffective. There is a similar picture
in Isaiah 34:4-7; the false sacrifices of Edom (Christendom) are slain and the
blood is poured on the land. The context
of Isaiah 63 suggests the treading of the winepress is done on behalf of Israel
(of course, on another level the prophecy applies to retribution for sins
against spiritual Israel—Revelation 5:10; 19:14). Edom was an enemy of Israel,
and Satan used the teachings of the nominal systems to undermine both the
spiritual and natural seed of blessing. After the
treading of Isaiah 63:1-6, Isaiah records a prayer of praise by the faithful
remnant of Israel for deliverance and God’s commitment to them despite the
nation’s history of rebellion. The faithful remnant remember the days of old
when God delivered his people through Moses (Isaiah 63:11). They plead
for deliverance in the last battle at a time when it appears God has
abandoned them: “Look down from heaven … where is thy zeal and thy strength …
thy mercies … are they restrained? … our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary,
[but] we are thine” (Isaiah 63:15-19). The treading
of the winepress interrupts the teachings of Christendom. In this debacle the
blood symbolically flows upward “to the horse bridles” (Revelation 14:20),
which thereafter bring
praise to God rather than misrepresentation (Zechariah 14:20, margin).
The doctrines of Scripture, misdirected by Christendom, will be redirected in
the kingdom. Doctrines such as hell fire, immortality of the soul, “replacement
theology” whereby Israel is devoid of the prophetic promises of God, pass away
as the credibility of Christendom is shattered. The old doctrines will no
longer be imbibed by any. “The LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of
retribution, to uphold Zion’s cause” (Isaiah 34:8, NIV). Following the winepress the teachings of Babylon will
be recognized for what they are, and Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch
(Isaiah 34:9,10). After this the kingdom blessings of Isaiah 35 begin in
Israel, as shown by reference to Lebanon, Carmel, and Sharon (Isaiah 35:2). Satan’s
Rulership Exposed The former
travesty and cruelty of Satan’s rulership will be seen for what it really has
been —a temporary permission of evil whose sorrow will fade compared to the
kingdom joys. The Lord will give rest from pain, turmoil, and harsh service, in
which Satan has enslaved Israel and the nations. In Isaiah 14 Satan is
represented as the King of Babylon, “which in anger struck down peoples with
unceasing blows, and in fury subdued nations with relentless aggression” (Isaiah 14:6, NIV). But “on the
day the LORD gives you relief
from suffering and turmoil and cruel bondage … All the lands are at rest and at
peace; they break into singing” (Isaiah 14:3,7). Words of praise to God will
come from Israel and the nations, for their deliverance. “O LORD, Thou art my God; I will exalt
Thee, I will give thanks to Thy name; for Thou hast worked wonders, plans
formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness. For Thou hast made a city into a
heap, a fortified city into a ruin … Therefore a strong people will glorify
Thee; cities of ruthless nations will revere Thee … The song of the ruthless is
silenced” (Isaiah 25:1-5, NASB). All will
then recognize that the rule of God and Christ alone deserve honor, and the
former governments will never rise again. “Other lords … have had dominion over
us … They are dead, they shall not live: they are deceased, they shall not
rise” (Isaiah 26:13,14). Isaiah
33:17-22 assures us Israel, and eventually all, will recognize the beauty of
Messiah: “Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty” (verse 17). They will
ponder the former experiences of terror and see it only as a memory, with no
more power to sting or destroy. “Thine heart shall meditate terror … thou shalt
not see a fierce people … thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation”
(verses 18-20). Transformation
of Heart This change
in rulership and perception will be accompanied by a transformation in the
heart of man. Both the animal creation and the animal in the heart of man will
be tamed. “He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath
of his lips he will slay the wicked … The wolf will live with the lamb, the
leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion yearling together,
and a little child will lead them” (Isaiah 11:3-6). There will
be no more tendencies to prey upon the weak. People will live in harmony, led
by the child-like qualities of gentleness and innocence. God will accomplish
what he promised, bringing joy and peace to Israel and the world. The hurtful
thorn bush will be replaced by the beauty of the pine (Isaiah 60:13); briers of
neglect (Isaiah 5:6) will be replaced by the fragrant, flourishing vitality of
the evergreen myrtle (Isaiah 55:11-13). A close
relationship with God and Christ will create harmony, displacing the former predatory tendencies.
Satan’s disobedience will never be forgotten: “The wolf and the lamb shall feed
together … and dust shall be the serpent’s meat” (Isaiah 65:25). New Life In Isaiah
61:10,11, Isaiah returns to the first person, as he began the chapter in verses
1 and 2. God equipped Isaiah with the spirit (verse 1) and with garments of
salvation (verse 10). Both the anointing and the garments equip the greater
Isaiah, the Christ, to bring spiritual regeneration to Israel and the world
(compare verse 3 and verse 11). Verse 10
expresses the church’s joy, clothed “with garments of salvation … wrapped … in
a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a
bride adorns herself with her jewels” (NASB).
Her garments identify her as one who has been delivered and will deliver
others. These garments are associated with a wedding, and the Bride of Christ
will bring new life to Israel and the nations. Verse 11 describes that holy
outcome: “As the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes the
things sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD
will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations” (NASB). Other
Pictures Isaiah
6:1-13 shows the holiness of God and our own undone condition, but we are cleansed
with a coal from the altar and equipped to carry God’s message, to preach
regardless of the response. “This [coal] hath touched thy lips; and thine
iniquity is taken away … go, and tell this people … until the cities be wasted without inhabitant,
and the houses without man” (verses 7-11). Verse 10
says the people will be blind, and this blindness for Israel lasts through the
diaspora until the holy seed, Christ and his Bride, deliver the faithful
remnant, the substance and vitality of Israel. “In it shall be a tenth, and it
shall return … as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them … so
the holy seed shall be the substance thereof” (verse 13). In Isaiah
21:6-12 the watchmen represent a spiritual class, equipped with a message for
Israel, but also others, during this Gospel age. They report the advance of
Christ’s “army” and the stages of Babylon’s fall, speaking to his threshed
and afflicted people Israel. One from Mt. Seir asks how near is the dawn of
redemption, and our answer is “deliverance comes, but also judgment.” The Lord
will not be silent. He speaks through his “remembrancers,” watchmen whom he appointed to speak
truth (Isaiah 62:6,7), until Israel is delivered and recognized by the world
(Isaiah 62:1-5). In Isaiah
52:7-10 the message to Israel is that Christ has taken kingly control, and we
can joyfully proclaim what we see with our own eyes: the LORD restores Zion, favor has returned
to Israel, and the deliverance continues until all nations recognize it. Our Great
Hope We have a great hope and privilege before us. Waves of blessing have come over us, and we can send out these waves to those who touch our lives, to Israel, and the human family as a witness and comfort now and as a deliverer in the regeneration. May we be in heart harmony with his judgments and with his will to use us as the mouthpiece of both judgment and blessing. The ultimate fulfillment of prophecy will be in a wave of overwhelming blessing for all. Let the waves keep crashing! |