(Part II – Looking Beyond the Captivities)
(The prophecies in the previous chapters of the Book of Isaiah (Part I) covered the major events that occurred during the dispensation of the Law (6th Dispensation). This included everything leading up to Pentecost and everything after the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church. Specifically, the prophecies focused on the coming captivity as well as the Tribulation and Millennium. The rest of the Book of Isaiah (Part II) only referred to deliverance from captivity and beyond. There were no prophecies focused on the coming captivity. The only prophecies that have been fulfilled in Part II concerned deliverance from the coming captivity and Christ's appearance. The overwhelming majority of the prophecies in the following chapters are yet to be fulfilled. It seemed that Hezekiah's prayer (historical interlude) may have established the causes that allowed God to speak more specifically about the 6th Dispensation, about events of Christ's time on earth. Also, Part II of the Book of Isaiah can be seen as three sections of nine chapters each. This first section covered prophecies from deliverance to eternity.)
Isaiah 40
1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she hath received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins.
3 The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God.
(John the Baptist - Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4, and John 1:23.)
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain:
5 and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it.
6 The voice of one saying, Cry. And one said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field.
(This "voice" was not the one mentioned in verse 3 but a voice that Isaiah himself heard.)
7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass.
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever.
(Physical things, including the flesh of man, will pass away but God's Word will stand forever. 1 Peter 1:25 referenced the previous three verses.)
9 O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up on a high mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your God!
(The "good tidings" was the Gospel. The Gospel was Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.)
10 Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him: Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.
11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and will gently lead those that have their young.
(Christ's Millennial and eternal dominion and leadership. Christ will reign as a shepherd, He will serve His Church…His Bride.)
12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
13 Who hath directed the Spirit of Jehovah, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
14 With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?
(Who could teach God or show Him understanding? One conclusion in the Book of Job was: Do not think that you (man) could teach God anything. Teaching brought understanding. Everything that existed was understood by God.)
15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are accounted as the small dust of the balance: Behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering.
17 All the nations are as nothing before him; they are accounted by him as less than nothing, and vanity.
18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
(A challenge to compare anyone or anything to God…)
19 The image, a workman hath cast it, and the goldsmith overlayeth it with gold, and casteth for it silver chains.
20 He that is too impoverished for such an oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a skilful workman to set up a graven image, that shall not be moved.
21 Have ye not known? have yet not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is he that sitteth above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;
23 that bringeth princes to nothing; that maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
24 Yea, they have not been planted; yea, they have not been sown; yea, their stock hath not taken root in the earth: moreover he bloweth upon them, and they wither, and the whirlwind taketh them away as stubble.
25 To whom then will ye liken me, that I should be equal to him? saith the Holy One.
(There was none like God. None could be justly compared to Him and none was equal to Him.)
26 Lift up your eyes on high, and see who hath created these, that bringeth out their host by number; he calleth them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and for that he is strong in power, not one is lacking.
(God appealed to His creation as proof of His existence.)
27 Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from Jehovah, and the justice due to me is passed away from my God?
28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard? The everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary; there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to him that hath no might he increaseth strength.
(God gave us strength in our weakness: 2 Corinthians 12:9.)
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 but they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.
(Those who "wait" on God had faith in God. The word wait meant "to twist; to bind." In order for me to experience the awesome things God promises in this verse, I must first bind myself to Him.)
Isaiah 41
1 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the peoples renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak; let us come near together to judgment.
(God was speaking to the coastal lands of Palestine, Egypt, Asia Minor, etc. to be silent and come near judgment because Cyrus was coming to overthrow them. Cyrus was the son of Esther and the king that gave the decree to rebuild Jerusalem: Ezra 1.)
2 Who hath raised up one from the east, whom he calleth in righteousness to his foot? he giveth nations before him, and maketh him rule over kings; he giveth them as the dust to his sword, as the driven stubble to his bow.
(Cyrus was the one raised up from the east. He was called righteous because he did right by carrying out God’s Will in punishing the enemies of Israel.)
3 He pursueth them, and passeth on safely, even by a way that he had not gone with his feet.
4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last, I am he.
(God was the First, the Present, and the Last. God is eternal.)
5 The isles have seen, and fear; the ends of the earth tremble; they draw near, and come.
6 They help every one his neighbor; and every one saith to his brother, Be of good courage.
7 So the carpenter encourageth the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smiteth the anvil, saying of the soldering, It is good; and he fasteneth it with nails, that it should not be moved.
(The islands would unite against Cyrus. Their how was to encourage each other to build idols and worship their own gods.)
8 But thou, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend,
9 thou whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from the corners thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee and not cast thee away;
10 Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
(God assured Israel that He was with them. Whatever the enemies of Israel were doing in their own strength would not undo the judgment coming against them.)
11 Behold, all they that are incensed against thee shall be put to shame and confounded: they that strive with thee shall be as nothing, and shall perish.
12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contend with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
(The enemies of Israel would be "as nothing.")
13 For I, Jehovah thy God, will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith Jehovah, and thy Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
15 Behold, I have made thee to be a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth; thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.
16 Thou shalt winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them; and thou shalt rejoice in Jehovah, thou shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17 The poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst; I, Jehovah, will answer them, I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
(God promised to provide for those in need.)
18 I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
19 I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the fir-tree, the pine, and the box-tree together:
(God did these things (verses 17-19) so...)
20 that they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of Jehovah hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
(…they may see, know, consider, and understand that God had done this and created it.)
(Verses 21-29: The unprofitability of idols. God asked them to give their why.)
21 Produce your cause, saith Jehovah; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
22 Let them bring forth, and declare unto us what shall happen: declare ye the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or show us things to come.
23 Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.
(The idols were told to predict future events, to speak prophecy.)
24 Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work is of nought; an abomination is he that chooseth you.
25 I have raised up one from the north, and he is come; from the rising of the sun one that calleth upon my name: and he shall come upon rulers as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay.
(Again, Cyrus was the one God raised up.)
26 Who hath declared it from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is right? yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that showeth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.
27 I am the first that saith unto Zion, Behold, behold them; and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.
28 And when I look, there is no man: even among them there is no counsellor, that, when I ask of them, can answer a word.
29 Behold, all of them, their works are vanity and nought; their molten images are wind and confusion.
(Idols were unprofitable, their works were nothing, they brought confusion: no why.)
Isaiah 42
(Verses 1-4: The office of Christ. See Matthew 12:18-20.)
1 Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delighteth: I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
(Christ would have the Holy Spirit on Him. He brought Justice to all people, not only the Jews.)
2 He will not cry, nor lift up his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.
(Christ would speak for the Right reason (why) and in the Right way (how). It would not be for glory of man as those who cried out in the streets in Christ's example from Matthew 6.)
3 A bruised reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not quench: he will bring forth justice in truth.
(Christ would bring Justice for the Right reason and in the Right way. Christ only spoke and acted in truth.)
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set justice in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law.
(Christ fulfilled everything He was called to do by God the Father.)
5 Thus saith God Jehovah, he that created the heavens, and stretched them forth; he that spread abroad the earth and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
6 I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
(All people were called by God. It was not God's fault if we did not answer His call. It is man's responsibility to answer God's call.)
7 to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.
(These were actions that Christ fulfilled while on earth and after His death. Christ led captivity captive: Ephesians 4:8-10.)
8 I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images.
9 Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.
10 Sing unto Jehovah a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth; ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein, the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.
(An encouragement to praise God and give glory to Him.)
11 Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit; let the inhabitants of Sela sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory unto Jehovah, and declare his praise in the islands.
13 Jehovah will go forth as a mighty man; he will stir up his zeal like a man of war: he will cry, yea, he will shout aloud; he will do mightily against his enemies.
(Christ will come a second time and bring judgment against His enemies.)
14 I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry out like a travailing woman; I will gasp and pant together.
(The first time Christ came to earth He did not judge or condemn: John 3:17.)
15 I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools.
16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not; in paths that they know not will I lead them; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things will I do, and I will not forsake them.
17 They shall be turned back, they shall be utterly put to shame, that trust in graven images, that say unto molten images, Ye are our gods.
18 Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.
19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I send? who is blind as he that is at peace with me, and blind as Jehovah's servant?
20 Thou seest many things, but thou observest not; his ears are open, but he heareth not.
(The focus went back towards Israel and their error.)
21 It pleased Jehovah, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify the law, and make it honorable.
22 But this is a people robbed and plundered; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison-houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.
23 Who is there among you that will give ear to this? that will hearken and hear for the time to come?
(God wanted to know who of His people would heed to His Word.)
24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not Jehovah? he against whom we have sinned, and in whose ways they would not walk, neither were they obedient unto his law.
(God gave Israel for a spoil and to robbers in response to Justice.)
25 Therefore he poured upon him the fierceness of his anger, and the strength of battle; and it set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.
(This verse showed how a heart was hardened from the outside, like Pharaoh's. The fire came from the outside and the individual chose to harden their heart and not let God's judgment affect their heart.)
(This post covered prophecies from deliverance to eternity.)
Day 215
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