A Commentary on Isaiah, Part 24: The City of God

A Commentary on Isaiah, Part 24: The City of God

Describing the words of the prophet in the opening verses of Isaiah chapter 25 as we had discussed them in our last presentation, The Wonder of Seeing, the prophet had explained that when the people saw the destruction of the city, which continues to be a reference to the burden of Tyre that had begun in Isaiah chapter 23, that they would know that God is true, speaking in reference to those who had His Word in the first place. Therefore upon seeing the prophesied judgment, they should exalt God and praise His Name. This evokes the words of the 64th Psalm, attributed to David, where he wrote of men who witness the judgment of God and said: “9 And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing. 10 The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.” So the righteous should be glad when they see, or even understand, the judgment of Yahweh whenever it is executed in the earth. Here in Isaiah chapter 26, the then-future destruction of Tyre remains in view, from Isaiah’s perspective, and now it shall be set in contrast to Jerusalem. However the Jerusalem portrayed here is not necessarily the Jerusalem of Isaiah’s time.

The destruction of ancient Jerusalem had already been prophesied in earlier chapters of Isaiah, and especially in chapters 3 through 5 and chapter 10, but as recently as chapter 22 and the burden of The Valley of Vision. While Yahweh had explicitly protected Jerusalem from the siege of the Assyrians in the time of Hezekiah, which we shall also see here in later chapters of Isaiah, there are also further prophecies of its ultimate destruction. However before that destruction was fulfilled, there were even later promises that Jerusalem would be rebuilt, and that it would remain at least until the coming of the Messiah, which is evident in Daniel chapter 9, whereas here it was stated that Tyre would not be rebuilt. As we have asserted, while there may have been structures at the site of ancient Tyre in later times, it was certainly not the same as the ancient city, simply because the land was occupied once again.

So even in the prophesy of the destruction of Tyre, here in Isaiah chapter 23, we read that “15… Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot” and “17 … it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.” Likewise, the destruction of ancient Jerusalem would last for only seventy years, as we read in Jeremiah chapter 29: “10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.” Then when the fulfillment of the seventy years which Jeremiah had prophesied had approached, where he refers to Darius, which is a title for the king of Persia, we read in Daniel chapter 9: “2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”

Daniel was then shown a vision, later in that same chapter, where we read that “24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” This is an explicit Messianic prophesy, and after some details of those seventy weeks are described quite briefly, where the coming of “the Messiah the Prince” was announced before the conclusion of the seventy weeks, although those weeks were divided into two periods, we read of the second, longer period: “26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” The “people of the prince” in that passage were the people of Messiah the prince: the Romans who would come and destroy Jerusalem and its chiefly Idumean defenders. There is explicit language explaining that it was Edomites who attempted to defend Jerusalem from the Romans, in Josephus’ Wars of the Judaeans, Book 4. [1]

There is a purpose for these digressions. Here we would assert that these chapters in Isaiah discussing the burden of Tyre are a prophecy parallel to that of Daniel, announcing the coming of the Messiah. This is evident, where we read in Isaiah chapter 23 that “6 … in this mountain [referring to Zion] shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. 7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.” 

As Paul of Tarsus had explained in 2 Corinthians chapter 3, Yahshua Christ destroyed the vail spread over the eyes of the children of Israel, so that once they had the Gospel of Christ, then reading Moses they would be able to understand his words. This we had described as the wonder of seeing, and it is also attested to by Matthew, in chapter 13 of his Gospel where he had written that Christ had spoken to the multitude in parables “ 35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.” The reference in Matthew is apparently to the 78th Psalm, a psalm attributed to Asaph, in which we read, from the Septuagint version as it is translated by Brenton: “2 I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter dark sayings which have been from the beginning.” But we would omit the phrase “which have been”, since Brenton had added those words to the text, and they differ from Matthew’s understanding of the passage. With this, Paul had also agreed, as he wrote in 1 Corinthians chapter 2: “7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.” However the things of which he had spoken are no longer mysteries, since, speaking of Christians, Paul then wrote: “9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” 

The Word of Yahweh had said, at the very end of Isaiah chapter 24, that “23 … the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.” So a few verses later, in chapter 25, where Isaiah had written “7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people”, that is also a reference to Mount Zion and Jerusalem, so we may clearly see the fulfillment of those words in Christ. While Christ did not reign over Jerusalem in His earthly ministry, he certainly did prevail over Jerusalem in His Resurrection, and He was proclaimed both God and King by those who saw it, and had the capacity to understand the consequences of the fulfilled Word of God. As we hope to have explained earlier in this commentary, while Isaiah had dealt with events of his own time, and had made short-term or, as we call them, near-vision prophecies which were fulfilled in his lifetime, and shortly thereafter, the greater purpose of this prophecy is to reveal the plan of Yahweh God for the children of Israel whom at that same time were in the process of being sent into captivity, as well as His plan for their redemption and ultimate reconciliation. For that very reason, Paul brought the Gospel to those same people, while he also called his ministry a ministry of reconciliation. 

So here in Isaiah, while Tyre would lie desolate for seventy years, and then the city would return to her religious and mercantile harlotry until the time of her complete destruction, we see in later prophecies that Jerusalem would also lie desolate for seventy years, and then be rebuilt and restored to her former glory, to fulfill the plans which Yahweh had revealed in the words of the prophet Daniel. So we would assert that there is a greater purpose here, in the comparison of the fate of these two cities. The coming destruction of Tyre is referenced again at the beginning of chapter 25, and that led to a discussion of those who would see it and glorify God, after which there is the Messianic prophecy of the removal of the veil, and now, as chapter 26 opens, without any break in context there is a prophecy of the City of God. So it is apparent that Tyre is set in contrast with Jerusalem. 

This explanation may seem lengthy, but this is why Isaiah has spent several chapters in this prophecy of the destruction of ancient Tyre, and then sets it in contrast to this Messianic prophecy which began in its aftermath. In this manner, Tyre stands as a prophetic type for Mystery Babylon, another city of mercantile harlotry which is described in Revelation chapters 17 and 18, while Jerusalem stands as a type for the City of God described in the closing chapters of the Revelation, chapters 21 and 22. Tyre corresponds to Mystery Babylon because it represents the harlotry of Israel in seeking riches through trade, and old Jerusalem, which was rebuilt in order to prepare for the coming of the Messiah, corresponds to the City of God come down from Heaven because it represents the ultimate redemption and reconciliation of Israel in their Messiah, and their ultimate establishment in the City of God. But there is some near-vision language here in Isaiah chapter 26, which we shall also discuss as we commence with the chapter:

1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; 

Now from this point, and up through verse 18, the words being spoken are portrayed by the prophet as being uttered by the people:

We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. 2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. 

While the available archaeological records are not entirely conclusive as to when the Babylonians had destroyed the mainland portion of ancient Tyre, according to the prophet Ezekiel the city fell in 571 BC, and its siege did not begin until two years after Jerusalem had been destroyed in 586 BC. So as this prophecy unfolded in history, in the near-vision, the people of Jerusalem could not have made this seemingly boastful praise at the time when Tyre was destroyed, because they had just begun their own period of captivity. Therefore once again, this is relevant to a far-vision prophecy, with a long-term fulfillment.

However on the other hand, once Jerusalem was restored in the days of Zerubbabel, Nehemiah and Ezra, they could have made this boast, since while Isaiah juxtaposes Jerusalem and Tyre here in his prophecy, that does not mean that the people of Judah had Tyre in mind at any later time when they could have sung these words. However the reference to “in that day” must be a reference to the removal of the veil, after which we read in Isaiah chapter 25: “9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

As we read in the prophet Daniel, after the cutting off of the Messiah then ancient Jerusalem was to be destroyed once again. However in Yahshua Christ there is a promise of a strong city, which also follows the fall of a great mercantile city, which is the City of God described in Revelation chapters 21 and 22. So in this sense, Isaiah is also a prophet of the Revelation, and here he is proclaiming the City of God which descends from Heaven. The children of Israel are promised salvation, and this city which is described here has salvation for walls and bulwarks. Similarly, in Revelation chapter 21 we read, in part, “24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it…” Therefore, it seems that this praise was sung in the midst of the land of Judah when the words of Christ were heard and accepted by those of His sheep who had followed Him. A perhaps they shall be sung once again when Mystery Babylon finally falls and the true City of God is revealed.

3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 4 Trust ye in the LORD [Yahweh] for ever: for in the LORD [Yah] JEHOVAH [Yahweh] is everlasting strength: 

The people of Judah who returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel returned to a city whose buildings, walls and gates had been demolished. So they built the second temple from about 520 to 516 BC, but Nehemiah restored the walls and gates later, from about 503 to 490 BC. Then much later, after the Persian wars with the Greeks which began in 490 and ended around 468 BC, Ezra had returned to Jerusalem and oversaw the completion of the building of the city inside the walls from about 458 BC, which is when Daniel’s 70 Weeks vision had begun. [2] Therefore this passage is not describing the people of Jerusalem at the time when Tyre was destroyed, since they themselves were already in captivity, nor can it be describing the people who returned from Babylon, since second-temple Jerusalem was not yet built, and that city saw little peace until it was destroyed once again, in 70 AD. Rather, this being a Messianic prophecy, this will be fulfilled in Christ as He returns to bring peace to His people, as He has promised in His Revelation.

But the passage has a near-vision fulfillment, since it should have served as an encouragement to the people of Judah and Jerusalem in the time of Isaiah. Throughout this period, from the destruction of Samaria through the time of the rule of Jehoiakim king of Judah, as it is recorded in Jeremiah chapter 26, Yahweh had continually extended such hope to the people of Jerusalem if they would repent, until the city was finally destroyed on account of their repeated sins. During that time, the people of Jerusalem were addressed in Ezekiel chapter 16, and told, in part: “46 And thine elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand: and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.” Then a little further on: “51 Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done.” So here in Isaiah, Judah is given a ray of hope, but in the end, the people continued in disobedience and Jerusalem had met the same fate as that of the cities of Israel, namely Samaria and Tyre.

But nevertheless, in the far vision here, Jerusalem is a type for the City of God which descends from heaven, which is also called Jerusalem, where we read in Revelation chapter 21: “2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” So where we read “2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in”, we should understand that only one nation has been called to enter into that city, and upon its gates are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. They shall be righteous, because in spite of their sins, Yahweh God Himself has justified them in Christ.

Returning to the text of Isaiah here, the Septuagint translators chose somewhat different forms of some of the verbs in verses 2 through 4, which Brenton has to read thusly: “2 Open ye the gates, let the nation enter that keeps righteousness, and keeps truth, 3 supporting truth, and keeping peace: for on thee, O Lord, 4 they have trusted with confidence for ever, the great, the eternal God”. We would actually prefer the King James Version in this instance, and the translators of the Dead Sea Scrolls Bible agree, where they have: “2 Open your gates, so that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. 3 You will keep in perfect peace the one whose mind is fixed on you, because he is in you. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord God we have an everlasting rock.” 

This evokes the words of David in the 37th Psalm: “9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” There is another expression of the promise of peace to those whose minds are fixed on Yahweh, in 2 Corinthians chapter 10 where Paul advised his readers that they should be found “5 … bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” 

Now that same concept is expressed once again in verse 7 here, but for now, in verses 5 and 6, there is another reference to Tyre, which also describes the future Mystery Babylon:

5 For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust. 6 The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy. 

Of course, the poor and needy did not bring down Tyre, or Jerusalem, or any of the cities of Israel in the ancient world. Rather, it was in defense of the poor and needy of His people that Yahweh had judged those cities. For example, in Isaiah chapter 3, where Judah and Jerusalem are condemned by Yahweh, we read in part: “14 The LORD will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. 15 What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts.” Similarly, in the 9th Psalm we read: “17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. 18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever. 19 Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen [or nations] be judged in thy sight.”

Then, reading the prophecy of the fall of Mystery Babylon the far-vision fulfillment of this prophecy may become evident even if it remains in our future: “1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.”

So as the wealthy are being judged, the poor and the oppressed are being delivered, which is evident where it continues, and we read: “4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. 7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.”

So the children of God shall not be held in captivity forever, by the wealthy merchants of the earth and by the devils, foul spirits and unclean birds which they have exalted over men. For that same reason, where the fall of Tyre was discussed here in Isaiah chapter 25, where the people glorify God upon seeing the judgment of Tyre we read in part: “4 For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat …”

In ancient times, even the children of Israel had traded in the bodies of men. So we read in the words of the prophet Amos, in chapter 1: “9 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant.” Then in Amos chapter 2, speaking to Israel in general: “6 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; 7 That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name.” Therefore we also read of Mystery Babylon, in Revelation chapter 18, among the list of the items traded by the merchants we see “slaves, and souls of men.” Even today, there are slaves and the souls, or lives, of men which are traded as merchandise, even if that trade is in different ways than it had been in antiquity.

Now the prophet portrays the people as celebrating the righteous who would wait upon Yahweh God, who, in verse 3, had been promised “perfect peace” because his mind is stayed on Yahweh, because he trusts in Yahweh:

7 The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just. 8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. 

The words “O Yahweh, we have waited for Thee” echo a similar situation regarding a man and his enemies which is found in the 27th Psalm, which opens by stating “1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Then in the final verses of that psalm we read: “11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. 12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

Likewise, in Micah chapter 7 we read: “7 Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.” And again, in Zephaniah chapter 3: “8 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.” Once more, in Lamentations chapter 3: “24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.”

Now Isaiah is not quite finished describing the way of the just, in words which continue to be attributed to the people:

9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. 

Portraying the righteous, those whose mind is stayed upon Yahweh, as the prophet also described here, the Word of God is echoing the earlier inspiration found in the Proverbs and the Psalms. So we read in Proverbs chapter 8: “17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. 18 Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. 19 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. 20 I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: 21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.”

Yet the world of the Scriptures is not the world of the modern-day rulers, or that of the denominational churches which have followed their dictates. In the Wisdom of Solomon the world of the Scriptures is described, where in chapter 18 we read, as it is in the King James Version: “24 For in the long garment was the whole world, and in the four rows of the stones was the glory of the fathers graven, and thy Majesty upon the diadem of his head.” So the world of Scripture is in those four rows of stones which represented the twelve tribes of the children of Israel, and it is their names which are inscribed on the gates of the City of God. They also had been promised to inherit the earth, as Paul had said in Romans chapter 4: “13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” in other words, the promises are certain to Israel whether or not the had kept the law. A little further on in that chapter, Paul wrote that “16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) …” Then a little further on, speaking of Abraham he wrote “18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.”

So Israel, being the world of Yahweh, and Israel, being the recipients of the promise “as it is written”, only Israel shall enter the City of God and the words of Isaiah here must be understood within that context. Ostensibly, it is for those same reasons that the same prophet Isaiah had written in chapter 45 of his prophecy that “17 … Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.” Therefore, in Isaiah chapter 27 we read: “6 He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.” When we discuss that chapter, it is fully evident that those words were spoken within the same context which we assert for Isaiah here: within God’s plan of punishment and the ultimate redemption of Israel. This is the entire purpose of the prophecy of Isaiah.

Now there is a warning, and as Isaiah proceeds, the far-vision nature of this prophecy becomes more and more evident, although the words are still portrayed as a part of the song of the people:

10 Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD. 11 LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them. 

The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible has a better reading of verse 11, where it reads: “11 O LORD, your hand is lifted up, but they [the wicked] do not see it. And let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame; yes, let the fire reserved for your adversaries consume them.” The New American Standard Bible has a similar reading. There is a difference between being ashamed, which is a feeling of remorse, and being put to shame, which can be in the eyes of others. While the verb may be read in either manner, evidently there not being any mercy for the wicked here, there is no opportunity for remorse or repentance.

So we read in Proverbs chapter 21: “7 The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment.” Then earlier, in chapter 12: “1 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish. 2 A good man obtaineth favour of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn. 3 A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.”

In the Wisdom of Solomon, throughout the first four chapters of the work, there is a lesson describing the end of men who would rule by their own righteousness, neglecting the righteousness of God, and they oppress the poor and righteous of their own people. Ultimately, it describes how those men, having turned their backs on their own people, end up marrying outside of their race, and having taken wives foolishly, their bastard offspring never bear any fruit, and are ultimately destroyed. This same lesson is found in the prophets and the New Testament, although not quite as explicitly and all in one place as it is found in Wisdom.

While we cannot repeat or describe all of it here, at the end of Wisdom chapter 3 we read: “15 For glorious is the fruit of good labors, and infallible is the root of understanding. 16 But the children of adulterers shall be for no purpose, and the seed of an unlawful marriage bed shall be destroyed. 17 For even if they become long-lived they shall be accounted for nothing and without honor at the ends of their old age. 18 Then if they die quickly, they shall have no hope, nor consolation in the day of decision. 19 For grievous are the ends of an unrighteous race.”

Then, in the opening passage of chapter 4: “1 Better is childlessness with virtue, for immortality is its remembrance, that is also known with God and with men. 2 Being present, they imitate it, and desire it when it is gone, and forever wearing a crown, prevailing it leads the contest of the undefiled in the struggle. 3 But the many-breeding multitude of the impious shall not be useful, and from bastard seedlings it shall not give a deep root, nor shall it establish a firm foundation. 4 For even if it sprouts up in branches for a time, standing unsafely it is shaken by the wind and by the force of the winds it is uprooted. 5 The imperfected branches shall be broken off and their fruit useless, unseasonable for food and suitable for nothing. 6 For children begotten from of lawless slumber are witnesses of wickedness against their parents at their examination.”

However whether one is good or wicked, Yahweh God knows what choices a man shall make even before he is born. So as Paul had explained in Romans chapter 9, speaking of a promise given to Rebecca, “10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” Then a little further on: “16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy”, and later in the chapter he explained how Jacob, and therefore the Israelites, were vessels of mercy, while Esau, and the Edomites, were vessels of destruction. So Paul wrote a little further on in the chapter: “21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?”

In the course of that discussion, Paul had also used the pharaoh of the Exodus as an example, and he wrote: “17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.”

All of this is exemplary of why Yahweh God has promised mercy to the children of Israel, as Isaiah now represents the people as having said:

12 LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. 

As we read in the Gospel of Christ, in Luke chapter 2, when certain shepherds were given a sign indicating where they would find the newly-born Christ child, as it is in the Christogenea New Testament: “13 And suddenly there were with the messenger a multitude of the heavenly army praising Yahweh and saying: 14 ‘Honor to Yahweh in the heights, and peace upon the earth among approved men.’” The translation of that verse in the King James Version is wanting, however the last clause in the New American Standard Bible is also appropriate: “And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” Yahweh has approved those upon whom He would have mercy, and that approval is outlined in both the law and the prophets.

Just as Yahweh knew the works of Esau before he was born, that he would foolishly take mixed-race wives of the children of Canaan, so it was also with pharaoh, so that Yahweh had hardened the heart of pharaoh in order to use him as an example. Of this, we read in Ecclesiastes chapter 1 a proclamation made by Solomon himself: “12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.” Later, Solomon would confess that seeking wisdom, he gave himself over to folly, and Yahweh must have known that he would do that. So, in Solomon’s conclusion to the work, he offers the ultimate lesson which a man should learn in this life: “13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

In a different way, elements of this same lesson are expressed here in Isaiah, and the children of Israel had also given themselves over to sin, for which reason the people are now portrayed as making a confession:

13 O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. 14 They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish. 

Not only did ancient kings rule over the children of Israel whenever they had turned to idolatry, but the idols themselves ruled, in the sense that the children of Israel subjected themselves to the religious beliefs and abominable practices represented by the idols. So when they turned to such sin, they were ruled over by Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia, in Judges chapter 3, or by the Midianites, in Judges chapter 6, and at various other times by various other peoples, such as the Philistines or the Moabites. But now, in Isaiah’s time, the children of Israel were going off into a much longer period of captivity, and ostensibly, the people who sing this song are far off in Isaiah’s future. So by then, Israel would be ruled by many other kings, and by many other idols. The succession of empires which would rule “wheresoever the children of men dwell” are described in quite vivid prophetic language in Daniel chapters 2 and 7, for example, and now, with the advantage of over twenty-five hundred years of history in our hindsight from the time that he had written his prophecy, we may assert that Daniel’s descriptions were indeed very accurate, and that is also a reason to obey and glorify Yahweh. So the people portrayed here seem to acknowledge that, and now they shall also profess the fulfillment of many of the promises to the patriarchs which happened during the course of that punishment in their captivity:

15 Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth. 

Among other things, Abraham was promised that his seed would become a multitude of nations, and it is explicit in Genesis chapters 28 and 35 that Jacob alone had received those promises, exclusive of all of Abraham’s other sons. In Genesis chapter 35 we read: “10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. 11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins.” However these promises were not contained to Palestine, and in Genesis chapter 48 Jacob had adopted the sons of Joseph, and he passed those promises to them. So while all of the sons of Israel would become nations in their own right, Ephraim and Manasseh were granted blessings wherein they were promised to become a great nation, and a multitude of nations.

Then in Jacob’s blessing for Joseph, in Genesis chapter 49 we read: “22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall”, which apparently means that he would overflow his boundaries, and a little later, “25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: 26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.” Then, where Moses blessed the tribes, in Deuteronomy chapter 33, we read: “16 And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. 17 His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.” So Moses echoed the blessings of Jacob upon Joseph.

But the sons of Joseph could not become a nation, and a company of nations, in Palestine alone, and where it is said that he would “push the people together to the ends of the earth”, we see a precursor to this statement here, that the children of Israel would indeed be greatly increased in the time of its captivity, and be removed “far unto all the ends of the earth”, since representative portions of all of the other tribes of Israel had gone along with Joseph into captivity.

Now the people also profess that in this process, they had also repented, or, since this is a prophecy, that they ultimately would repent:

16 LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them. 

The words “in trouble they have visited thee” reflect the repentance of the nation which has been increased and removed to the ends of the earth. Since this is a far-vision prophecy, it seems that this had begun to be fulfilled when the children of Israel, scattered among the nations of Europe, had accepted the gospel of Christ and returned to Yahweh their God through Him.

Now the people seem to describe the nation collectively, as a woman in travail:

17 Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD. 

Speaking of the children of Israel in captivity, much later on in Isaiah we read in chapter 66: “7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. 8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. 9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.” This also ascertains that Israel would be greatly increased in captivity.

Ostensibly, in the period during which they were taken into captivity, Israel is portrayed as a woman travailing with child, but once the travailing comes to an end, Israel is greatly increased in number, and the magnitude of the promises, that Abraham’s seed would be as a sand of the seashore and as innumerable as the stars, would be revealed. So in this aspect, the prophecy of Isaiah is certainly also an assurance of the continuity of the promises to Abraham, even in the time of Israel’s captivity.

The next verse, which is the final verse of this song, is problematic, as there are a variety of interpretations in the translations:

18 We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. 

Although the children of Israel had been magnified greatly in their time of captivity, this is a confession of exasperation, wherein the people are frustrated as if they have wrought nothing, and only brought forth wind. So this is speaking in a different sense than the later passage in Isaiah chapter 66, of the fruitless efforts of the people, rather than of the multitude of the people. But in the promises to Israel it is written that Israel would come a multitude, and it is the task of Yahweh to destroy His enemies and ensure their deliverance.

The New American Standard Bible translates the entire verse in a sense which is very similar to that of the King James Version, except that it has the final clause to say “Nor were inhabitants of the world born.” The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible has the second half of the verse to read, in part, “we have not won your deliverance”, which is an acceptable expression of humility, that they did not deserve deliverance on their own, and finally, “nor have the inhabitants of the world been born.” The difference there is that the verb, which is apparently a form of the Hebrew word נפל or naphal (# 5307) which is to fall, is interpreted in these versions as referring to a falling of a child from the womb, which is its birth. This we would reject, since the inhabitants of the world, which his a reference to the other races, are the root cause for which the children of Israel would need deliverance in the earth, since they had been in captivity for their sins for many centuries. 

Here the Septuagint has a different reading in several aspects, where as Brenton had translated it, it reads: “18 We have conceived, O Lord, because of thy fear, and have been in pain, and have brought forth the breath of thy salvation, which we have wrought upon the earth: we shall not fall, but all that dwell upon the land shall fall.” Among other differences, here the Septuagint portrays the people themselves as having “brought forth the breath of thy salvation”, which is contrary to many explicit statements elsewhere in Isaiah. The people cannot save themselves, and that is also apparent where Yahweh God alone is their salvation. 

Examining the Hebrew language of the passage, we prefer the King James Version, that in the last days the people would repent and turn to Yahweh God, before the inhabitants of the world, meaning those of old who are not of Israel, would fall. This interpretation is consistent with Revelation chapters 18 and 19, as Christ alone can avenge His people, and promises to do so, at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

At this point, the song of the people ends, and Yahweh is portrayed as having given them promises of the resurrection of their dead, which is a response to the lamentation that “we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth”, which is in turn a profession that man cannot deliver himself from sin. But in the Revelation, before the children of Israel enter the City of God, their Messiah leads them to execute the destruction of their enemies, the inhabitants of the earth. So this sequence in Isaiah reflects the prophecy of Christ in that aspect, and that is where we shall commence when we return to this commentary on Isaiah.

In conclusion, it is fully evident that the short-term or near-vision prophecies of Scripture are an assurance that these accompanying far-vision prophecies shall also be fulfilled, and by now, looking back on these prophecies and the historical events which had fulfilled them, we should know that His Word shall continue to unfold in History, and that there is an assurance that it shall ultimately all be fulfilled, and just as it is written.

Footnotes

1 Wars of the Judaeans, Flavius Josephus, Book 4, paragraphs 270-282.

2 Notes Concerning Daniel's 70 Weeks Prophecy, William Finck, https://christogenea.org/articles/ notes-concerning-daniels-70-weeks-prophecy, accessed March 13th, 2025.