Isaiah

Isaiah Chapter 52

• Isaiah 52:1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
• 2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
• 3 For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.

What a glorious day that will be. This part of Isaiah's prophecy is definitely future. We know of a certainty that this has not taken place yet. The city of Jerusalem is not a quiet place with no sin. It is now a place that many countries would like to control or destroy. However, this will one day be a place of peace. It will not happen by any manmade peace agreement. It will happen by the power of God alone.

They will be redeemed without money. The price for their redemption has already been paid by the death on the cross of Jesus Christ. When the inhabitants of Jerusalem come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, they will receive the redemption that has already been provided for them. At the time of Isaiah's prophecy Jesus had not yet come though, so in Isaiah's eyes the whole prophecy was future.

• Isaiah 52:4 For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.

The Assyrian king was the king that arose who knew not Joseph. Any Egyptian king would have known who Joseph was. Apparently it was the Assyrian invasion of Egypt mixing with the Egyptians of that day that caused them to turn against the Israelites and put them under bondage. It was fear that caused the slavery of Israel. The new king feared that the Israelites were multiplying too fast and would join enemy nations against them.

We find many times that fear is what stirs people to prejudice and hatred of those that are different in nationality, race, even religion. We fear being taken over or oppressed by others. We fear others influencing our children, as a result we sometimes show hate instead of kindness. However, true conversions happen by love not hate.

That is why Jesus told us to go into the entire world and preach the gospel. We were not told to go into all the world and conquer their lands, put people into slavery, and kill those that disagree with us. We were to preach the gospel and tell them of their loving creator and their savior who died for their sins that they could inherit eternal life.

If someone comes to invade our land and attack our homes, I believe in fighting yes, but we are not to be the aggressors.

• Isaiah 52:5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.

Israel dwelt many times with nations that did not serve the true and living God, they were mistreated and hated, and their God was blasphemed.

• Isaiah 52:6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.

In the future Israel will know their Lord and His name.

• Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

This is a hint of the gospel. People that preach the pure gospel of truth bring true peace and salvation.

• Isaiah 52:8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.

The Lord will redeem Zion in the future and no one will take it away again.

• Isaiah 52:9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
• 10. The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

This will cause joy like never before. Jerusalem will come to peace at last and the Lord will comfort His people. This will include all that come to Jesus Christ by faith and believe in His power of salvation.

I realize that for the present, Israel as a nation does not believe in Jesus Christ as their Messiah but they will in the future. As I read and study the bible, I believe that the antichrist or deceiver will arise first. He will proclaim and speak of peace but in reality there will be nothing but oppression. He might make a covenant of peace in the beginning and bring in prosperity for a season but that will change and great tribulation will come greater than any before.

I believe that Adolph Hitler was kind of a forerunner to the antichrist. This is the kind of person that may very well be the type of personality that the antichrist will be. It might be someone physically attractive, speaks of peace, and craft will prosper. The economy will be good when he first comes to power. People will be deceived into thinking this is the one, the Messiah, the answer to all their problems. Unfortunately, all hell will break lose and this man will turn against Jews and all believer's in Christ. He will not want to share any worship of man with any deity.

Just because the economy will prosper does not mean those that have a good economy has a leader that is this man of sin because sometimes God will bless the economy of those that recognize Him as Lord. We shall know them by their fruits, discern how they speak, look at their eyes, pray that God will let us see through the fakes.

It is my understanding that when the antichrist is on the scene, the church which is the called out ones, the believers in Jesus as Lord and Christ will already have been taken to be with the Lord. However, there will be those that receive Jesus after the church leaves especially in the land of Israel. We see the 144,000 of Israel that are sealed and later we see them standing in Heaven at the throne of God. This is recorded in the book of Revelation.

• Isaiah 52:11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.
• 12 For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward.

God will deliver in the future tribulation just as He did when they were in bondage to Egypt. A remnant of Israel will be redeemed and saved. Jesus Christ will return at the exact moment when it will seem like nothing can save the total destruction of the Jewish people.

• Isaiah 52:13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
• 14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
• 15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

We see here reference to the first coming of Jesus when He suffered such destruction of His body by beatings, men pulling out His beard, nails put in His hands and feet and dying before those that hated Him. He came first as the son of Joseph the suffering servant, His second coming shall be as the son of David the King. -DC

Isaiah Index

 Isaiah 53