Chapters 64 and 65

64:2-65:9, the second advent of Christ

Verses 2 — 3, the second advent will be characterised by judgment.

Verse 2 — two analogies to the baptism of fire. The first one: “As when the melting fire burneth” — this doesn’t make sense because the translation is erroneous. No one knows what a melting fire is; there is no such thing as a melting fire! The word “melting” is the Hebrew word for brushwood. It should be translated: “as brushwood burneth.” The first analogy then is to the burning of wood. The second one: “as the fire causes the waters to boil” or literally, “as water boils in fire”; “to make known thy name to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!” In other words, through the baptism of fire unbelievers will be burned as brushwood; unbelievers will continue to burn as water continues to boil when the heat is applied to it. This is the baptism of fire; all the unbelievers are cast out of the world into a burning fire. So the nations tremble because of this judgment.

Verse 3 — “When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.” Notice: the mountains flowed down. Literally, “ the mountains shook.” The “terrible things” is the judgment of the baptism of fire; “thou camest down” refers to the second advent which precedes the baptism of fire.

Verses 4 and 5, the second advent will be characterised by blessing.

Verse 4 — “For since the beginning of the world,” or literally, “from ages past”; “they have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath their eye seen God except thee [the Lord Jesus Christ].” The point is, no member of the human race has ever seen God the Father. Christ is the only member of the human race who has ever seen God the Father. He is God, therefore He has seen God. Cf John 1:18; 6:46; “he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.” In other words, God, whom no one has seen except Christ, has a plan for those who wait for Him [Christ] at the second advent. To wait means to keep on waiting with faith for Him [Christ]. The Father is going to send the Son back to the world in the last part of the verse. This is a part of the Father’s plan.

Go back to the beginning of the verse: “For since the beginning of the world” is wrong. It should be “from ages past.” In other words, before the world began. The plan of God the Father existed billions of years before the world began. So billions of years ago He [the Father] hath prepared for him [the believer in the Tribulation] who keeps on waiting for Him [Christ]. There are two kinds of Jewish believers who are waiting. There are those who are holding out in Jerusalem. And they are waiting on the Lord in a sense because they are continuing to fight. They express their faith by fighting the king of the north — Zechariah 14:1-4; secondly, they who are waiting by staying in the caves. This is the group of Matthew 24:15,16.

Verse 5 — “Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness.” Christ is the subject now. “Thou” is the Lord Jesus Christ. He meets the believer who rejoices and who produces righteousness, the production of the believer in the Tribulation; “those that remember thee in thy ways” — the word “remember” means to apply doctrine. The Tribulational believers will be characterised by knowledge of doctrine which they have learned in a very short time. And they will apply it to experience. Now these Jews who are believers of the Tribulation have this testimony: “thou art angry, we have sinned,” the confession for the Jews at the time of the dispersion; “in those is continuance, and we shall be saved” — this phrase is an idiom. It means, we have been long in this status quo. In other words, it is a confession of the Jews: “We have been a long time scattered, and we shall be delivered [by the second advent].”

This confession continues in verses 6-9.

Verse 6 — “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” — all of the righteousness of these Jews [the accumulation of centuries of good deeds] add up to filthy rags, comparable to wood, hay, and stubble in the New Testament. In both the Old and the New Testaments this is talking about believers. It refers to the energy of the flesh or the OSN. It brings up the principle that has been true since there have been believers: there is always a segment of believing population who act exactly like unbelievers, self-righteous unbelievers, religious unbelievers. Here is the issue in the application to us as Christians: every good deed that you do in the energy of the flesh does not count as a good deed with God; it is filthy rags; it is wood, hay, and stubble. And so the issue in the Christian life is being controlled by the Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit and with doctrine we can produce what will count. It is gold, silver and precious stones. The issue isn’t in the production. If you are filled with the Spirit all of your production will be good; if you are not filled with the Spirit none of it will be good. If you know doctrine you will be properly motivated to do thee things without any gimmicks or external pressure. If you don’t know doctrine the only way you can be motivated is through your emotions, and that is false.

“we” refers to the believer who is making the confession but he is talking for Israel during the time of the dispersion; “we all do fade as a leaf.” This word “fade” means simply that the works look good at the time but when held up to the divine norm and standard they fade out and no longer have any beauty. This is a hiphil stem, we are caused to fade. The thing that causes them to fade is the divine norm and standard which is the Word of God; “and our iniquities, like the wind, have scattered us abroad” — here is the dispersion; it is the iniquities of Israel which produced an energy of the flesh righteousness which caused them to be scattered and dispersed.

Verse 7 — “And there is none that calleth upon my name” — there is, of course, is not found in the original; “none” refers here to the Jews; this is a confession of believing Jews at the second advent of Christ; “that calleth upon thy name” — to call upon the name of the Lord here is salvation; it is the same as believing in Christ — Romans 10:13. The point is: there have been generations of Jews over this long period who have not called upon the name of the Lord.

“that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee” — to rouse up one’s self, and it has to do with volition. So when many of these Jews reach the point of God consciousness they have not even had positive volition. Why? Here is a part of their discipline — “thou hast hid thy face from us.” In other words, divine blessing has been removed from Israel as a nation during the dispersion. Not Israel as individuals; when individuals are born again and utilise divine operating assets there is great blessing, of course. So this is a reference to God’s discipline of Israel which began in 70 AD.

“and hast consumed” — and the word “consumed” means to dissolve or to disperse — “because of our iniquities.” That is why we call the present status quo of the nation Israel the period of dispersion. And this dispersion means scattering, and it means the Jews are all over the world. And it further means that only Christ can bring them back from all over the world into the land of Palestine.

Verse 8 — “But now [reference to the second advent], O Lord, art our father” — this is the continuation of the confession. In other words, Jesus Christ has come back to deliver and to care for them; “we are the clay, thou art the potter” — when they say “Now O Lord", remember this is the word “Jehovah” and Jehovah can refer to any one of the three persons of the Trinity. Here it refers to the Father. Now, the clay is helpless. Whenever any good comes out of the clay it only comes out of the clay because the potter prepares it so that it can be made into something useful and wonderful. But the clay in itself is helpless. The principle is that these Jew are declaring at the second advent: We are helpless; thou art the potter. “we all are the work of thine hand” .So the confession continues by recognising the grace of God, that is, the deliverance, salvation, and everything else.

Verse 9 — “Be not wroth very sore” — i.e. “Don’t be exceedingly angry any more, O Jehovah, neither remember iniquity forever” — this is a cry now to remove the discipline — “see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people,” a reference to the beginning of the Millennium when all the unbelievers have been cut out through the baptism of fire and just before the covenants are fulfilled.

Verses 10-11, the condition of Israel at the second advent. First of all this is the land. The cities are mentioned in verse 10.

Verse 10 — “The holy cities [plural]” — they include, first of all, Shiloh, Joshua 9:27; 18:1; the next one is Mizpah, 1 Samuel 7:6; next, Nob, 1 Samuel 21:1-6; the final one is Jerusalem, 1 Chronicles 15:1;16:1. Why are they holy cities? A holy city was, first of all, the location of the tabernacle and all of the paraphernalia connected with it. The tabernacle was the location of the Shekinah glory and everything that spoke of the person and work of Christ. So a holy city was where the tabernacle was located and, of course, later on the temple at Jerusalem; “are a desert” — in other words, when Christ returns there is no holy city. All of the holy cities look like desert. Jerusalem does too because of the fighting there. “Zion is a wilderness” — Zion refers to Israel as a whole — “Jerusalem is a desolation” — desolation means war scarred — Zechariah 14:1-3; 12:1,2.

Verse 11 — “Our holy and beautiful house” — reference to the temple — “in which our fathers praised thee, is burned with fire.” First of all it is a reference to the temple of Solomon. Isaiah anticipates its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar. Then the second temple, the temple of Zerubbabel [later called Herod’s temple]. Then the false Tribulational temple will be destroyed. So by the time Christ returns to the earth three temples will be destroyed; “and all of our pleasant things” — the paraphernalia of worship, the mercy seat and the ark, etc. — “are laid waste” .So this desperate situation exists before the second advent.

Verse 12 — “Wilt thou refrain thyself for these [in view of] things, O Lord?” — in view of the confession of these things will you wait any longer? “wilt thou hold thy peace, and keep on disciplining?” So in this desperate moment the Lord returns.

Chapter 65

Verses 1-2, just prior to the second advent there is a period of evangelism.

Verse 1 — “I am sought of them that ask not for me.” “I am sought” — positive volition among the people of the Tribulation. “I am found” — salvation, faith in Christ following positive volition — “of them that sought me not [Gentiles]: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name” — Gentiles again. In other words, Jesus Christ is preached throughout the world during the Tribulation. This is the ministry of the 144,000 Jews.

Verse 2 — “I have spread out my hands” — this is in the piel stem which is very intensive and it means I have spread out my hands with an invitation of salvation; “all the day unto a rebellious people” — a reference to the Jews who reject Christ in the Tribulation — “which walked in a way not good” — salvation by works — “after their own thoughts,” which came out of their own minds.

Verse 3 — Now he starts to describe Israel prior to the second advent — the unbelievers. “A people that provoketh me to anger continually.” (All of this is given to show that the coming of God the Son the second time is grace) “sacrificing in gardens” — idolatrous practices of the heathen — “burning incense upon altars of bricks” — again this has to do with heathenist practices.

Verse 4 — “Which remain among the graves” — necromancy — “and lodge in the monuments” — lodge means to pass the night in. A monument is a heathen temple. They passed the night in heathen temples. “who eat swine’s flesh” — contrary to the Mosaic law — “and the broth of the abominable” — a drink which is poured our partially upon the altar to the god and partially drunk; “in their vessels” — in other words, they have this great vessel or tankard full of some kind of beverage and they pour out half of it as a libation and they drink the other half.

Verse 5 — “Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me” — in addition to the adulteress practices of heathenism there is also self-righteousness. In other words, they say that they don’t need any help — Stay away from me. They are speaking to the Lord now. “for I am holier than thou” — self-righteousness. The principle is that when a man rejects the work of God he accepts his own work as a substitute. This inevitably leads to some form of self-righteousness and causes him to say, I am holier than thou — “these [holier than thous] are smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all day,” they are a stench to the nostrils.

Verse 6 — “Behold, it is decreed by me [literally]: I will not keep silence, but will recompense [pay them back for their rejection], ye, I will recompense into their bosom [to them personally].” He will not lose any of them in the shuffle of judgment; they are going to pay for it.

Verse 7 — “Your, own iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together” — these are the unbelieving Jews and their parents before them who were unbelievers — “saith the Lord, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore I will measure their former work in their own bosom.” In other words, they have rejected Christ, they stand on their own works and their own works will be the basis of condemnation. This is identical to the phrase found in Revelation chapter 20:12-13 — “according to their works.” The sins of the unbeliever are never mentioned at the last judgment.

Verse 8 — preservation of those who are born again, by way of contrast. “Thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all.” In other words, there will be no destruction of the believer, they will be preserved.

Verse 9 — only the regenerate of Israel will inherit the unconditional covenants. “And I will bring forth a seed [the regenerate seed] out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains” — believers will be heirs — “and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.” This is a statement of the fulfilment of the four unconditional covenants.

Verses 10-25, the Millennial reign of Christ.

Verse 10, blessing in the land. “And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks” — Sharon, areas for sheep in the mountains — “and the valley of Achor” — at the end of a word in the Hebrew language there is no “n.” There are on some verbs such as nathan and so on. Sometimes the “n” is changed to an “r” .So this is no other than “Achan” who is called Achor throughout the scripture. The valley of Achan is where they took Achan out and stoned him; it is the valley of the curse — Joshua 7:26; “a place for herds to lie down” — the valley was under a curse and no herds were ever sent there. But in the Millennium it is a beautiful valley again; “for my people that have sought me” — believers.

Verses 11-12, the removal of the unbelievers: “that have sought me” at the end of verse 10 means we must know something about who is going to be there; who are the one’s who sought Him? And then we have the unbelievers removed to explain this.

Verse 11 — “But ye are they who forsake the Lord” — addressed to unbelievers now — “that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for Fortune” — Fortune is the Babylonian word “gad” and it refers to the Babylonian god of fortune. So they worship good luck; “they furnish drink offering unto that number"— the word number in the Hebrew is “meni", the goddess of fortune. What does this tell us about the Jews of Isaiah’s day? They knew that there was trouble coming. What do people do when they know trouble is coming? Various things. When the Jews knew there was trouble coming they went to the temple of fortune. They worshipped at the temple of Gad — good luck — and Meni — dame fortune. In other words, when the crisis comes the unbeliever can only think in terms that he hopes he makes it, he hope he has some luck. They are trying to store up luck for the problems ahead.

Verse 12 — “Therefore will I number you to the sword” .So you went to the goddess of luck, did you? Well, I will give you good luck, with the sword! “ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer” — He gave them the opportunity of being saved — “when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and chose that wherein I did not delight.” In other words, they went to heathen gods.

Verse 13 — “Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry” — this is in time of crisis — “my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed.” A perfect illustration of this was Daniel who ate at the king’s table. Unbelieving Jews starved.

Verse 14 — a contrast in the attitude in judgment. “Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart” — the believer in the midst of the great difficulties of life shall sing — “but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart” — the word “heart” in both cases is the mind — “and shall howl because of vexation of spirit” — they are terribly upset. Vexation of spirit means they are upset by nothing. When times get tough people get upset about nothing.

Verse 15 — the curse of judgment that comes at the second advent and also with Nebuchadnezzar’s arrival. “And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen, and the Lord God shall slay thee; and he shall call his servants by another name.” This does not anticipate the Church Age, it simply means that the servants of the Lord who are Jews will be called by other names. Illustration: Daniel chapter one.

Verse 16 — occupation with Christ among believers. “So that he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth [or the God of faith]; and he that sweareth in the earth [makes an oath or a promise] shall make an oath by the God of faith; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.” In other words, we have the God of faith or the God of faithfulness and they are occupied with Him.

Verse 17 — anticipates the eternal state. “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former things shall not be remembered, nor come to mind” — that is the eternal state.

Verses 18,19 fill in details with regard to the Millennial Jerusalem.

Verse 20 — the population explosion in the Millennium. “There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old, but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be cursed [capital punishment]” .

Verse 21 — Millennial prosperity. “And they shall build houses and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them” — at the time in which this was written they operated on the basis of the agricultural economy and the phrases found in this verse are prosperity under an agricultural economy.

Verse 22-24 — the right of private property.

Verse 22 — “They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” Each person will have a right to that which he earns. No unfair income tax!

Verse 23 — “They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for calamity; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them” — they will continue to enjoy the work of their own prosperity.

Verse 24 — prayer in the Millennium. “And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” All prayer will be answered no later than when you are uttering it in the Millennium.

Verse 25 — animals in the Millennium. “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat” — no venomous serpents. “They [snakes and animals] shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.” No animals will be dangerous in the Millennium.