Isaiah
Prophecies of the Apocalypse
The song of salvation
The prophecy of the two cities (26 v.1-6)
- The city of Jerusalem (26 v.1-4)
Having returned to his homeland, the living remnant and restored Israel celebrates a new life of faith and dependence on God. The City of God contrasts with the city of man (Isaiah 26:10). Now a righteous nation which keeps the truth (redeemed Israel), will be enjoying the perfect peace that comes from their full trust in the Lord.
A new song will be sung in the land of Judah (the territory of the kingdom of Judah, which is Jerusalem), about the joys of a strong city. The city is strong to be protected by walls and bulwarks that are their salvation. So is the kingdom of Christ in the millennium.
The city gets ready but empty. The doors are open to it entering its future inhabitants, the righteous nation which keepeth the truth. They are the survivors of the Great Tribulation, the faithful remnant, corresponding to one third of the Israeli population before the tribulation. Because of his trust in God, they will be kept in peace.
The song exhorts them to " always trust in the Lord, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." The Lord Jesus, the Lord, is called "Rock" often in the Bible. David proclaimed, " The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. " (Psalm 18: 2) The exhortation is to continue with their minds firm in the Lord, always trusting in Him.
There is a glorious future for Jerusalem, the first city of the Kingdom.
- The city of Babylon (26 v.5-6)
The civilization that man is proud of is represented by the city of Babylon, the capital of the world during the Great Tribulation. This city has been mentioned twice in this prophecy (24: 10-12 and 25: 2-3). Now its destruction is foreseen, when it will be brought down to the ground and reduced to powder by the eternal Rock. The Lord as the Rock, will become the firm foundation for the building of Jerusalem, but it will be like a crushing Rock to Babylon: "The foot shall tread it down— The feet of the poor and the steps of the needy": the poor and needy are the remnant of the Great Tribulation survivors. These same that Babylon meant to kill are those who trample.
The trial that teaches justice (26 v.7-10)
Verses 7-19 seem to predict the prayers of remaining to pass through the tribulation, back to the subject dealt with in 24: 14-16a , and here we have the reason for their praise and worship.
The Lord will have softened and levelled their way, making it plain: in other words, the righteous act with integrity because they follow the straight path laid down by the Lord. Their reaction is described in verses 8 and 9:
- In verse 8, throughout the trial, the faithful remnant will come to the Lord, and through terrible trials waited for him, putting his wish in his name and in his memory. Now they want to have an intimate knowledge of God.
- In verse 9, we see that this desire is both your soul and your spirit, because "when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness."
There are two purposes of the Great Tribulation judgments:
- It is a judgment against sin, to put an end to wickedness and iniquity.
- It teaches justice. Many will learn to justice when the judgments of God will come upon the earth, and will become believers during the Great Tribulation.
The result of these judgments is also twofold:
- At the end, those who do not learn righteousness reject God because of the trials, and will suffer in hell.
- Those who learn righteousness will be converted and put their faith in God, they are the righteous who are eagerly waiting for Him to reveal and will have the privilege to enter the Kingdom of Christ.
The wicked do not learn righteousness, even favorably be treated and even be born and live in the land of uprightness he will live in sin because they do not want to submit to the majesty of the Lord.
During the Tribulation, some will interpret the judgment as being an injustice from God and will turn away from Him. Others will see the righteousness of God in judgment and turn to Him. In the Millennium it will happen too. During the Tribulation will be judgment in the Millennium will favor. On this occasion many will match the favor with faith. After the thousand years of the most perfect environment in history, without having any need, many still will rebel against God's authority. This is because, even in the Kingdom, there will be death and sin.
Praise for the liberation of Israel (26 v.11-15)
The hand of God was raised in readiness, without being seen, to judgment against the enemies of Israel. Only when down in fury they confounded because of the zeal that demonstrate Israel. The enemies that come to fight against Israel will be devoured by the fire of God's judgments. On the other hand, there will be peace for Israel, and will enjoy all the blessings of God reserved for these people.
Throughout its history, Israel was dominated by many "masters", especially since 588 BC, when Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and began the "times of the Gentiles". Now, only God will be worshiped. Previous failures of Israel were the cause of being dominated by other "masters", but this will not happen in the kingdom of Christ. The nations that plagued Israel will not rise to torment the people of God, for these other "masters" will be dead and not awake, perishing your memory, but Israel will be alive and his new Lord, Jesus Christ, will live forever.
Notice that verse 14 does not deny the bodily resurrection of the wicked; only ensures that the power of the nations of Israel will never be restored.
Israel, on the other hand, will be blessed with new growth, not only of the population because there will be no more anti-Semitic, but the nation's borders will be extended, and Israel for the first time in its history, will own about all the Promised Land.
The hand of God was raised in readiness, without being seen, to judgment against the enemies of Israel. Only when down in fury they confounded because of the zeal that demonstrate Israel. The enemies that come to fight against Israel will be devoured by the fire of God's judgments. On the other hand, there will be peace for Israel, and will enjoy all the blessings of God reserved for these people.
The suffering of Israel (26 v.16-18)
In the past Israel repented and sought God in prayer when suffering His discipline (Isaiah 64, Psalm 79-80), but in vain. These past failures of Israel are similar to false labor pains of the pregnant woman and will not be repeated: this time there will be success.
During the campaign of Armageddon, the end of the Great Tribulation, Israel will turn to God and say a prayer of national order that will result in effective salvation of this nation throughout the millennium.
The resurrection of the saints of the Old Testament (26 v.19)
This fifth and final part of the song is one of the few passages in the Old Testament which deals with the resurrection of the saints of the Old Testament.They will not be raised during the rapture of the saints of the church of Christ, but after the Great Tribulation, in preparation for the Kingdom. The resurrection of Old Testament saints is mentioned in Daniel 12: 2, Hosea 13:14.His resurrection is like a "morning dew".
R David Jones
1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks.
2 Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in.
3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
4 Trust in the LORD forever, for in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.
5 For He brings down those who dwell on high, the lofty city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He brings it down to the dust.
6 The foot shall tread it down— The feet of the poor and the steps of the needy."
7 The way of the just is uprightness; O Most Upright, You weigh the path of the just.
8 Yes, in the way of Your judgments, O LORD, we have waited for You; The desire of our soul is for Your name And for the remembrance of You.
9 With my soul I have desired You in the night, yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early; For when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
10 Let grace be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness; In the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly, And will not behold the majesty of the LORD.
11 LORD, when Your hand is lifted up, they will not see. But they will see and be ashamed For their envy of people; Yes, the fire of Your enemies shall devour them.
12 LORD, You will establish peace for us, For You have also done all our works in us.
13 O LORD our God, masters besides You Have had dominion over us; But by You only we make mention of Your name.
14 They are dead, they will not live; They are deceased, they will not rise. Therefore You have punished and destroyed them, And made all their memory to perish.
15 You have increased the nation, O LORD, You have increased the nation; You are glorified; You have expanded all the borders of the land.
16 LORD, in trouble they have visited You, They poured out a prayer when Your chastening was upon them.
17 As a woman with child Is in pain and cries out in her pangs, When she draws near the time of her delivery, So have we been in Your sight, O LORD.
18 We have been with child, we have been in pain; We have, as it were, brought forth wind; we have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth, nor have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
19 Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead.
Isaiah chapter 26, verses 1 to 19