Isaiah 62

 Isaiah 62

Zion’s Glory and New Name

This chapter is all about the Millenium.   These prophecies pertain to Israel.  So, let’s understand and know that the context of what is being spoken about here in this section of scripture is Israel in the Millenium.   But also understand, we’re going to try to draw out application to our lives from these scriptures.   So, let’s observe what it says, then we’ll try to interpret what it means in context, and finally we will try to make practical application or implementation of what it might be teaching us to do or think or say or be.    This is a short chapter, just 12 verses, so we’re going to slow way down and take some time to think and consider pretty much every verse individually and meditate on what God might be saying to us.

Would you join me in prayer…

Verse 1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet, Until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, and her salvation like a torch that is burning.

Stop right there.   God is speaking.   He says he can’t keep silent.   He won’t be quiet.   In other words, He is not going to stop.  He won’t give up, until… Righteousness shines from Israel and Salvation beams from Jerusalem.   You get this picture of a light house or a bright beam of light going out advertising God’s righteousness and His salvation. This has not happened yet.   This is yet to come. This will be fulfilled in the Millenium.   And yet, of our lives, may it be said, Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.

Verse 2 The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; And you will be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord will designate.

Again, of Israel in the Millenium.   It will be said “see their righteousness”.   It is now and always has been that righteousness comes by faith in God.   Righteousness based upon faith in God’s righteousness and His goodness and His Holiness.   Also, we see that they (Israel) will get a new name in the Millenium.   Throughout the church age, we see God giving a new name:

Revelation chapter 3:1-6  “To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 3 So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 4 But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Then in verses 7-18 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:

8 ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9 Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

This is nothing new though, throughout the whole Bible we see people being renamed.   I can think of an Old Testament guy who had his name changed by God; Jacob became Israel.   This also was a New Testament practice (Jesus renamed Simon to Peter and Saul became Paul).

Why do you think God renames people in the Bible?

I wonder if anyone here has undergone a name change?   If you’re a gal and you’re married, you may have taken your husband’s last name.   

Whether or not you’ve changed your name, in a sense we’ve all received a new name; we’re called ‘Christian’.   In Acts 11:26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Verse 3 You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, And a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

Israel will be a crown of beauty and a royal crown displaying God’s glory.   Just as there are two types of crowns mentioned here in Isaiah, this same typology of two kinds of crowns is also spoken of in the New Testament.    Paul tells us to strive to win the prize of a crown for our faith and our walk in 1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

This crown Paul is speaking of here is called a Stephanos.   It is a crown of achievement.

The second kind of crown is a royal crown called a diadem.  We see this one on Revelation 19:12  His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.

To try and bring this whole concept into the here-and-now; A crown is something that someone wears on their head for people to see.  I was trying to think of times when people wear crowns. Have you ever seen pictures of these “coming out” parties, “Qinceaneras”?   Sometimes the gal will wear a crown or a tiara.  Those often-extravagant parties given by parents who are proud of their daughter and are saying how highly they esteem their daughter.  She’s like a queen to us.   Look at our glorious daughter.

We Christians get to do a similar thing.   We get to say, hey look at our glorious King.  Look what He’s done for us, even though we didn’t deserve it.   Our king reigns in our hearts.  We have a relationship with Him by faith.   And believe it or not, the fact that we gentiles have a relationship with God where we are made righteous by faith is meant to make the children of Israel jealous. Romans 11:7-11  What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; 8 just as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, Eyes to see not and ears to hear not, Down to this very day.” 9 And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, And a stumbling block and a retribution to them. 10 “Let their eyes be darkened to see not, And bend their backs forever.” 11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.

Verses 4 and 5 It will no longer be said to you, “Forsaken,” Nor to your land will it any longer be said, “Desolate”; But you will be called, “My delight is in her,” And your land, “Married”; For the Lord delights in you, And to Him your land will be married. 5 For as a young man marries a virgin, So your sons will marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So your God will rejoice over you.

Jerusalem will go from being called Forsaken (azav) and Desolate (shemama) to Delightful (Hephsiva) and Married (beulah).  Think of how Israel was desolate and forsaken for some nineteen hundred and forty seven years.   Then the land was returned to the Jewish people and they began to return to the land of Israel.   It began to flourish.   You aint seen nothing yet; in the Millenium it will be restored to a Land flowing with milk and honey.  

As something for us to think about, even before we came to the LORD, we can look back and see that God had not forsaken us; Hebrews 13:5b He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,”

Verse 6 On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; All day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the Lord, take no rest for yourselves;

Mostly, we think of watchmen being on guard to keep an eye out for trouble that might be coming, but why would there be a need for watchmen in the Millenium, when righteousness reigns?

If these watchmen are reminding the LORD what are they reminding Him of?

Keep reading, we get the answer in the next verse…

Verse 7 And give Him no rest until He establishes And makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

These watchmen are speaking constantly of the greatness and accomplishments of the LORD.

Now for us, we give testimony of what God has done in our lives.  This is really a great way to witness.   It is non-offensive, because we’re just talking about our experience.   We’re giving God all the glory, and it points people to Him.  The quickest witness you can give is “I once was lost, but now I’m found in Him.  Praise the LORD!”

Verse 8 The Lord has sworn by His right hand and by His strong arm, “I will never again give your grain as food for your enemies; Nor will foreigners drink your new wine for which you have labored.”

God is reminding Israel of the curses they brought upon themselves for being unfaithful to the LORD.  These curses are described in Deuteronomy 28:38-39 38 “You shall bring out much seed to the field but you will gather in little, for the locust will consume it. 39 You shall plant and cultivate vineyards, but you will neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worm will devour them.

 In the Millenium, those curses are reversed and removed.

Verse 9 But those who garner it will eat it and praise the Lord; And those who gather it will drink it in the courts of My sanctuary. 

Not only will there be bounty in the Millenium, but it will be partaken of in the courts of God’s sanctuary.   To me, there are a couple of great things to meditate on here.   Number one, we will be able to be in God’s very presence.   That’s a big deal.   Only righteousness and holiness can dwell in His presence.  So, we will be completely removed from all remnants of sin.   Number two; there’s going to be food not only in Millenium, but throughout eternity.   And I could be reading into it here, but we won’t put on weight.   Seriously though, our existence throughout eternity will have a physical aspect to it.   We will in some way be like Jesus in His resurrected state: Luke 24:36-43 While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. 38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; 43 and He took it and ate it before them.

10 Go through, go through the gates, Clear the way for the people; Build up, build up the highway,
Remove the stones, lift up a standard over the peoples.

This is very similar language to what we read Isaiah 40:3-5, 

A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
    the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
    a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
    every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
    the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

 but here Isaiah is talking about the Millenium (have we established that yet?).   Peoples, nations and tribes will stream to Israel and Jerusalem where Jesus is ruling and reigning from.   So, there will be this process of removing any obstacles that might keep people from coming to worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Verse 11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth, Say to the daughter of Zion, “Lo, your salvation comes; Behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.”

The Savior came to Zion, but not only to Zion. Isaiah makes it clear: Indeed, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the world this great news of the coming Savior. 

And when the Messiah comes to Zion, His reward is with Him.   Revelation 22:12 is a quotation from this verse: And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

Paul conveys this same idea in 1 Corinthians 3:8, saying how when we appear before the Lord, we will be judged according to our work for and with Him. On that day, each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 

Verse 12 And they will call them, “The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord”; And you will be called, “Sought out, a city not forsaken.”

Throughout her history, Jerusalem knew what it was like to be Forsaken. But in the future, she will be called Sought Out; everyone will know jerusalem was valued and chosen by God.

Can you trace back in your own life and remember how the LORD sought you out?

Do you know how valued you are by God?   You chosen ones. It isn’t anything intrinsic to you or me.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God. 30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”