Isaiah chapter 1:27-31
Bible Study Shorts
Isaiah chapter 1:27-31
This prophetic ending of the chapter sums up the entire Tribulation and judgment prior to the Millennial kingdom. Of course, Isaiah didn't write in chapters; he just wrote down his visions, as the Spirit guided him. It was subsequent copyists who added the chapter and verse numbers, to aid in accuracy.
Early manuscripts of the biblical texts did not contain the chapter and verse divisions in the numbered form familiar to modern readers. In antiquity Hebrew texts were divided into paragraphs (parashot) that were identified by two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Peh (פ) indicated an "open" paragraph that began on a new line, while Samekh (ס) indicated a "closed" paragraph that began on the same line after a small space.[4] These two letters begin the Hebrew words open (patuach) and closed (sagur), and are, themselves, open in shape (פ) and closed (ס). The earliest known copies of the Book of Isaiah from the Dead Sea Scrolls used parashot divisions, although they differ slightly from the Masoretic divisions.[5] —Wikipedia
So we actually do know where particular visions or prophecies begin and end, and we can be confident that the organization given by man was based on these Spirit-guided "road signs."
27 Zion shall be redeemed with justice,
And her penitents with righteousness.
Isaiah uses the word "Zion" to refer to Jerusalem. This is where the Holy One of Israel will sit on His throne when He comes to rule the nations in the Millennial Kingdom. Jumping forward a bit in Isaiah:
Isa 60:14 Also the sons of those who afflicted you
Shall come bowing to you,
And all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet;
And they shall call you The City of the LORD,
Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
This is Isaiah's theme throughout the book. To reiterate what I mentioned before: in Biblical prophecy, we usually get the summary (identification of sin and warning of what will happen if the sinners do not repent) and how it will conclude (hope for some, judgment for others) at the beginning of the vision before delving into the specific details. And then it happens again at the end. We begin with conclusion and end with a shorter re-conclusion, if that makes sense.
Did you notice that "all those who despised" Jesus shall fall at His feet? Not only will the descendants of His afflicters bow to Him, but also those who did the afflicting, throughout the ages, and this takes place in the "City of the Lord." This is resurrection talk!
Anyway, chasing squirrels, back to the first chapter!
Summary: the Daughter of Zion (descendants of the inhabitants of Jerusalem) hear that because of their sin of worshiping false idols in the Temple, disaster will befall them. God wants their whole hearts, not just surface obedience. Their rulers will be bad shepherds, looking only for their own good. Their false idol worship gives Judah's accusers (the fallen angels) material to attack God. God will answer this by disciplining and purifying Jerusalem by fire, and then He will restore them to righteousness.
In these last verses we can separate Zion into two groups.
The words that apply to the first group are:
redeemed
justice
penitent
righteousness
But the words that apply to the second are:
ashamed
disgraced
fading
without water
The result of repentance is restoration.
But in v.28, Isaiah warns that regardless of their repentance or disobedience, everyone will suffer, and many will die, but for the survivors the only way out is through. Once the Tribulation starts, no one gets a pass.
28 The destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together,
And the result of disobedience is clear and final:
And those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
The fiery pit that opens up after the great earthquake that accompanies the Lord's Second Coming will receive all those who take the mark and follow the Antichrist and his beast.
29 For they shall be ashamed of the terebinth [oak] trees
Which you have desired;
And you shall be embarrassed because of the gardens
Which you have chosen.
30 For you shall be as a terebinth [oak] whose leaf fades,
And as a garden that has no water.
31 The strong shall be as tinder,
And the work of it as a spark;
Both will burn together,
And no one shall quench them.
By ending v.31 on this horrific note of warning, instead of the more usual reassurance that all will end well, Isaiah is making his mission clear: Repent and be saved, for the kingdom of God is at hand!
…which was the opening statement of Christ's ministry.
Mark doesn't get quoted as often as Matthew or Luke, so we'll let him have the last word on Isaiah, chapter 1:
Mark 1:14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
Mark 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Next up: Isaiah chapter 2:1-5!
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