Isaiah 62 - Outline of Isaiah (Book Notes menu page)

C. Restoration secured through Israel's glorious King (The King of Peace), ch. 58-66

1. Israel's false worship contrasted with true worship, 58:1-14
2. Israel's confession of sin, and the Redeemer's remedy, 59:1-21
3. Israel's radiance and peace in the Light of the Redeemer, 60:1-22
4. Israel's joy in the completed Gospel of the Anointed One, 61:1-11
5. Israel's complete restoration; the Lord's complete destruction of her enemies, 62:1- 63:6

1. For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness,
and the salvation thereof as a lamp {ie., torch} [that] burneth.
2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory:
and thou shalt be called by a new name,
which the mouth of the LORD shall name.
3 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD,
and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.
  for Zion's sake will I not hold my peace... I will not rest...-
    The Messiah, whose voice we heard blending with the voices of Israel's Remnant at the close of the previous chapter (Isa 61:10), speaks alone, here. He bares His heart while all others listen. He is yearning to establish His Kingdom of righteousness, in which Israel will shine in His glory and the gentiles will come into the light of the God of Israel. Today, He is at the Father's right hand, making intercession for His own, and awaiting the opportunity to bring His work of salvation to completion. (Mark 13:26-37; Acts 1:6,7; Rom 8:34)
  the gentiles shall see thy righteousness... thy glory...-
    Israel's righteousness and glory is in the Person of their King. Jer 23:5,6
  thou shalt be called by a new name...- 'Thou' refers to Israel as a nation. cp. Jer 33:16
    As the names of God describe His character, Israel's new name will describe her new nature, for her people will reflect the righteousness of their King.
    (Similarly, individual believers will also be given new names, reflecting the character of their Lord and Savior. Rev 2:17; 3:12; cp. 1Joh 3:2)
    [See the Book Notes at Isa 65:15 for further discussion of Israel's 'new name.']
  thou shalt be... a crown of glory... a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. (v.3)-
    The Lord will transform His people, from defiled and degraded sinners, into His treasured gems which reflect His glory. Mal 3:17
    The word for 'diadem' refers to the High Priest's 'mitre' (ie., turban) in Ex 28:4,39 and Zech 3:5. The Messiah will be crowned as both the King and the High Priest of His people.
    Two different words are used for 'hand' in v.3. The first refers to an open hand, by which the treasure is displayed. The second refers to the 'palm' or 'hollow' of the hand, by which the treasure is kept (eg., Joh 10:27-30).
4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken;
neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate:
but thou shalt be called Hephzibah {ie., 'My delight is in her'},
and thy land Beulah {ie., 'Married'}:
for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.
5 For [as] a young man marrieth a virgin, [so] shall thy sons marry thee:
and [as] the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride,
[so] shall thy God rejoice over thee.
  thou shalt no more be termed {be called, be spoken of as} Forsaken... but Beulah {ie., 'Married'}...-
  ...no more... Desolate... but Hephzibah {'Delightful' or 'My delight is in her'}...-
    Following her centuries of separation, Israel will be restored as the 'wife' of the LORD, and she will become His joy and delight.
    Hephzibah was the name of the wife of good king Hezekiah (2Kin 21:1-3). Since Hezekiah is a type of Christ, as the king of Jerusalem who obtains victory over the oppressor through faith in the LORD, it seems more than coincidental that his wife should also have this name. Yet, out of Hephzibah, came evil king Manasseh (a 'type' of the Antichrist), who led Israel deep into sin, the cause for which she was forsaken. Likewise, the future Antichrist's false prophet will arise out of Israel, to lead them toward destruction, prior to the return of Christ (cp. Rev 13:11, where 'the earth' refers to 'the land' of Israel).
  so shall thy sons marry thee...- Compare v.5 with this alternate translation:

    > "For a young man doth marry a virgin,
    > Thy Builders do marry thee,
    > With the joy of a bridegroom over a bride,
    > Rejoice over thee doth thy God." [YLT]

    Explanation: "By changing the vowel points (which are not inspired) in the Hebrew text, this word ['sons'] would read 'Thy Builders,' ie., the plural of majesty for 'Thy Restorer,' and thus the correspondence with the name of God in the last line [of v.5] would be preserved -- the first and the third lines picturing the bridegroom, and the second and fourth, the Messiah." [in quotes, GWms]
    (The Bridegroom, who is the Messiah, is One with the Lord GOD. cp. Isa 61:10-11; Jer 23:5,6)
6. I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem,
[which] shall never hold their peace day nor night:
ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,
7 And give him no rest, till he establish,
and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
  I have set watchmen... which shall never hold their peace...-
    The prophets, and all who truly know the LORD, share the yearning of the Messiah (cp. v.1). The Messiah urges them to continually proclaim the truth to His people (cp. Eze 3:17-19), and to continually pray (as He does, v.1) for the peace of Jerusalem (Psa 122:6).
    That peace will ultimately come in the Person of the Messiah (the Prince of Peace, Isa 9:6,7), when the Father sends Him back to earth, to establish His Kingdom. Until then, Israel's sorrows, at the hands of oppressors, will continue. Following the captivity of king Zedekiah at the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon, Israel would have no king until the Messiah returns to reign (Eze 21:25-27; Hos 3:4,5; Eph 2:14).
    "Ye that make mention of the LORD..." can be translated "Ye that put the LORD in remembrance..." Those who pray must do so, on the basis of the LORD's purposes as revealed in His prophetic word, because He answers those who pray according to His Will (1Joh 5:14,15). We need not doubt His Will concerning the restoration of Israel, for we have His sworn statement, in the next verses.
8 The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength,
Surely I will no more give thy corn [to be] meat for thine enemies;
and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:
9 But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD;
and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness.
  The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength...-
    cp. Deu 32:40-43; Isa 52:10; 53:1; Heb 6:13-15
  ...I will no more give thy corn to... thine enemies...-
    In that day, the LORD will lift the curses which He had previously placed upon Israel because of their stubborn refusal to obey His Word. eg., Deu 28:15,31-33
10. Go through, go through the gates;
prepare ye the way of the people;
cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones;
lift up a standard for the people {lit., peoples}.
11 Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world,
Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh;
behold, his reward [is] with him, and his work before him.
12 And they {ie., the peoples} shall call them {the people of Israel},
The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD:
and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.
  prepare ye the way of the people...-
    The nations are instructed to prepare the way for Israel's return. cp. Isa 57:14
  lift up a standard {an ensign, a sign} for the people (lit., peoples)...-
    The gentile nations will comprehend the importance of this instruction, when they see Christ returning. cp. Isa 11:10,12; 31:8,9; 49:22
  say ye to the daughter of Zion...-
    The LORD commands those who know Him to convey a clear message to the people of Isael:
  Behold, thy salvation {HB=yesha} cometh...- (v.11)
    The pronouns (his, him), in v.11b, indicate that this salvation is a Person.
    The Messiah Himself is the righteousness and salvation of His people (cp. v.1).
  ...His reward {HB=sakar, wages} is with Him...
  ...His work {HB=pe'ullah, wages, compensation for labor} before Him.-
    The day is coming when the Messiah's yearnings will be fulfilled, His labor of love will be rewarded, and together with His Bride, He will rejoice in the Kingdom of Righteousness (Isa 53:11,12).
    Those, who have watched with Him, will share in His reward, as the apostle Paul eagerly anticipated (1The 2:19,20).
  and they {ie., the peoples, the gentiles} shall call them {ie., Israel}...-
  ...the redeemed {HB=ga'al, those pertaining to the kinsman redeemer} of the LORD...
  ...Sought out, a city not forsaken.-
    For all nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the God of Israel (Isa 2:2,3; Zech 8:23),
    who sought His scattered people and regathered them to their land (Eze 34:11-16).
[This section continues into the next chapter, in 63:1-6.]

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