Isaiah 54-57

Isaiah 54

Isaiah used these 3 images to describe God’s people:

1. Barren woman (Isaiah 54:1)

2. Deserted and distressed wife (Isaiah 54:6)

3. Afflicted city (Isaiah 54:11)

Isaiah 54:1–3

Hope of joy is promised.

Isaiah 54:4–10

Hope of redemption is promised. God encouraged His people to not be afraid, for they will not suffer shame nor humiliation. God will call back His people and show compassion with everlasting kindness.

Isaiah 54:11–17
Revelation 21:10, 18–21

Hope of righteousness is promised. God will rebuild His people with stones of turquoise, sapphires, rubies, sparkling jewels, and precious stones. A new Jerusalem will be built and shall be the Holy City of God and His people. The city’s walls will be made of jasper, and the city itself will be of pure gold. The foundations of the city walls will be layered with jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, carnelian, chrysolite, berl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, and amethyst—all very precious stones. There will be twelve gates, each made of a single pearl. God’s people will be taught by the Lord and will not be ruled by tyranny. There will be no terror, and all those who attack them will surrender to them.

God’s people ought to sing for joy for God is the beginning and the end. God is the creator of all and will therefore protect His people from every weapon of destruction and every tongue of accusation. God’s people will prevail.

Isaiah 52:13–53:12

God’s people, even to this day, continues to stray away from God. Upon every earthly success, many people, including the Israelites, do not acknowledge God and believe their success to be due to the greatness of themselves. The Israelites were and still are punished for such pride, for they have forced God to turn His back from them. God entered a covenant with His people, and He will never break His promise. However, we are weak and flawed, and we can’t keep our end of the promise. We are suppose to remain steadfast by God and live by God’s Word, but if we accumulate any success, we believe ourselves to be gods; and if we suffer any difficulties, we blame God for turning His back from us. It is therefore impossible for us to adhere to our own end of the promise.

However, the death of Jesus Christ made salvation permanent for all.

Jesus fulfills our end of the promise perfectly, allowing us to enter God’s Kingdom through Him, despite all our sins and imperfections.

Israelites today are still suffering from their choice to stray from God, as prophesized by Isaiah. But during the Rapture and the Tribulation, 144,000 Israelites will be sealed by God. These Israelites will be the ones who finally choose to follow God and to enter His Covenant. This will be the day that God restores glory to the Israelites, thereby fulfilling the promise of God.

Isaiah 55

John 4:13–14; 7:37–39

In John 4:13-14, we learn that if we drink from Jesus, we will never thirst again. And in John 7:37-39, Jesus tells us, “Whoever believes in me, streams of living water will flow from within him.” And so, when we choose to follow Jesus, to drink from Jesus, we will receive the Holy Spirit, who will quench our thirst from within.

Coming back to Isaiah 55:1-3, we can understand better why we will never thrist again, for God has said, “I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.”

2 Samuel 7:16
Luke 1:30–33
Because of the covenant with David, fulfilled through Jesus Christ, God’s people and their throne will endure forever.

We seek and call on the Lord through our prayers.

We cannot begin to understand God’s thoughts (which is why we often cannot understand why things happen they way they do). However, we know from history and ought to know through personal experience that God’s Words are always true and that God has and always will remain faithful to His promises. We certainly cannot say the samething for human thoughts and words.

Isaiah 56:1–8
Exodus 31:12–17
Deuteronomy 23:1–8

Romans 1:16–17

The salvation and righteousness to be revealed are the gospel. It claims the good news of God’s salvationfor everyone who believes. And in the gospel, righteousness from God is revealed, “a righteousness that is by faith.”

To be honest, I am still learning what this means. For now, I think this means that by placing our trust in God and just knowing and trusting that God will take care of us no matter what (faith), we will be on the road of righteousness. And as we continue to walk with God with growing faith, the better we can comprehend righteousness of God.

Mark 11:15-17
Jesus quoted Isaiah 56:7 in Mark 11:15-17. Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus stress again and again that following the law is not nearly as critical as having God in our hearts. For example, Jesus was asked why He performed miracles on Sabbath day when it was against the law to do so. Jesus responded by saying, if you saw your sheep injured and dying, would you not run to it and help it? In Romans, Paul also stresses a similar idea using the concept of circumcision. Many Jews are so caught up with circumcision that those who aren’t circumcised are therefore considered unclean and ungodly. However, Paul reminds us that through Jesus Christ, we have all been made clean. And if our hearts do not have God, it doesn’t matter if we are physically cicumcised. In both cases, Both Jesus and Paul are stressing that following the law without following God is merely a religious act that will only lead us further away from God.

Salvation is extended to the gentiles, which essentially includes anyone who is not born a Jew.

John 10:14–16

Acts 8:26–40; 10:34–48
Once Jesus established the new covenant, the apostles then understood how Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled.

In John 10:16, Jesus said, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” This is alluding to the gentiles that are to be grafted into the olive tree through Jesus Christ.

In Acts 8:32-35, Philip explained a part of Isaiah’s prophecy to the eunuch, about how Jesus’ sacrifice and the salvation those who fear God would receive.

In Acts 10:34-40, Peter gave his testament about God’s grace and the salvation Jesus brings. Peter also gave witness to Jesus’ death and His resurrection on the 3^rd day. Apostles of Jesus were then instructed to preach to the people and let all know that Jesus is the annointed Son, the judge of the living and the dead. Furthermore, the apostles were to preach the Good News, that all those who fear God will receive salvation. Peter baptized many gentiles that day, for anyone who heard the Good News and praised the Lord received the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 56:9–57:21

Israel’s watchmen neither uphold justice nor righteousness, for they are blind, lack knowledge, and have no voice. They follow their own way and seek their own gain, wasting away thinking the next day will only be better. 

God warned these people that He will expose their lack of righteousness and had them ponder how their idols would save them when they are in trouble. God also reminded them that if they are willing to turn to Him and seek salvation, they will inherit the land as sons of God.