3. Isaiah Chapters 1-5: The Kingdom of God
4. Isaiah Chapters 6-10: God with us
5. Isaiah Chapters 11-26: The Rod of Jesse
6. Isaiah Chapters 27-32 The Righteous King
7. Isaiah Chapters 33-39 The Righteous King
8. Isaiah Chapters 40-43 The Servant of the Lord
9. Isaiah Chapters 44-45 The Servant of the Lord
10. Isaiah Chapters 46-48 The Redeemer and Savior
11. Isaiah Chapters 49-52: The Suffering Servant
5. Isaiah Chapters 11 to 26, The Branch of Jesse
Introduction Isaiah Chapters 11 to 26 The Branch of Jesse
Introduction
The dual nature of Messiah, his human nature “son of man” and God nature “Son of God” are linked to His first and Second Coming. Messiah (Christ) would be born into the world, as a baby, “A child is born” (Isaiah 9:6), he would enter the family of Adam through the “Virgin” (Isaiah 7:14). However His origin, would predate the earth, since the same person, would also be God Almighty, entering the world of His creation in human flesh. He is a “Son is given” and his name is called “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6).
Through out the book of Isaiah, we see this same dual nature linked with the first and second coming. In each revelation of Isaiah, we get a more detailed picture of God’s plan and the world to come. Isaiah spreads greater light on the revelations of earlier prophets. Prophets who would follow Isaiah, such as Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah and other in the Old Testament would build on and amplify the words of Isaiah. In the time of Jesus, the New Testament writers would witness the words of the Old Testament prophets, and amplify the meaning of the Second Coming and the Kingdom of God to come.
Isaiah 11
Isaiah chapter 11 is powerful chapter that links these two natures of Messiah, and the role He Messiah will play on the earth, both before and after His First and Second Coming. As we go through this chapter, we can understand the application of these verses based on their descriptive terms and applications.
The nature of Messiah
1There shall
come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his
roots.2The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and
understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and
of the fear of the Lord.3His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He
shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His
ears;4But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity
for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His
mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the
wicked.5Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the
belt of His waist.
There Shall: Isaiah is building upon the earlier revelations of Messiah, declaring the Messiah would be a descendent of King David (2nd Samuel 7:14). He is looking forward to this event, as declares information about this future descendent of David.
Rod from: Here Isaiah traces the human descent of the Son of David. The descendents of Adam are pictured as a “Tree” and from this Tree the Messiah is traced to a branch (Rod) from the Branch or (Stem) of Jesse, who is the father of David.
Branch: The term in Hebrew is rcn Netser, means sprout, shoot or branch and captures the essence of the Son of David as a descendent of Adam, a “Branch” of the human line. The Redeemer will be from the “Seed” of the woman, who will vanquish the head of the serpent.
The Spirit of the Lord: The Holy Spirit will rest upon him, He will have the fullness of the Spirit of God. He will be as descendent of Adam, a “Branch” with the Holy Spirit. This describes Messiah at the first coming.
He shall judge: This descendent of David will, will be the judge of the earth. He judgment will be supernatural in nature. His judgment is not based on visual sight or physical hearing as the case with human judges. His judgment is from “righteousness” and is worldwide; the whole earth is subject to the “Son of David”.
Strike the Earth: The “Son of David” (Jesse) is not only human, but God. He is the ruler of the earth, who has complete power of the earth. His power is from His “Word” or mouth. His “lips” shall destroy the wicked. He does not need human armies to enforce His words. He words by themselves have the authority and power. In the same way, the Almighty declared the universe into existence; the “Son of David” will judge the earth. God said, “Let there be”, Here God in the flesh of the Messiah, declares his judgment and kingship over the earth. He rules the earth as “Son of man” (Branch) and “Son of God” (Psalm 2). This is the essence of the second Psalm written 200-years before Isaiah.
6 "Yet I have
set My King On My holy hill of Zion." 7 "I will declare the decree: The Lord
has said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and
I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth
for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall
dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.' " 10 Now therefore, be wise, O
kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Psalm 2:6-10
Rod of his mouth: The Hebrew word for Rod, can also be translated scepter, the “Branch” will have complete authority on the earth. This amplifies the revelation in the 2nd Psalm where the scepter is described as the “Rod of Iron”.
· Son of man
· Son of David (Jesse)
· The Fullness of the Holy Spirit
· Judge of the Earth
· Super-natural knowledge
· Righteous
· Faithful
The kingdom of Messiah
Now Isaiah
describes the aspects of this coming kingdom. What will the world be like
in the days when the Son of David is ruling? From here we learn that very
nature of the earth will be changed. Often it’s easy to forget, we live in
a fallen world, the way the world is today, was not how it was first
created. The “Seed of the woman”
Therefore the picture of the animal kingdom is one of transformation. Animals that kill will be at peace with their victims. The lion will become vegetarian, under the leadership of the weakest member of the human race the “little child”.
6"The wolf
also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young
goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little
child shall lead them.7The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones
shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.8The
nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, And the weaned child shall put
his hand in the viper's den.9They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy
mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the
waters cover the sea.
Wolf....lamb: Each of these depictions from the animal world are vivid illustrations describing the world to come. Wolves eat lambs, leopards eat goat and lions eat Calves. In the world to come it will
Little child: The picture of the child leading, these animals picture of the authority man will have on earth. When Adam and Eve sin, their authority on the earth became fallen, animals became adversaries as opposed to companions.
Lion shall eat straw: The lion is a meat eater, so lions eating straws like the ox is hard for someone to accept who does not know the world is fallen. Even the very nature of the animal world will change in the rule of the “Branch”, the Son of David.
The nursing child...the weaned child.... So here we see the extent of this transformation. Even the serpent will be at peace. A nursing child is under 2-years old, while a weaned child would be 2 and above. So baby putting their hand into the hole of the “Cobra” gives us a snapshot of the world to come.
The Gentiles shall seek Him
10"And in
that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the
people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be
glorious."
In That day: This term is used throughout Isaiah (44-times), and stand for the transition of the kingdoms of this world into the Kingdom of God, where Messiah, the Son David rules over the nations in power and righteousness.
Root of Jesse: The Messiah, Son of David, Son of Man, this is qualifying the time of “That day” with the time of Messiah.
Banner to the people: The Hebrew word here is on Nec, something lifted up, a sign, a signal pole to rally. We are told in that day, the people will rally to the “Son of David”. He will be gathering point.
Gentiles shall seek Him: The non-Jewish nations will seek out the Son of David, 700-years before the birth of Jesus, Isaiah if foretelling the worldwide spreading in the belief of Messiah (Christ), where the word Christianity comes from.
His resting: Salvation for those who seek Messiah, an eternal dwelling in his presence. His Glorious rest.
The Dispersed of Judah gathered
11It shall
come to pass in that day That the Lord shall set His hand again the second
time To recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria and
Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the
islands of the sea.12He will set up a banner for the nations, And will
assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah
From the four corners of the earth.13Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart,
And the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah,
And Judah shall not harass Ephraim.
It shall come to pass: An event is being qualified for the day of the “root of Jesse”. A future event is being linked to His day.
In that day: That day, links the day of Messiah, with the gathering of the nation of Israel from the nations. Only two times was in the history of the Israel was the nation gathered, the first time in 539 B.C. following Babylonian captivity. The Second time is in 1948, and the founding of the modern state of Israel.
Second Time: The first time was in 539 B.C., therefore here the current situation of Israel is linked to the coming of the “Son of David”. In that day, links the recovery of the “remnant” of “His people” from specific nations.
Cush: This specifically refers to the nation of Cush or Ethiopia, where the “remnant” would be gathered from. This prophecy of Jews being gathered from Cush was only recently fulfilled.
Islands of the sea: This term extends this gathering from the farthest areas of the world. This would include the lands beyond the seas, the Islands in the seas.
Banner for the nations: He (God) will set the banner of Messiah up for the nations, or He will set a banner up for the gathering of Israel from the nations. The terms “Outcasts of Israel” and “Dispersed of Judah” are both used to let the reader understand both the northern and southern kingdom are part of this gathering. This includes the term “Four corners”, or the farthest extent of the Jews scattered throughout the world.
Envy: Israel will be one unified nation, not as they were in the days of Isaiah, a divided separated northern and southern kingdom. Again, this finds fulfillment in the Israel of today.
Israel against the nations
14But
they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west;
Together they shall plunder the people of the East; They shall lay their
hand on Edom and Moab; And the people of Ammon shall obey them.15The Lord
will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt; With His mighty wind He
will shake His fist over the River, And strike it in the seven streams, And
make men cross over dry-shod.16There will be a highway for the remnant of
His people Who will be left from Assyria, As it was for Israel In the day
that he came up from the land of Egypt.
They shall fly: The gathering of the people of Israel and Judah, was a confrontation with the nations. The first group listed is the Philistines, the modern term is Palestine. Israel is mentioned as plundering the people of the East or (Middle East), they would be at odds with these nations when they are gathered. These nations included Jordan (Edom, Moab and Ammon), this verse can find its fulfillment in the events of today.
Ammon shall obey them: The modern city of Amman Jordan, is named after the descendents of Ammonites. This is the capital of the area which would have included the kingdom Edom, Moab and Ammon.
All these are qualifying events leading to the “Son of David” who will come “In that Day”, the events are linked to the main event.
The next chapter is a hymn of praise to the events of Chapter 11, Here Israel is restored and praises God for salvation and the Holy One of Israel who now dwells in their midst. After the Messiah, returns he will dwell in Jerusalem, in the midst of Israel.
1 And in that day you will say: "O Lord, I will praise You;
Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort
me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; 'For Yah,
the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.' " 3
Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation. 4 And in
that day you will say: "Praise the Lord, call upon His name; Declare His
deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted. 5 Sing to
the Lord, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth.
6 Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, For great is the Holy One
of Israel in your midst!"
Babylon would play a prominent role for Judah the southern Kingdom. One day they would destroy Jerusalem and the Temple. In 586 B.C., Babylon was the instrument God used to bring judgment o Judah, for their sins. Here Isaiah declares the final judgment on Babylon in the last days.
Babylon will again play a role in the last days, the Kingdom of God will follow the destruction of Babylon and its king. The gathering of Israel is linked to this final judgment, when Messiah will one day confront the enemy of Israel. The king of Babylon is later addressed as Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12), who was an enemy of humanity from the beginning. Lucifer would be vanquished by the “Seed of the Woman”, the Messiah.
1 For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob. 2 Then people will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them for servants and maids in the land of the Lord; they will take them captive whose captives they were, and rule over their oppressors. 3 It shall come to pass in the day the Lord gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve, 4 that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: "How the oppressor has ceased, The golden city ceased! 5 The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, The scepter of the rulers;
In
chapters 15 and 16 of Isaiah a proclamation is made against the Kingdom of
Moab. Within this proclamation is the promise of the “Throne being
established”.
In
mercy the throne will be established; And One will sit on it in truth, in
the tabernacle of David, Judging and seeking justice and hastening
righteousness."
Chapter 17: Proclamation Against Syria and Israel
Chapter 18: Proclamation Against Ethiopia
Chapter 19: Proclamation Against Egypt
With Judgment, also comes a promise of restoration. In Chapter 19 Isaiah speaks against Egypt, but also looks forward to day when Egypt, Assyria and Israel will be united under the kingdom of Messiah. Egypt is specifically mentioned as existing during the kingdom of Messiah (Zechariah 14:18).
18
In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the
language of Canaan and swear by the Lord of hosts; one will be called the
City of Destruction. 19 In that day there will be an altar to
the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its
border. 20 And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the Lord of hosts
in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of the
oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will
deliver them. 21 Then the Lord will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians
will know the Lord in that day, and will make sacrifice and
offering; yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. 22 And the
Lord will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the
Lord, and He will be entreated by them and heal them. 23 In that day
there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come
into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with
the Assyrians. 24 In that day Israel will be one of three with
Egypt and Assyria- a blessing in the midst of the land, 25 whom the Lord of
hosts shall bless, saying, "Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work
of My hands, and Israel My inheritance."
Chapter 20: The sign against Egypt and Ethiopia
Chapter 21: The fall of Babylon Proclaimed
Chapter 22 Proclamation against Jerusalem
Chapter 23: Proclamation against Tyre
Chapter 24: Judgment on the Earth: In that day
What will the world be like “In that day”? Chapter 24 describes the judgment of the earth, when the Messiah comes at the Second Coming. The earth is judged because of sin. The judgment will include the “Exalted one” on high, possibly referring to the fallen angels including Satan (vs.22). Also gathered in prison will be the kings of the earth.
The conclusion of the matter is the Lord of Hosts will rule from Mt. Zion and Jerusalem, before his elders. This a clear reference to the Messianic kingdom and the kingdom of David.
1 Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants. 2 And it shall be: As with the people, so with the priest; As with the servant, so with his master; As with the maid, so with her mistress; As with the buyer, so with the seller; As with the lender, so with the borrower; As with the creditor, so with the debtor. 3 The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, For the Lord has spoken this word. 4 The earth mourns and fades away, The world languishes and fades away; The haughty people of the earth languish. 5 The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, And those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men are left. ...............
...................19 The earth is violently broken, The earth is split open, The earth is shaken exceedingly. 20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, And shall totter like a hut; Its transgression shall be heavy upon it, And it will fall, and not rise again. 21 It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord will punish on high the host of exalted ones, And on the earth the kings of the earth. 22 They will be gathered together, As prisoners are gathered in the pit, And will be shut up in the prison; After many days they will be punished. 23 Then the moon will be disgraced And the sun ashamed; For the Lord of hosts will reign On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem And before His elders, gloriously.
When the
Lord reigns on Mt. Zion, there will be a feast in Jerusalem. The
resurrection will have occurred be because death is swallowed up (Isaiah
25:8). Also the veil that enshrouds the world will be lifted (Isaiah
25:7). In verse 9, Israel boasts in their relationship with God, saying
“Behold our God”. This will be Messiah, Jesus Christ in the Millennium when
he rules over earth from Jerusalem as
1 O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. 2 For You have made a city a ruin, A fortified city a ruin, A palace of foreigners to be a city no more; It will never be rebuilt. 3 Therefore the strong people will glorify You; The city of the terrible nations will fear You. 4 For You have been a strength to the poor, A strength to the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, A shade from the heat; For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. 5 You will reduce the noise of aliens, As heat in a dry place; As heat in the shadow of a cloud, The song of the terrible ones will be diminished. 6 And in this mountain The Lord of hosts will make for all people A feast of choice pieces, A feast of wines on the lees, Of fat things full of marrow, Of well-refined wines on the lees. 7 And He will destroy on this mountain The surface of the covering cast over all people, And the veil that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken. 9 And it will be said in that day: "Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." 10 For on this mountain the hand of the Lord will rest, And Moab shall be trampled down under Him, As straw is trampled down for the refuse heap. 11 And He will spread out His hands in their midst As a swimmer reaches out to swim, And He will bring down their pride Together with the trickery of their hands. 12 The fortress of the high fort of your walls He will bring down, lay low, And bring to the ground, down to the dust.
One
clear distinction of the Messianic kingdom is the resurrection. When the
Messiah comes to the resurrection will occur because he has the power over
life and death. Jesus demonstrated his nature by calling Lazarus from the
grave (John 11). Jesus declared his power over the grave saying in
38 "For I have
come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent
Me. 39 "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given
Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 "And
this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and
believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the
last day."
In verse 21, we know before the resurrection of the will be the judgment of the earth, when the Lord comes out of his place (Heaven). Also no sins will be kept hidden, the earth will disclose its blood when the Lord comes.
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. 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. 20 Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. 21 For behold, the Lord comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, And will no more cover her slain.
