Scripture Reading: Isa. 40; John 1:19-27; 1 Pet. 1:23-24
In the Old Testament of thirty-nine books, the main thing covered is the old creation, and in the New Testament of twenty-seven books, the main thing revealed is God's new creation. Thus, God's two creations mark the boundary between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Now we need to see that in the first thirty-nine chapters of Isaiah, the old creation is covered, including God's chastisement of Israel and His judgment of the Gentiles, whereas in the last twenty-seven chapters, the center of Isaiah's prophecy is the new creation.
The coming of the new creation does not involve the immediate end of the old creation. On the contrary, after the new creation comes, the old creation remains for a period of time. In the New Testament, the new creation begins with the coming of John the Baptist. After that, the old creation remains until it is terminated at the end of the millennium. The end of the thousand-year kingdom will be the termination of the old creation as well as the completion, the consummation, of the new creation, as signified by the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth (Rev. 21:1-2).
History tells us that Isaiah wrote his book during two or three periods of time. I believe that the second part of his prophecy was written at a time different from the first part.
The second part begins with a word of comfort spoken to the heart of Jerusalem (Isa. 40:1-2). The fact that this word is spoken to the heart means that it is concerned not with the outer man but with the inner man. In this chapter, the speaking of the word of comfort to the heart of Jerusalem is actually the announcing of the gospel. Thus, we may understand the word comfort as meaning the preaching of the gospel.
The first thing announced in Isaiah 40 is the coming of John the Baptist (vv. 3-4). Immediately after this is the appearing of Christ as the glory of Jehovah (v. 5). The glory of Jehovah is the center of the gospel for the new creation (2 Cor. 4:4-6). Christ is the effulgence of God's glory (Heb. 1:3), and this effulgence is like the shining of the sun. The New Testament tells us that Christ's first coming was the rising of the sun (Luke 1:78). Thus, when Christ appeared, the glory of Jehovah appeared to be seen by the God-seekers and Christ-believers.
After Isaiah 40 speaks of the coming of John the Baptist and the appearing of Christ as the glory of God, this chapter tells us that, like the grass and the flower of the field, all men will wither and fade, but the word of God remains forever (vv. 6-8). The word of God is actually Christ as the gospel of God. This word is abiding, and as the word of life, it is also living. All men of flesh, all withering and fading human beings, should receive Christ, the glory of God, who comes to people as the living and abiding word of God. Those who receive Christ as this word of God will be regenerated that they may have eternal life to live forever (1 Pet. 1:23).
According to Isaiah 40:29-31, those who have received the word and have been regenerated are now waiting for Jehovah. For us to wait on God means that we "fire" ourselves, that is, that we stop ourselves with our living, doing, and activity and receive Christ as our replacement. Verse 31 says that such a waiting one will mount up with wings like eagles, signifying the resurrection power of Christ. He will not only walk and run — he will also soar in the heavens, far above every earthly frustration. This is a transformed person. Therefore, in this chapter we have the announcing of the gospel (corresponding to the four Gospels), salvation through regeneration (corresponding to the Acts), and transformation (corresponding to the Epistles).
I believe that Isaiah wrote this chapter to give us a comparison between Hezekiah, a godly man who was still in the old creation, and a regenerated and transformed person in the new creation. As chapters thirty-six through thirty-nine indicate, no matter how good Hezekiah was, he was still in the old creation, and thus he was fired by God. But in chapter forty we see a different kind of person — one who is regenerated and transformed, one who has been fired, who has taken God in Christ as his replacement, and who is now continually waiting upon the Lord. Such a person "will mount up with wings like eagles." The apostle Paul is the best representative of the kind of person described in Isaiah 40. Let us consider the difference between Hezekiah and Paul and ask ourselves whether we will be like Hezekiah or like Paul. May we all be like Paul, who was absolutely in the new creation. With him, the old creation had been terminated, fired, and replaced, and now the new creation is here with Christ.
With this view of Isaiah 40 before us, let us now go on to consider the details in this chapter.
In the first three sections of Isaiah (chs. 1—35), the prophet's vision concerning Jehovah's governmental dealing with Israel and His punishing judgment on the nations, ushering in the all-inclusive Christ with the expected restoration of all things, has been adequately unveiled.
The last section of Isaiah (chs. 40—66) is the kind word of Jehovah spoken to the heart of Israel, His beloved people, which unveils the prophet's vision concerning the redeeming and saving Christ as the Servant of Jehovah and the all-inclusive salvation brought in by Him to Israel and the nations, with the full restoration of all things, consummating in the new heaven and new earth.
Isaiah 40 is Jehovah's word of comfort to Israel. This word is actually the word of the gospel. Verses 1 and 2 say, "Comfort, O comfort My people,/Says your God./Speak unto the heart of Jerusalem,/And cry out to her,/That her warfare has finished,/That the penalty for her iniquity has been accepted;/For she has received from the hand of Jehovah double/For all her sins." For centuries Israel has been suffering under God's chastisement, but the day will come when this word of comfort, this word of the gospel, will be spoken to Israel.
Isaiah 40 also refers to John the Baptist, who ushered in the expected Christ for the New Testament (John 1:19-27). Concerning John the Baptist, Isaiah 40:3 and 4 say, "The voice of one who cries/In the wilderness: Make clear/The way of Jehovah;/Make straight in the desert/A highway for our God./Every valley will be lifted up,/And every mountain and hill will be made low,/And the crooked places will become straight,/And the rough places a broad plane." Verse 5 goes on to speak of the glory of Jehovah, that is, the glory of Christ, who was recommended by John. "Then the glory of Jehovah will be revealed, / And all flesh will see it together, /Because the mouth of Jehovah has spoken." In the eyes of the Jews, Jesus was merely a Nazarene, yet Isaiah speaks of "the glory of Jehovah." When Jesus came, only those with discernment knew that He was the glory of Jehovah. Because the aged Simeon had such discernment, he could say of the little child Jesus, whom he received into his arms, that He was a light for revelation of the Gentiles and the glory of Jehovah's people Israel (Luke 2:22-32). To the worldly people today, Christ is nothing, but to us into whom He has shined (2 Cor. 4:6), He is the glory of God and the hope of glory within us (Col. 1:27).
Chapter forty of Isaiah unveils what man really is and what man really needs. The prophet's speaking in this chapter surely is an excellent example of preaching the gospel.
Verses 6 through 8 say, "All flesh is grass / And all its beauty is like the flower of the field; / The grass withers, the flower fades, / Because the breath of Jehovah blows upon it. / Surely the people are grass. / The grass withers and the flower fades, / But the word of our God will stand forever." Here Isaiah compares fading men of flesh to the word of God. What will remain among the human race? Everything will fade and wither except the word of God. This word is actually Christ, the glory of Jehovah. All men are fading, but Christ as the living word will remain.
Isaiah 40:6-8 indicates that all men of flesh should receive the living and abiding word of God to be regenerated that they may have the eternal life to live forever (1 Pet. 1:23-24).
Isaiah 40 also reveals that all men are like a drop from a bucket and are accounted as specks of dust on the scales (v. 15a). All men are as nothing before God; they are accounted as less than nothing and vanity (v. 17). All the inhabitants of the earth are like grasshoppers (v. 22a).
This chapter indicates that man cannot be compared to God, who is great, who takes up the islands as very fine powder, who sits above the circle of the earth, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent, and who brings the princes to nought and makes the judges of the earth as nothing (vv. 15b-18, 22-26).
This chapter tells us not only what man is but also what man needs.
First, man needs the incomparable God (vv. 18-26). Fading man needs the eternal God, the only one who does not wither and fade but abides forever.
Second, man needs the coming Christ, who is to be announced as the glad tidings. The coming Christ is to be announced as Jehovah our God (v. 3) and as Jehovah of glory, to be revealed and seen by all flesh together (v. 5). Furthermore, the coming Christ is to be announced as the Lord Jehovah coming with might to rule with His arm, having His reward with Him and His recompense before Him (vv. 9-10). Finally, the coming Christ is to be announced as a Shepherd feeding His flock, gathering the lambs in His arms, carrying them in His bosom, and leading those who are nourishing the young (v. 11).
Verses 6 through 8 indicate that man also needs regeneration with the living and abiding word of God (1 Pet. 1:23). God is invisible, abstract, and mysterious, but He is embodied in His word. Now by touching the word as the embodiment of God, we receive for our regeneration a word that is living and abides forever.
Finally, according to Isaiah 40, man needs to wait on the eternal God, Jehovah. To wait on God is to be terminated and replaced by the Triune God. Concerning Him, verse 28 says, "Do you not know, / Or have you not heard, / That the eternal God, Jehovah, / The Creator of the ends of the earth, / Does not faint and does not become weary. / There is no searching of His understanding." His understanding is not searchable.
As the eternal God, Jehovah empowers those who are weary. "He gives power to the faint, / And to those who have no vigor He multiplies strength. / Although youths will faint and become weary, / And young men shall collapse exhausted; / Yet those who wait on Jehovah will renew their strength; / They will mount up with wings like eagles; / They will run and will not faint / They will walk and will not become weary" (vv. 29-31). The wings here signify the resurrection power of Christ. Those who stop themselves and wait on Jehovah will experience this resurrection power, be transformed, and soar in the heavens.
When we wait on the eternal God, we are terminated and replaced by Him, and then we have Him as our life and power, which is the power of resurrection. This power strengthens us and enables us to mount up with wings as eagles and to soar above the earth. This is the full experience of God's salvation revealed in chapter forty of Isaiah.
