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Scripture Reading: Isa. 51; Isa. 52; 53:1-2
Chapters forty-one through sixty-six are all concerned with Christ as the Servant of Jehovah, and therefore they should be understood as a whole. In this message we will consider chapters fifty-one and fifty-two.
In 51:1—52:12 we see Christ as the Servant of Jehovah in relation to Jehovah's loving dealing with His beloved Israel.
Jehovah's calling of Israel is based upon His calling of their father Abraham; hence, it is firm. Concerning this calling, 51:1 and 2 say, "Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness,/Who seek after Jehovah,/Look to the rock from which you were hewn,/And to the excavation of the pit from which you were dug./Look to Abraham your father/ And to Sarah who travailed with you;/For I called him when he was one person,/And blessed him and multiplied him." Here the word rock refers not to God but to Abraham, who was the source of Israel.
Based upon His calling of Israel, Jehovah has visited Zion. "Jehovah has comforted Zion;/He has comforted all her waste places,/And made her wilderness like Eden,/And her desert like the garden of Jehovah./Gladness and joy will be found in her,/Thanksgiving and the voice of song" (v. 3).
Verses 4 through 8 speak of Jehovah's righteousness and salvation for Israel.
First, Jehovah tells His people to hearken to Him. "Hearken to Me, O My people;/Give ear to Me, O My nation; / For instruction will go out from Me;/And I will set My judgment as a light for the peoples" (v. 4). God's judgment is a light. Thus, if we have His judgment, we have His light. Otherwise, we are in darkness.
In verse 5 Jehovah goes on to speak of His righteousness and salvation. "My righteousness is near; My salvation has gone forth;/My arms will judge the peoples;/The coastlands will wait for Me."
Salvation and righteousness always go together. This is clearly indicated in verse 6, where Jehovah says, "Lift up your eyes to the heavens,/And look upon the earth beneath; / For the heavens will vanish away like smoke,/And the earth will wear out like a garment,/And those who dwell there will die in like manner;/But My salvation will be forever,/And My righteousness will not be abolished."
In verses 7 and 8 Jehovah speaks a word to those who know righteousness, to a people in whose heart is His instruction. He says to them, "Do not fear the reproach of man;/Do not be terrified at their revilings./For the moth will eat them up like a garment,/And the worm will eat them like wool;/But My righteousness will be forever,/And My salvation from generation to generation."
In 51:9-16 we see Jehovah's arm for Israel. As 53:1-2 indicates, Jehovah's arm is Christ the Servant of Jehovah. Hence, Jehovah's arm for Israel is actually Christ for Israel. In 51:9a there is the prayer that Jehovah's arm would arise and put on strength. Because of Jehovah's arm, the ransomed of Israel will return and come to Zion with a ringing shout, and eternal joy will be upon their heads. They will lay hold on gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away (v. 11). Furthermore, the one who is bowed down (that is, in bonds, denoting the captives) will soon be released and will not die in the pit (that is, in prison), nor will his bread be lacking (while the released captives will be on their way of returning — vv. 14-16).
Isaiah 51:17-23 is concerned with Jehovah's encouragement to Jerusalem. Verses 17 through 20 speak of Jehovah's wrath and of His rebuke to her in the past. According to verses 21 through 23, Jehovah now is pleading for her.
Isaiah 52:1-6 tells us of Jehovah's encouragement to Zion.
In 52:7-10 we have Jehovah's good news for Zion and Jerusalem. Verses 7 and 8 say, "How beautiful on the mountains/Are the feet of him who brings good news,/Of him who announces peace, who brings news of good things, /Who announces salvation;/Of him who says to Zion, Your God reigns!/The voice of your watchmen! They lift up their voice;/They give a ringing shout together;/For they will see with their very own eyes/When Jehovah restores Zion." The first part of verse 7 is quoted by Paul in Romans 10:15. Isaiah 52:9 and 10 go on to say, "Break forth, give a ringing shout together,/You wasted places of Jerusalem,/For Jehovah has comforted His people,/He has redeemed Jerusalem./Jehovah has bared His holy arm [Christ, the Servant of Jehovah]/In the sight of all the nations,/And all the ends of the earth will see/The salvation of our God."
Verses 11 and 12 reveal that these chapters concerning Christ as the Servant of Jehovah are related to Israel's departure from Babylon. Verse 11 says, "Depart! Depart! Go out from there [Babylon]!/Do not touch any unclean thing! / Go out from the midst of her! Cleanse yourself,/You who bear the vessels of Jehovah!" This word about the vessels of Jehovah indicates that the vessels of the temple, which had been carried away to Babylon, would be brought back to Jerusalem. Verse 12 continues, "You will not go out in haste, / And you will not go in flight;/For Jehovah will go before you,/And the God of Israel will be your rear guard."
The entire Bible gives us one complete revelation. This revelation shows us that God has an economy, a plan with many arrangements, to gain a people who are regenerated, sanctified, renewed, transformed, and conformed to His image to be His corporate expression that He may be glorified forever. This revelation includes the fact that God has an enemy — Satan. As God's adversary, Satan is always rejecting God, opposing God, and doing whatever he can to frustrate God from accomplishing His economy. This opposition to God's economy indicates that there is a war raging in the universe between God and Satan.
In the Bible, the result of Satan's work is called Babylon. In God's eyes, all the attacks carried out by the nations come from one source — Babylon. Babylon signifies division with confusion.
Babylon was first called Babel in Genesis 11, but at the end of the Bible, Babel consummates in Babylon (Rev. 17—18). Babylon is also seen in the image in Daniel 2. The head of that image is Nebuchadnezzar, indicating that Nebuchadnezzar is the head of Babylon, and the ten toes of that image are Antichrist with the ten kings. Hence, Antichrist also will be a part of Babylon.
In the Old Testament, Babylon was mainly political, but this political Babylon also interfered with the worship of God. When Babylon invaded Jerusalem, it destroyed the temple of God and carried away to Babylon the vessels of the temple (Dan. 1:1-2), which typify the ways and means for God's people to enjoy Christ. These vessels continued to exist, but they were marred. Furthermore, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, captured the people of high rank in Israel, including the royal family, and forced them to worship his god in Babylon. Hence, the worship of God was damaged and marred by Babylon. This shows that Babylonian politics went together with Babylonian religion.
In the New Testament, Babylon is mentioned in a strong way in the book of Revelation. The religious aspect is mentioned first (Rev. 17), then the political aspect (Rev. 18). The religious Babylon is revealed as "Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of the Prostitutes and the Abominations of the Earth" (17:5). In Revelation 2:20 she is signified by Jezebel. In contrast to political Babylon, religious Babylon, the apostate Roman Catholic Church, is very mysterious. It has God, Christ, and Satan within it. It has a name that it proclaims God and preaches Christ as the Savior. But when its members believe its preaching, they are brought into the secrets, mysteries, and deep things of Satan (v. 24) to worship idols. The apostate Roman Church preaches God but worships idols. This is hypocrisy.
Presently, political Babylon is less prominent than religious Babylon. Political Babylon is somewhat in a state of repose, whereas religious Babylon is flourishing. For example, Christmas, which is celebrated throughout the world, is altogether from Babylon. Participating in Christmas may seem to be a small thing, but anything that is part of Babylon is abominable in the eyes of God. The system in the church meetings of one man speaking and all the rest listening is also a part of Babylon. This Babylonian element must not be allowed to remain among us.
God commanded His Old Testament elect, Israel, to depart from Babylon and to separate themselves absolutely from Babylon (Isa. 52:11). In the New Testament, God also charges His elect, the church, to come out of Babylon (Rev. 18:4). We all need to ask ourselves whether or not we have made a thorough clearance with today's Babylon. We are here following our Christ, who is the Servant of Jehovah, and He requires us to depart from Babylon and to have a thorough clearance with Babylon.
In Joshua 6 the children of Israel gained the victory over Jericho, but in fighting against Ai they were defeated. Because Achan kept a Babylonian garment (7:21), God's people suffered a defeat. Anything that is Babylonian gives Satan the ground to defeat the people of God. Therefore, we must forsake everything Babylonian. If we would serve God as His pure people, we first need to have a thorough clearance of all Babylonian things.
In Isaiah 52:13-15 we read of the prosperity of Christ as the Servant of Jehovah in relation to Israel's return from captivity and her restoration. Verse 13 says, "Behold, My Servant will prosper;/He will be exalted and lifted up and very high." According to verse 14b, His appearance was marred more than that of any man, and His form more than that of the sons of men. Even as many were astonished at Him, so will He astonish many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him; for what had not been recounted to them they will see, and what they had not heard of they will contemplate (vv. 14a, 15).
