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Scripture Reading: Isa. 61; Isa. 62; Isa. 63; Rev. 14:17-20; 19:11-16, 19-21
Isaiah 61 through 63 reveals that the ministry of the Anointed of Jehovah, Christ as the Servant of Jehovah, issues in the restoration of Israel. In this message we will consider these three chapters.
As the Servant of Jehovah, Christ is the Anointed of Jehovah. Christ is the equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah, which means "the anointed." Our Christ today is the anointed One and also the anointing One who anoints us with Himself as the ointment. First, He was anointed by God and with God, and then through His death and resurrection He became the ointment for the anointing of others. His ministry to us is thus a ministry of anointing. Eventually, the ministry of Christ, the Anointed of Jehovah, will issue in the restoration of Israel, His elect people.
The history of Israel is mainly a history of tragedy, although there were times of glory, such as the building of the temple under Solomon. The temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, and the vessels for the service of God in the temple were carried away to Babylon. From that time until the present, Israel has not been fully a free nation. Hence, Israel still needs restoration.
Christ's coming is of two parts and at two times. In His first coming, Christ came to minister, to dispense, Himself into His followers. In this way He carried out the New Testament ministry to dispense the Triune God into the disciples under His ministry, most of whom were Jews. This ministry in Christ's first coming laid a solid foundation for His second coming. When He comes the second time, He will come mainly in an outward way to rescue Israel from their circumstances and to bring in their restoration. This restoration will be expanded to include all things created by God. This period of restoration will last for a millennium, for the thousand-year kingdom.
The ministry of the Anointed of Jehovah is described in Isaiah 61:1-3. Verse 1 says, "The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon Me, / Because Jehovah has anointed Me / To bring good news to the afflicted; / He has sent Me to bind up the wounds of the brokenhearted, / To proclaim liberty to the captives, / And the opening of the eyes to those who are bound." As Luke 4:16-21 indicates, this refers to Christ in His first coming. The Lord's ministry in His first coming was one of grace, not vengeance, which is mentioned in Isaiah 61:2.
When the Lord came the first time, He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and constituted with the essence of the Holy Spirit added to His humanity to be a God-man. He then lived thirty years as a man in that essence of the Spirit. At the age of thirty He came forth to carry out His ministry. At that time He was baptized in water, and immediately the Holy Spirit descended upon Him economically (Luke 3:21-22). Prior to that time, He was already constituted with the Spirit essentially, but in order to carry out God's economy, He needed the Spirit economically to empower Him and authorize Him to be the Servant of God to minister God into His chosen people. This is the significance of the words, "The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon Me."
As the Servant of Jehovah, Christ brought good news to the afflicted, bound up the wounds of the brokenhearted, proclaimed liberty to the captives, opened the eyes of the blind (physically and spiritually), and proclaimed the acceptable year of Jehovah (Isa. 61:2a), which is the year of jubilee. Thus, He brought in the real jubilee.
Verse 2b goes on to say that the Anointed will also proclaim "the day of vengeance of our God." This refers to the Lord's second coming, for in His first coming He did not carry out vengeance. In His second coming He will avenge Israel, proclaiming the vengeance of God.
Verse 2 also indicates that in His second coming Christ will "comfort all who mourn." Verse 3 continues, "To grant to those who mourn in Zion, / To give to them a headdress instead of ashes, / The oil of gladness instead of mourning, / The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness; / That they may be called the terebinths of righteousness, / The planting of Jehovah, that He may be glorified." Here ashes signifies shame and headdress signifies glory. According to Hebrews 1:9, the oil of gladness is the Spirit. Instead of mourning, restored Israel will have the Spirit as the oil of gladness. Furthermore, instead of a spirit of heaviness, there will be a mantle of praise. As a result, Israel will be called the terebinths of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, so that He may be glorified.
The first part of Isaiah 61:1-3 refers to the Lord's ministry in His first coming (vv. 1-2a), and the second part refers to the restoration of Israel in His second coming (vv. 2b-3). Hence, this portion of the Word implies both Christ's first coming and His second coming. In Isaiah's prophecy the Lord's two comings are like two mountain peaks which, when viewed from a distance, seem to be one peak. For this reason, Isaiah put Christ's first coming and second coming together.
The Lord's two comings bring in the restoration of Israel (61:4—63:19). The Lord's first coming has much to do with His second coming. Without the foundation laid in His first coming, there would be no way for His second coming to take place. Based upon what He did in His first coming, Christ's second coming will issue in the restoration of Israel.
In His first coming, the Lord Jesus gained His early disciples, such as Peter, John, and James, from the Jews. They became His believers, but this does not mean that they have given up their Jewish status, for in the millennial kingdom the first twelve apostles will sit on thrones as rulers to judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt. 19:28). At that time, they will not be apostles of the church, but, having been brought back by the Lord to their Jewish status, they will be rulers, governors, of Israel. Both Christ and His twelve apostles seemingly forsook Israel and established the church. However, in the restoration, when the Lord returns in His second coming, He will first receive the throne of David His father (Luke 1:32), and then He will be the Ruler of the nations (Rom. 15:12). His twelve apostles will be His helpers to rule over the nation of Israel. From this we can see the relationship between what Christ did in His first coming and what He will do in His second coming.
In God's eyes the Lord's two comings are two aspects which show one unique coming of Christ. In a sense, Christ's coming to earth has not yet been completed. He began to come to mankind two thousand years ago. Since His unique coming has not been finished, it will continue with the second aspect of His coming. When the second aspect of His coming is accomplished, His entire coming from God to mankind will be consummated. Today His coming is not finished, because He is still on the way. Therefore, the unique coming of Christ is of two sections. The first section took place two thousand years ago, and the second section will be accomplished in the future. Hence, in the Old Testament prophecies, Christ's coming was viewed as two mountain peaks which, from a distance, looked like one mountain range. At present, we are in the "valley" between these peaks.
In the restoration Israel will be priests of Jehovah, the ministers of their God, and the Gentiles will be the laborers to serve Israel (Isa. 61:4-9).
Verses 10 and 11 say, "I will rejoice greatly in Jehovah, / My soul will exult in My God; / For He has clothed Me with the garments of salvation, / He has wrapped Me with the robe of righteousness; / I am like a bridegroom who wears the headdress of the priest, / And like a bride who adorns herself with her jewels. / For as the earth brings forth its sprout, / And as the garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, / So will the Lord Jehovah cause righteousness and praise / To spring up before all the nations." These verses indicate that Israel will exult in Jehovah her God with the enjoyment of His salvation and righteousness. Israel will realize that God's righteousness has brought in His salvation.
In the restoration Zion will shine forth righteousness and will show forth salvation as God's crown of beauty and delight (62:1-5). Because during the restoration righteousness will be dispensed, transfused, into the Jews, they will shine forth righteousness. Also they will show forth salvation as God's crown of beauty and delight. Their shining forth will be such a crown to God. God will be beautified by and will be happy and satisfied with what Israel will shine forth.
Jerusalem will be established and made a praise in the earth (vv. 6-9). The whole earth will praise Jerusalem.
Salvation will come to the daughter of Zion, and the people will be called the holy people, the redeemed of Jehovah (vv. 10-12).
The Anointed of Jehovah will come to tread the winepress to save Israel from the nations (63:1-6; Rev. 14:17-20; 19:11-16, 19-21). The word winepress in Isaiah 63:2 and in Revelation 14:19-20 and 19:15 refers to the war at Armageddon. Isaiah 61 and 62 show us that Christ will come back to be so much to Israel on the positive side. Isaiah 63 reveals that in His coming back Christ will save Israel from destruction.
During the last three and a half years of this age, Antichrist will persecute the Jews to the uttermost, with the intention of completely destroying Israel. Prior to that time, nearly all of Israel will be brought back to the Holy Land. Then, before the tribulation, Antichrist will make a seven-year covenant of peace with Israel so that they may have their freedom. But after three and a half years, Antichrist will change his mind and will oppose every kind of religion, including Judaism and Roman Catholicism. After destroying Catholicism, Antichrist will attempt to destroy the Jewish religion. At the end of the last three and a half years, Antichrist will cause the armies of the nations to surround Jerusalem. With Jerusalem as the center, the entire region from Bozrah to the Mount of Megiddo (Armageddon, Rev. 16:16) will be occupied by armies. In His coming back, Christ will descend to Bozrah, and beginning there He will tread the winepress, destroying all the armies. In this way He will rescue Israel from destruction.
We have emphasized the fact that Christ's coming is of two aspects or sections. The first section of His coming results in the producing and building up of the church. At the end of the church age, during the last three and a half years of this age, Christ will continue His coming.
This continuation of His coming will be of three parts. First, according to Revelation 12 and 14, Christ will be in the heavens to receive the raptured overcomers into His presence. Second, Christ will descend with His overcomers from the third heaven to the air. While He is in the air, the rapture of the majority of His believers will take place. Then He will judge all the believers to determine who will receive the reward of the kingdom and who will suffer chastisement and discipline during the kingdom age that they may mature. In the air, Christ will also have a wedding day, with Himself as the Bridegroom and the overcoming saints as the bride (Rev. 19:7-9). Third, Christ and His newly-married bride as His army will descend to Bozrah to destroy the armies of the earth. Moving from Bozrah through Jerusalem to Armageddon, He will tread the winepress. Those who "destroy the earth" (Rev. 11:18) and those who oppose God will be slain, Israel will be rescued, and Christ will set up His throne at Jerusalem and will judge the nations. Then He will establish His kingdom to rule over Israel with the twelve apostles as His helpers and also to rule all the nations with the overcoming saints as His helpers.
Isaiah 63:7-9 speaks of Jehovah's lovingkindness to the house of Israel, given according to His compassions and the multitude of His lovingkindnesses, in saving them by the Angel of His presence.
Finally, according to verses 10 through 19, Jehovah will return to His rebellious people, who grieved His Spirit of holiness, as their Father and Redeemer.
