Through the restoration of Israel, Christ will become a banner to the peoples and a standard to the nations (v. 12). The banner is mainly for designation, explanation, and instruction, and the standard is mainly for calling and gathering people (Isa. 5:26). In this chapter Isaiah couples Christ as the sprout and the branch (v. 1) with Christ as the banner and the standard. When Christ as a sprout grows among God’s people, this growing-up sprout becomes a banner, which describes, explains, designates, and even gives instructions to the peoples of the earth concerning what Christ is to God’s people. This same Christ as a branch grows up to be a standard to call and gather the nations of the earth.

In the restoration all the nations on the earth will turn to seek Christ and will be willing to be His people (Isa. 2:2; Zech. 8:20-22).

The divine glory, which is God Himself expressed, is Christ’s resting place. This indicates that the divine glory is one with Christ (John 17:5, 24). It also implies Christ’s divinity and indicates that Christ and God are one (John 10:30).

The first time the Lord recovered Israel was in their exodus from Egypt.

Christ as the banner to the peoples and the standard to the nations will bring in the return of God’s people and the submission of the Gentiles (vv. 11, 12-16).

See note Isa. 11:10².

Ephraim was the northern kingdom of Israel, and Judah was the southern kingdom.

Lit., devote (in this case, unto destruction).

The sea of Egypt is the Red Sea, and its tongue is the Gulf of Suez. The river is the Euphrates. For the return of His people to the Holy Land, God will destroy (or, dry up) the tongue of the sea of Egypt, dry up the Euphrates, and build a highway from Assyria (v. 16).

Christ’s being the root, the sprout, and the branch of Jesse (v. 1) indicates that He is connected to humanity, whereas Christ’s resting place being the glory indicates that He is very much related to God (see note Isa. 11:10⁴). He is both God and man, the God-man. Cf. note Rev. 22:16^3c.

When Adam fell, sin entered into him (Rom. 5:12). Since he, the head of all the creatures, became fallen, something of Satan also entered into the creatures. In the restoration Christ’s restoring power will deliver all the creatures from the poisonous element of Satan, causing a change not only in outward action but also in inward nature (Rom. 8:19-21). As a result, the situation among them will be pleasant, peaceful, and loving. The reason for this change is that the knowledge of God, i.e., the knowing of God, will fill the earth (v. 9).

Girding the loins (hips) gives one the strength to move, act, and especially to stand and to fight (Eph. 6:13-14). Righteousness and faithfulness are two of Christ’s virtues for standing and fighting. He stands with faithfulness and fights with righteousness (Rev. 19:11).

The branching out of Jehovah is altogether a matter of the Spirit. Christ was born of the Spirit (Matt. 1:18, 20; Luke 1:35); i.e., He was constituted of the Spirit as His divine essence. Moreover, He was baptized, anointed, with the Spirit (Matt. 3:16; Luke 4:18). The Spirit was with Him all the time and was one with Him (Luke 4:1, 14; 10:21; John 1:32; Matt. 12:28). He walked by the Spirit and lived a life in, with, by, and through the Spirit. In His human living the Spirit was manifested with all the attributes mentioned in this verse. Thus, the Spirit is the reality of Christ (John 14:16-20; 2 Cor. 3:17).

In the restoration the coming Christ will be a sprout that comes forth from the stump of Jesse and a branch from his roots. Israel, especially the house of David, was like a tall tree. However, because of Israel’s degradation, that tree was cut down, leaving only a stump with its roots. Both Mary and Joseph were descendants of David, part of the royal family (see note Matt. 1:16^2a), but they had become poor and were people of a low class, living in Nazareth, a despised city, in Galilee, a despised region (Luke 1:26-27). Christ as a sprout came forth from the stump of Jesse, above the earth, signifying that restoration is by life and of life. Furthermore, Christ as a branch came forth from Jesse’s roots, underneath the earth, signifying the depths of the restoring life, to branch out God and bear much fruit. Christ as a sprout and a branch is full of restoring power, deepening power, growing power, and fruit-bearing power. Because of His branching out, the whole world is filled with His fruit. See note Matt. 1:5^4d and note Matt. 2:23³.