In vv. 1-6, 9; 64:1; 65:17-25 and Isa. 66:15-16, 22, Christ is the Angel of the presence of Jehovah (v. 9) for dealing with the nations. He will rend the heavens and come to save Israel from the nations (v. 9; 64:1). He will come with fire to judge the nations on the whole earth with His burning (Isa. 66:15-16a). He will also come to tread the great winepress, to destroy Antichrist and the evil people of the nations at Armageddon (vv. 1-6; Rev. 16:12-16; 19:19-21). Finally, when Christ returns He will bring in the time of restoration — the millennial kingdom unto the new heavens and new earth (Isa. 65:17-25; 66:22; Rev. 20:4-6; 22:1).

Winepress here and in Rev. 14:19-20; 19:15 refers to the war at Armageddon. Christ as the Anointed of Jehovah will come to tread the winepress to save Israel from the nations (vv. 1-6). During the last three and a half years of this age, the time of the great tribulation (Matt. 24:21), Antichrist will persecute the Jews to the uttermost, with the intention of completely destroying Israel. Prior to that time, nearly all 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 (Dan. 9:27). But after three and a half years, Antichrist will change his mind and will oppose every kind of religion (Dan. 11:36). After destroying Catholicism (Rev. 17:16-18), 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, with His overcomers as His bride, will descend to Bozrah (v. 1), and beginning there He will tread the winepress, destroying all the armies. In this way He will rescue Israel from destruction. See Rev. 14:17-20; 16:16; 19:11-21, and notes on those verses.

This is Christ as the Angel of Jehovah. The expression the Angel of His presence indicates that this very angel is the presence of Jehovah. Christ as the Angel of Jehovah was always present with Israel in their sufferings, from Exo. 3 through Isa. 63 to Zech. 1. The Anointed of Jehovah (cf. Isa. 61:1-3) is a sweet term to God’s people, but the Angel of His presence is a term applied mainly toward the enemies of God’s people. It is the Angel of Jehovah, the Lord Jesus as the presence of the Triune God, who will come to defeat Antichrist and his armies at Armageddon (vv. 1-6).

See note Psa. 51:11^2b. So also for v. 11.

Or, Then His people remembered the days of old of Moses.

Others read, shepherd.

This verse in Isaiah’s prophecy, along with 64:8, is a further development of what Isaiah prophesied concerning Christ as the Eternal Father in 9:6. In this verse Christ as the Eternal Father is the Redeemer (Titus 2:13-14; 1 Pet. 1:18-19), and in Isa. 64:8 He is the Creator (John 1:3; Heb. 1:10).