[Isaiah 51:1] HEARKEN TO ME, YE THAT FOLLOW AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS, YE THAT SEEK THE LORD: LOOK UNTO THE ROCK WHENCE YE ARE HEWN, AND TO THE HOLE OF THE PIT WHENCE YE ARE DIGGED.
Look where your roots are, where you originally came from.
[Isaiah 51:2] LOOK UNTO ABRAHAM YOUR FATHER, AND UNTO SARAH THAT BARE YOU: FOR I CALLED HIM ALONE, AND BLESSED HIM, AND INCREASED HIM.
Abraham was alone and was made a great nation. Sometimes you have to be prepared to go it alone.
[Isaiah 51:3] FOR THE LORD SHALL COMFORT ZION: HE WILL COMFORT ALL HER WASTE PLACES; AND HE WILL MAKE HER WILDERNESS LIKE EDEN, AND HER DESERT LIKE THE GARDEN OF THE LORD; JOY AND GLADNESS SHALL BE FOUND THEREIN, THANKSGIVING, AND THE VOICE OF MELODY.
Some Commentators relate this section to the Period when the Jews returned from Babylon and rebuilt part of Judah and set up the walls of Jerusalem and rebuilt the Temple.
This episode may well have served as kind of prototype in miniature form for the future. This is the way of prophecy: To take something that happened shortly beforehand or shortly afterwards and to describe it or speak of it while changing important details and intending the main thrust of the message to apply to the Last Days or the period leading up to them.
[Isaiah 51:4] HEARKEN UNTO ME, MY PEOPLE; AND GIVE EAR UNTO ME, O MY NATION: FOR A LAW SHALL PROCEED FROM ME, AND I WILL MAKE MY JUDGMENT TO REST FOR A LIGHT OF THE PEOPLE.
[Isaiah 51:5] MY RIGHTEOUSNESS IS NEAR; MY SALVATION IS GONE FORTH, AND MINE ARMS SHALL JUDGE THE PEOPLE; THE ISLES SHALL WAIT UPON ME, AND ON MINE ARM SHALL THEY TRUST.
“THE ISLES SHALL WAIT UPON ME” i.e. the Lost Ten Tribes.
[Isaiah 51:6] LIFT UP YOUR EYES TO THE HEAVENS, AND LOOK UPON THE EARTH BENEATH: FOR THE HEAVENS SHALL VANISH AWAY LIKE SMOKE, AND THE EARTH SHALL WAX OLD LIKE A GARMENT, AND THEY THAT DWELL THEREIN SHALL DIE IN LIKE MANNER: BUT MY SALVATION SHALL BE FOR EVER, AND MY RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL NOT BE ABOLISHED.
Apparently referring to the Last Days prior to the Messianic Age or the period after it..
[Isaiah 51:7] HEARKEN UNTO ME, YE THAT KNOW RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE PEOPLE IN WHOSE HEART IS MY LAW; FEAR YE NOT THE REPROACH OF MEN, NEITHER BE YE AFRAID OF THEIR REVILINGS.
[Isaiah 51:8] FOR THE MOTH SHALL EAT THEM UP LIKE A GARMENT, AND THE WORM SHALL EAT THEM LIKE WOOL: BUT MY RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL BE FOR EVER, AND MY SALVATION FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.
[Isaiah 51:9] AWAKE, AWAKE, PUT ON STRENGTH, O ARM OF THE LORD; AWAKE, AS IN THE ANCIENT DAYS, IN THE GENERATIONS OF OLD. ART THOU NOT IT THAT HATH CUT RAHAB, AND WOUNDED THE DRAGON?
" RAHAB” and THE DRAGON: Protective powers of Sea and of Egypt. Demons. In the past we published new finds showing a link between ancient China and Egypt. An early authority was cinvinced that Chinese civilisation was began by immigrants from Egypt. Conceptually Russia, China,and Egypt ( in the Biblical) sense are linked.
[Isaiah 51:10] ART THOU NOT IT WHICH HATH DRIED THE SEA, THE WATERS OF THE GREAT DEEP; THAT HATH MADE THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA A WAY FOR THE RANSOMED TO PASS OVER?
When the Israelites came out of Egypt the Sea split before them and allowed them to pass through. There are hints here and there that when the Lost Ten Tribes return a similar miracle will take place. These days open miracles are rare and our method is to understand things as much as possible according to rational scientific standards. Even so there is a tradition that in the Last Days prophecy will return and miracles take place.
[Isaiah 51:11] THEREFORE THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD SHALL RETURN, AND COME WITH SINGING UNTO ZION; AND EVERLASTING JOY SHALL BE UPON THEIR HEAD: THEY SHALL OBTAIN GLADNESS AND JOY; AND SORROW AND MOURNING SHALL FLEE AWAY.
[Isaiah 51:12] I, EVEN I, AM HE THAT COMFORTETH YOU: WHO ART THOU, THAT THOU SHOULDEST BE AFRAID OF A MAN THAT SHALL DIE, AND OF THE SON OF MAN WHICH SHALL BE MADE AS GRASS;
We should not fear mortals or those who worship them.
[Isaiah 51:13] AND FORGETTEST THE LORD THY MAKER, THAT HATH STRETCHED FORTH THE HEAVENS, AND LAID THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH; AND HAST FEARED CONTINUALLY EVERY DAY BECAUSE OF THE FURY OF THE OPPRESSOR, AS IF HE WERE READY TO DESTROY? AND WHERE IS THE FURY OF THE OPPRESSOR?
[Isaiah 51:14] THE CAPTIVE EXILE HASTENETH THAT HE MAY BE LOOSED, AND THAT HE SHOULD NOT DIE IN THE PIT, NOR THAT HIS BREAD SHOULD FAIL.
[Isaiah 51:15] BUT I AM THE LORD THY GOD, THAT DIVIDED THE SEA, WHOSE WAVES ROARED: THE LORD OF HOSTS IS HIS NAME.
[Isaiah 51:16] AND I HAVE PUT MY WORDS IN THY MOUTH, AND I HAVE COVERED THEE IN THE SHADOW OF MINE HAND, THAT I MAY PLANT THE HEAVENS, AND LAY THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH, AND SAY UNTO ZION, THOU ART MY PEOPLE.
[Isaiah 51:17] AWAKE, AWAKE, STAND UP, O JERUSALEM, WHICH HAST DRUNK AT THE HAND OF THE LORD THE CUP OF HIS FURY; THOU HAST DRUNKEN THE DREGS OF THE CUP OF TREMBLING, AND WRUNG THEM OUT.
[Isaiah 51:18] THERE IS NONE TO GUIDE HER AMONG ALL THE SONS WHOM SHE HATH BROUGHT FORTH; NEITHER IS THERE ANY THAT TAKETH HER BY THE HAND OF ALL THE SONS THAT SHE HATH BROUGHT UP.
Peoples and cultures that owed a lot to Jerusalem and all it stands for abandoned Jerusalem and the Jewish people.
[Isaiah 51:19] THESE TWO THINGS ARE COME UNTO THEE; WHO SHALL BE SORRY FOR THEE? DESOLATION, AND DESTRUCTION, AND THE FAMINE, AND THE SWORD: BY WHOM SHALL I COMFORT THEE?
[Isaiah 51:20] THY SONS HAVE FAINTED, THEY LIE AT THE HEAD OF ALL THE STREETS, AS A WILD BULL IN A NET: THEY ARE FULL OF THE FURY OF THE LORD, THE REBUKE OF THY GOD.
“A WILD BULL” does this include Britain? Is it a hint at the involvement of Joseph?
It may be that those who are the natural allies of Jerusalem and the Jews will also have suffered calamity
[Isaiah 51:21] THEREFORE HEAR NOW THIS, THOU AFFLICTED, AND DRUNKEN, BUT NOT WITH WINE:
[Isaiah 51:22] THUS SAITH THY LORD THE LORD, AND THY GOD THAT PLEADETH THE CAUSE OF HIS PEOPLE, BEHOLD, I HAVE TAKEN OUT OF THINE HAND THE CUP OF TREMBLING, EVEN THE DREGS OF THE CUP OF MY FURY; THOU SHALT NO MORE DRINK IT AGAIN:
The period of anger will be finished and never again repeat itself.
[Isaiah 51:23] BUT I WILL PUT IT INTO THE HAND OF THEM THAT AFFLICT THEE; WHICH HAVE SAID TO THY SOUL, BOW DOWN, THAT WE MAY GO OVER: AND THOU HAST LAID THY BODY AS THE GROUND, AND AS THE STREET, TO THEM THAT WENT OVER.
The enemies who oppressed the Jews and Jerusalem will be requited and vengeance taken upon them. The Jews in exile in order to survive had to be passive. The attribute of passivity amongst the Jews has left both a good and bad impression on the national character that still leaves its mark.
The Arabs used to say that the Jews have “white hearts” because they do not bear grudges nor seek revenge. Perhaps they should? Some things have to be CONSCIOUSLY left to the Guidance of the Almighty. We can pray and live as well as we can and defend ourselves however we are able.
Chapter Fifty Two