Scriptures for the Whole House of Israel
CHAPTER 61
1. [The] Spirit of Master YHWH is upon me, in answer [to the fact that] YHWH has anointed me to proclaim glad news to the browbeaten. He has sent me to bandage the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, the complete untying of those who are bound,
Spirit of YHWH: see 11:2.
2. to proclaim the year of YHWH’s favorable acceptance, the Day of our Elohim’s vengeance, to bring intense comfort to all who mourn,
The year of YHWH’s favorable acceptance: the Yovel or Jubilee. The latter part of the chapter is read just before Yom haKippurim, when this year is inaugurated. (Lev. 25:8-10) Yeshua read this when called to the reader’s stand in the synagogue at Kfar Nahum, and proclaimed that this prophecy was being fulfilled. (Luke 4:16-21) It appears he was announcing the beginning of the yovel, or at least the Shmittah year of release (it used to be read as the haftarah for Deut. 15:7-16:17, which addresses this) at a time when calendars had been confused or people thought they could not obey this command under Roman rule. In any case, he was speaking of the Northern Kingdom, whom he was aiming to release from captivity to idols among the nations. Part of the restoration of justice is vengeance (chapter 63) that will bring a full sense of satisfaction to all who have been unjustly bereaved.
3. to extend [compassion] to those who mourn in Tzion, to bestow on them adornment in place of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning [garb], the enwrapment of praise in lieu of a weakened spirit, and they have been named noble trees of righteousness that YHWH has planted for His own enjoyment.
Though there are times when YHWH takes us through dark times, it does not mean we should have a morbid preference for them, even though He does reveal Himself to us in special ways during them. Joy is much better, and He wants the story to end that way. Weakened: or dimmed, much as Yitzhaq’s spirit was at the time he favored Esau over Yaaqov. (Gen. 27-28) Noble trees: or pillars, strong supports. Trees can be used for righteousness if they are landmarks showing where the wise are camped (Gen. 14:13; 15:27), used to rejoice in YHWH’s festivals (Lev. 23:40), let us live securely (Y’hezq’el 34:27), bring healing (Y’hez. 47:12), alert us to the times so we can be in season (Luke 21:29-30), provide for His servants (Lev. 27:30), or inspire us to sing for joy when YHWH brings justice to the earth. (Psalm 96) For His own enjoyment: beautification or glory—the kind that catches your attention. Not only is it pleasant for Him to look at, but if anyone else sees it, it reflects well on the One who planted them.
4. Moreover, they have rebuilt the ancient ruins, and will raise up what was deserted in the earliest times. They have brought renewal to the desolate cities, which were deserted generation upon generation.
Ancient ruins: compare 58:12. What was deserted in the earliest times: all the way back to the Garden of Eden.
5. Those who are estranged have presented themselves as servants to pasture your flocks, and the children of foreigners are working your land and tending your vineyards.
Working your land: with the connotation of not owning any of it.
6. But you will be called priests of YHWH, and spoken of as those who wait on our Elohim. You will consume the wealth of nations, and enter into the reputation they [once boasted of].
Priests of YHWH: in comparison to the other nations, all Israelites are to be priests. In fact, Israel is called “a kingdom of priests”. (Ex. 19:6) Enter into: with the sense of exchanging places. Enter into the reputation: LXX, be admired because of their wealth; Aramaic, in their glory you shall be indulged.
7. [You will receive] double for your shame, and [in place of] dishonor, they will shout for joy over the share they are granted as an inheritance, as they take possession of their land a second time. They will have everlasting joy,
Double for your shame: Aramaic, two for one the benefits I promised you I will bring to you, and the Gentiles will be ashamed who were boasting in their lot.
8. because I, YHWH, love proper legal proceedings; I hate plunder on the ascent. Moreover, I will faithfully issue their wages, and cut for them an eternal covenant.
Plunder on the ascent: robbery in burnt offerings, or “stepping on others as we climb the ladder to get to the top”. Faithfully issue their wages: LXX, give their labor to the just. The wealth of the wicked is only being assembled for the righteous to ultimately use. (Prov. 13:22; 21:18)
9. And their descendants will be known among the nations, and their offspring among the insiders of the peoples. All who see them will recognize that they are the race whom YHWH has blessed.
Race: literally, seed—specifically a reference to Yitzhaq’s and Yaaqov’s line. Y’shua says the useful seed that He, the Son of Adam, sows is the sons of the kingdom. (Mat. 13:38) Recognize: LXX, take notice. This is the parallel (haftarah) passage for Deut. 29:10-30:20, used to teach that portion when the reading of the Torah was forbidden. In it YHWH reviews all the blessings He has given, charges the people to choose this way over the alternatives, but promises that even when His people choose the alternatives, He will bring their descendants back to His covenant.
10. I will rejoice in YHWH with a display of gladness! My whole self will be exuberant in my Elohim, because He has arrayed me [with the] cloak of safety; He has dressed me in the right clothes [for the occasion] as a bridegroom is decorated in his splendid adornment, and as the bride puts on her accessories.
Rejoice: literally, spin around with glee. This is the response of those whom YHWH has so blessed (v. 9) after He has done so. It is like being at a wedding. As a bridegroom officiates: Aramaic, like the bridegroom who prospers in his canopy, and like the high priest who is prepared in his garments. The Hebrew word for “decorated” is the root for cohen (priest), partly because “adornment” here generally means a turban, but what a priest wore was dazzling compared to ordinary clothing. Cloak of safety: yesha’ in Hebrew, which in modern Israel is an acronym for Yehudah and Shomron—regions representing both Kingdoms of Israel. When the two houses of Israel are “of one cloth” again, that will be great cause for exuberance.
11. Because as the firm ground lets her buds sprout forth, and as the orchard lets the things sown in it grow, even so Adonai YHWH will let appropriateness and renown spring up [abundantly] before all the Gentiles.
Firm ground: Aramaic, a channeled garden. Again, here is a picture of a return to Eden, for orchard is based on the word for garden as in Genesis. This feeding and clothing are also the evidence that YHWH has fulfilled the conditions of Yaaqov’s vow in Gen. 28:20ff, when he, too, was on a journey to find a bride.
CHAPTER 62
1. For Tzion’s sake I will not remain silent, and for Yerushalayim’s sake I will not be inactive, until her vindication comes forth like a gleam, and her deliverance like a burning torch!
For Tzion’s sake: While the world talks about making Yerushalayim the Palestinian capital or even an international city, we need to remain as jealous over it as YHWH is, because it is not man’s right to do anything with a city that is His special possession. But there will be usurpers in it when YHWH’s presence returns (Zech. 12-14), just as there were when the Qumran community wrote in the Dead Sea Scrolls about the battle between the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness. But it will be delivered if we continue to “pester” YHWH about it (v. 7) as Yeshayahu did here. Gleam: shining, brightness, or even dawning.
2. Then nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your splendor, and you will [indeed] be called by a new name that the mouth of YHWH will designate.
3. Then you will become a crown of honor in YHWH’s hand and a turban of royalty in the palm of your Elohim.
4. You will no longer be spoken of as abandoned, nor will your Land be spoken of as deserted, because you will be called “My delight is in her”, and your Land, “possessed by a husband”, because YHWH delights in you, and your Land will be married,
Spoken of as abandoned: as Israel has been described by the church for centuries. My delight is in her: Heb., heftzi-bah. Possessed by a husband: Heb., be’ulah.
5. because just as a young man marries a maiden, that is how your sons will marry you, and as a bridegroom rejoices over a bride, that is how your Elohim will rejoice over you.
Marry: LXX, dwell with. The last two phrases are part of the liturgy for the welcoming of the Sabbath. Yet there is to be no Sabbath for YHWH until He fulfills this promise. (vv. 6-7)
6. On your walls, O Yerushalayim, I have stationed watchmen all day [long] and all night [long]; they will not remain silent perpetually. You who remind YHWH, do not let yourselves rest,
Though the priestly Essene community moved down to Qumran to get away from the corruption that had overrun the Temple complex, they still left some people living just outside Yerushalayim as watchmen to make sure it did not become completely blasphemous. Remind: or remember. YHWH told Moshe He wanted to be remembered by the Name of YHWH. (Ex. 3:15) We who have remembered His Name after it was in disuse for so long have a special responsibility to be part of this “pestering” Him:
7. and give Him no rest until He establishes and transforms Yerushalayim into a song of praise in the Land!
Shim’on was waiting expectantly for the fulfillment of these promises (Luke 2:25ff), and he blessed Y’shua with a prophecy to this effect. Y’shua grew up with the strong sense of wanting to gather Yerushalayim back (Luke 13:34) and of having a fire to kindle, and he felt no rest until that should take place. (Luke 12:49)
8. YHWH has sworn with His right hand and by the Arm of His strength, “If I ever again give your grain to your enemies for food, or if the sons of a foreigner drink the freshly-pressed wine for which you have worked [so] hard…”
Worked so hard: The first time He brought Israel into the Land, it came easily, but we abused the Land and took her lightly. Now He wants us to beg to have her back. Like a spoiled rich child whose father sends to work so he will appreciate what he has, we are commanded to seek our heritage diligently and fight to find His heart so that we will feel how awesome a gift it is.
9. Because the very ones who gather it will eat it and rave about YHWH, and those who collect it will drink it in My holy enclosures.”
Rave: because of its astoundingly high quality.
10. Pass through! Pass through the gates! Clear the People’s path! Raise up, raise up the highway! Throw away the stones from off it! Have a signpost set up for the People.
Pass through: from the same root as “Hebrew” (crosser-over). Clear: or resurface. This is again the highway that will conduct the reunited nation of Israel back into its Land. Raise up: from the same root word as the “stairway” Yaaqov saw at the Temple Mount. Yaaqov moved a stone that he found there and established it as a place for not only himself but for YHWH to “lay His head”. People: a singular term. Those who make it clear what the path is need to point the way to it in a way that those who are part of this reunification can clearly see which direction to take.
11. Indeed, YHWH has caused it to be heard to the extremity of the earth: tell the daughter of Tzion, “Behold, your deliverance is coming!” His reward is with Him indeed, and His recompense is in the presence [of] His [face]!
Daughter: often used for a "suburb" that depends on this "mother city".
12. Then they will call them the Set-Apart People, those whom YHWH has redeemed, and you will be billed as a resort rather than a city [that is] abandoned.
Set-Apart People: or the nation in a class of its own. You: Yerushalayim. A resort: a place frequented by many feet, sought out, much in demand, well cared for. Abandoned: as it essentially was when Mark Twain visited as recently as the 19th century. And it had been abandoned by its most important Resident, but He only meant this to last until we came back to our senses.
CHAPTER 63
1. Who is this [that is] coming from Edom, [with] pungent garments from Botzrah, this one lifted on a swell of honor in his apparel, inclining in the greatness of his power. [It is] I—the one speaking in righteousness, adequate to bring deliverance!
Aramaic: He is about to bring a stroke upon Edom. Botzrah: means “a sheepfold”, but is also a city in Edom, north of Petra, a place which is itself like a sheepfold, with one narrow entrance and surrounded by “walls” of cliffs. But Edom is also often (rightly) linked with Rome, and by extension, the church. Y’shua is the door for the sheep, but countless robbers have entered without coming in by the proper entrance, and have turned the sheep against the shepherd. They have stolen the sheep and eaten them. Now it is payback time.
2. [Who knows] why your clothing is red, and your garments like one who treads out the winevat?
Aramaic: Why will mountains be red from the blood of those killed, and valleys gush forth like wine? Compare Rev. 14:20, which describes this as extending 1,600 furlongs (about 181 miles), which would be from Petra (the “sheepfold” of verse 1?) all the way to Megiddo (Armageddon) or from Mt. Sinai in Arabia (near Midyan) to just outside of Yerushalayim.
3. “I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples there was no man with Me. I will tread them down in My anger, and trample them in My hot displeasure; their permanent [discoloration] will be spattered on My garments, and I have stained all My clothing,
In My anger: literally, with My nose. Think of someone fuming with rage at someone who has ruined what He established. Grapes are pressed by foot rather than with instruments that might crush the seeds, adding their bitter flavor to the juice.
4. “because the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the day of My redeemed ones has arrived.
The Temple was cleaned up the day after the Sabbath each week. The rest of the week, the barefoot priests had to walk over blood and small pieces of meat. By the end of the sixth day, their white garments would be quite spattered. Tzefanyah 2:19 shows that YHWH is not slow about avenging His chosen ones; He is only awaiting the moment when His anger is filled up, and when all the nations that oppose Israel all gathered together, so He can destroy them all at once.
5. “But when I look, there is no one helping, and I am stunned! But there is no one to lean against for support, so My own arm brought Me victory, and My fury is what sustained Me,
6. “and I will trample down the peoples in My anger, and make them intoxicated with My venomous rage. Then I will bring those who remain of them down to the earth.”
7. I will bring to remembrance the mercies of YHWH; I will mention YHWH’s praise-worthy acts, as befits everything in which YHWH has bountifully recompensed us and the great prosperity for the House of Israel which He has bestowed on them according to His tender mercies and in accordance with the multitude of His lovingkindnesses!
Us: the House of Yehudah, since he distinguishes himself from the House of Israel.
8. Moreover, He said, “They are My people indeed—children who will never deal in trickery!” So He has become a Savior to them.
My people: in context of the House of Israel (v. 7), this is the rescinding of the curse in Hos. 1:9, where we were called “not My people”. Who will never deal in trickery: Y’shua alluded to this when he met Nathan'el (Yochanan 1:47), indicating that he was part of this group. He specifically called him an Israelite, possibly indicating that he was not Jewish (of the tribe of Yehudah), but one of those returning from exile.
9. In all of their distress, He was not [the] oppressor, but the messenger of His face delivered them; in his love and in his pity he acted as their Kinsman-Redeemer, and had picked them up and continued to carry them all the days of antiquity.
He was not the oppressor: or He [Himself] was distressed; LXX, not an ambassador, not a messenger… Messenger of His face: An envoy who actually gets to speak face-to-face with the king. Kinsman-Redeemer: one of his functions was to be the avenger of blood.
10. But they rebelled and intensely grieved the spirit of His holiness, so He was turned against them [as] their enemy; He fought against them!
Any time we are selfish, He has to oppose us, like a parent who must stand against his children when they harden their hearts.
11. Then His people remembered the days of antiquity—of Moshe: “Where is He now—the one who brought them up from the sea with the one who pastures His flock? Where is He now—the one who put His Holy Spirit right within their innermost part,
They knew Him then as a “Man of War”. What has become of this reputation? “Jesus” certainly does not seem like that. But if we seek to know YHWH as He really is, we will find Him.
12. “leading them with Moshe’s right hand by the arm of His glory, dividing the water in front of them to make an everlasting reputation for Himself?
13. “[While He was] leading them among the abysses of the sea, like a horse in the wilderness they did not stumble.
This will take place again in a far greater way. (Yirmiyahu 16:16)
14. “As a beast descends onto the level plain, YHWH’s Spirit causing him to remain calm, that is how You conducted them along, to make a glorious reputation for Yourself.
15. “Pay attention from Heaven, and look [down] from the lofty abode of Your holiness and splendor! Where are your zeal and valor now? The abundance of Your deep affections and Your compassions toward me—have they held themselves back?
Zeal: ardor or jealousy.
16. “Because You are our Father! Even if Avraham has not been acquainted with us, and Israel may not acknowledge us, You, YHWH, are our Father, our Kinsman-Redeemer; Your Name has endured since antiquity.
Israel: i.e., Yaaqov. Even if Avraham…: Aramaic, Avraham did not take us up from Egypt and Israel did not do wonders for us in the wilderness.
17. “O YHWH, why do You let us wander from Your ways? [Why do] You let our heart become stubborn [and stray] from reverence for You? For Your servants’ sake, bring back the tribes [to] Your inherited property!
Aramaic: Why will You despise us…as the Gentiles who have no portion in the teaching of Your law?
18. “Your holy people have possessed it [only] for a little [while]; our oppressors have trampled down [and desecrated] Your sanctuary!
Little while: the glory of David and Shlomo’s united kingdom was short-lived; LXX: that we may inherit a small part of Your holy mountain.
12.
“We were [there] in antiquity; You never had dominion over them. They were never called by Your Name!”
“We were [there] in antiquity; You never had dominion over them. They were never called by Your Name!”We were there: in the Land; today’s usurpers have no claim to His Land since they do not know Him by His proper Name, but worship Al-illah, a Saudi Arabian moon god whom they have exalted above all and who . LXX: We have become as at the beginning, when You did not rule over us, and Your Name was not called upon us.
CHAPTER 64
1. [63:20 in Hebrew] “If only You had torn the skies and come down, so that the mountains would shake at Your presence
Torn the skies and come down: Aram., inclined the heavens and revealed Yourself.
2. “just as fire kindles the brushwood, [and] fire causes water to boil, to make Your name known to Your foes; Gentiles would quake from Your presence!
Causes water to boil: Aramaic, licked the waters, an allusion to Eliyahu’s triumph over the priests of Ba’al.
3. “When You did awesome things which we were not expecting, mountains shook from Your presence!
Shook: or, became insignificant.
4. “And since ancient times, they have not heard nor perceived with the ear; eye has not seen an Elohim other than You who acts on behalf of those who long for Him.
Israel is asking that YHWH repeat what He did in the past, so there will be no doubt among her enemies about whose side He is on. But Paul quoted this verse (in slightly-modified form) in 1 Cor. 2:9, and in that context, he says that natural men cannot understand spiritual principles, so, as in Y’shua’s parable, even if someone came back from the dead to tell them, they would not believe it if they are not already disposed to do so. (Lk. 16:31) Long for Him: the phrase includes the sense of digging in and entrenching oneself, not being passive. (Compare Psalm 27:4; 37:9, 34; 52:9; Hos. 12:2ff)
5. “You intervene for those who rejoice and carry out righteousness, who will remember You in Your ways. Indeed, You are provoked to anger, as we have been sinning; in them there is eternity, and we can be delivered.
Intervene for: or, meet with. In them: that is, in His ways. Eternity: or continuity, but the root word means “concealment”; in His ways and in doing righteousness, our sins can become concealed from His face (Psalm 103:12). In them there is eternity: Aramaic, by the deeds of our righteous fathers who were of old, we were spared. Sinning: literally, missing the mark. What mark? Paul often expresses the goal as being of one mind and doing nothing from selfish ambition. (e.g., Phil. 2:1-11) Tradition says that the second Temple was destroyed because of a lack of such like-mindedness among the Jews, and the Flood came mainly because men were violent toward one another without cause. Therefore YHWH’s anger (rage) was released.
6. “But we have all become like something ritually unclean; all our best deeds are like a menstruous garment, and we are all withering like a leaf, and our perversities, like the wind, will carry us away.
Menstruous garment: This verse is often used to prove that we cannot keep the Torah and so should not even try. However, it seems it is an outer garment being described here, and thus not one defiled by blood, but one marking the fact that this woman is off-limits during that time, and every man should avoid touching her, since she is set apart to YHWH. But here Israel is saying this to YHWH! She is not separating herself unto Him, but unto herself. She feels like she has things under control. Israel in exile “had Jesus” and stayed away from YHWH Himself since we were “covered by this outer clothing”. Our hearts are still filthy; the Torah is not. (Rom. 6-8)
7. “There is no one who calls on Your Name, no one stirring himself up to prevail upon You, because You have hidden Your face from us, and have caused us to melt in the hands of our perversities.
No one who calls on Your Name: This sounds like it is saying there is no one who is religious anymore. But on the contrary, there are many who pray, but few who address Him by His true Name. This again shows the lack of intimacy with Him; stirring oneself up can mean getting out of bed and prevailing on can mean taking hold of. This is the spiritual equivalent of the excuse, “I have a headache.” If we get too close to Him, we feel, He might see what we look like without our makeup on, so the indirect relationship through Messiah is as close as we get. Melt: or dissipate; Aramaic, handed us over.
8. “But after all, O YHWH, You are our Father! We are the clay, and You are the one who forms us; we are all the workmanship of Your hand.
Our Father: the Aramaic interprets this as emphasizing His mercy. Clay: The best was dug from the part of the Hinnom Valley into which Yerushalayim’s sewer systems ran out; thus it was full of impurities that had to be removed and/or burned away. Elsewhere the word symbolizes the whole earth, and indeed we have been removed from there and no longer belong to it. The potter has a very intimate relationship with the clay, being skilled with a flimsy substance that reminds us of our flesh. (2 Cor. 4:7) But once crushed into dust, even an uncooperative lump can become useful again if the right amount of water (a symbol of the Word of YHWH) is added.. 2 Tim. 2:20 tells us we can have some part in the decision of whether the vessels He makes us will be put to noble or ignoble use, by how willing we are to cleanse ourselves from impurities.
9. “Do not be angry, O YHWH, to the point of excess, and do not remember guilt forever. Look, please take into consideration [the fact] that we are all Your people!
People: a collective term. As individuals may not have enough clout to ask for this, but together we do. Every morning pious Israelites pray that YHWH will bring all of the tribes back together in their lifetimes.
10. “Your holy cities have become a wilderness! Tzion is an uninhabited place; Yerushalayim has become a place of devastation!
Place of devastation: LXX, a curse. Rachel was Yaaqov’s treasure, yet she was barren. (Gen. 29) And the place He had provided as His dwelling place has come to fit the same description as Babylon (13:6, 20; 21:1, 2), for she has taken on the traditions of the nations. Yet after the other wives all bore their children, Rachel’s womb was opened, and this is a plea that the same be done for the city and people she represents.
11. “Our holy and splendid house, in which our ancestors made their boast in You, has been thoroughly burned with fire, and all the things we highly valued have been laid waste!
Things we highly valued: Hebrew, Mahammad. Is there thus a prophecy on a deeper level of Muslim sites in the Land also being destroyed?
12. In light of all these things, can You restrain Yourself, O YHWH? Can You remain passive and let us be humiliated so badly?”
Remain passive: Aramaic, give respite to the wicked. So badly: or, beyond measure. This is a cry of desperation: we have confessed the same sins over and over; how can we expect to be forgiven yet again? Yet our spirit keeps us crying out nonetheless, since we have no one else to turn to.
CHAPTER 65
1. “I have let Myself be consulted by those who did not ask; I have let Myself be found by those who did not seek Me [intently]. To a nation [that was] not calling on My name, I said, “Look! Here I am!”
Thus begins YHWH’s response. Who did not ask… did not seek: even some from among the Gentiles. But, a nation: only one, not many, so it refers to the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
2. “All day [long] I have spread My hands wide toward a people who are stubborn, who walk a road that is not beneficial, following after their own inventions,
Spread My hands: Aramaic, sent My prophets. Stubborn: or rebellious; LXX, disobedient and gainsaying.
3. “the nation that constantly provokes Me to anger, to My face; who slaughter [sacrifices] in gardens and burn incense upon the bricks;
Upon the bricks: probably a reference to altars. The Greek LXX adds “to devils, which do not exist.”
4. “who sit among the tombs and spend the night in the blockades; who eat the flesh of the pig, with broken pieces of foul things [as] their utensils;
Among the tombs: where too many churches are built, as well as figuratively focusing more on the cross than the resurrection. Blockades: or possibly, watch towers; LXX, in the caves for the sake of dreams; Aramaic, the houses they build from the dust of tombs. Foul: abominable, stinking; the Aramaic targum suggests that they may be pieces of dead human bodies (a prophecy of the Catholic eucharist?) As their utensils: or, in their vessels. This is a people that, having done away with the Torah, consider anything and everything to be holy, but YHWH tells it like it is.
5. “who say, ‘Keep yourself away; do not come close to me, because I am holier than you!’ These are smoke in My nose, a fire that keeps burning all day.
Holier than you: or, holy to you, i.e., off limits to you. (See 64:6) Fire that keeps burning: see 66:24.
6. “Behold, it is inscribed before Me: ‘I will not remain still, except to pay back; indeed, I will repay [them] in their [very] laps!’
Repay them in their laps: Aramaic, hand over their bodies to the second death. (Also in v. 15; compare Rev. 2:11; 20:6)
7. “Your perversities and the perversities of your fathers together”, says YHWH, “who burned incense upon the mountains and defied Me upon the hills, so I have measured out their earliest recompense into their lap.”
8. This is what YHWH says: “Just as new wine is found in a cluster, and [one] says, ‘Do not let it be spoiled, because there is a blessing in it’, I will do the same for the sake of My servants, in order to avoid destroying them all.
New wine: LXX, a grapestone. The Aramaic targum interprets this mystically as referring to Noach being found innocent in the generation of the flood, and therefore being spared.
9. “So I will bring forth a descendant of Yaaqov, and from Yehudah, one to repossess My mountains, and My chosen one will take possession of it, so My servants can settle there.
10. “Then the Sharon will become an abode of flocks, and the Valley of Akhor a place for the herds of My people who seek Me out to lie down
Seek Me out: the root word means “to tread out”, as with the grapes in v. 8.
11. “But you are those who desert YHWH, who forget My holy mountain—who set a table for Fortune, and who fill [an offering of] mixed wine to Destiny.
Fortune: or luck; LXX, the devil, who is indeed called Lucifer; Heb., Gad, pronounced just like “God”, and YHWH says we are not to have the names of pagan deities in our mouths. (Ex. 23:13) This would be reason enough not to call YHWH “God”, even if it were a mere translation. But it is not; “God” was a localized Norse-Germanic deity, so we must not substitute YHWH’s true name with his. Destiny: or fate, based on the word for a number, hinting at the concept of gambling, and relating to the word-play on “counting” (“assign” is the root word for destiny) in v. 12. The concepts of luck and destiny also reflect a belief in chance and happenstance, which is diametrically opposed to those who trust YHWH to keep His promises. We must never give them the least bit of credit. Moreover, the feast days for these two deities were December 24 and 25, so we must do all we can to avoid making these into any type of special days unto YHWH, so there is no association in anyone’s minds.
12. “So I will assign you to the sword, and all of you will bend over to be slaughtered, because I called and you did not answer Me; I spoke and you did not listen, but did what was evil in My eyes, and chose what I did not take any pleasure in.”
Assign you to: or number you for. I spoke: the Aramaic has “sent My prophets”. We, too, are the voices by which He is speaking today, calling people away from the celebration of Christmas, etc., and back to the days He has commanded.
13. Therefore, this is what Adonai YHWH says: “My servants will eat, but you will be hungry; behold, My servants will drink [as at a banquet], but you will be thirsty; My servants will be glad, but you will be ashamed.
14. “Indeed, My servants will give a ringing shout of joy because of the prosperity of [their] heart, but you will cry out for help from anguish of heart, and wail because of your broken dreams.
Dreams: literally, spirit.
15. “Yet you will leave your name to My chosen [to use] as a swear-word, because Adonai YHWH will put you to death, and He will call His servants by another name,
Swear-word: LXX, a loathing. Another: includes the concept of going yet further. We will no longer wish to be called Christians because of the bad name they have given themselves in departing from YHWH’s commands; rather, we will delight to again be called Israel.
16. “[so that anyone] in the Land who blesses himself will bless himself by the Elohim of trustworthiness, and whoever takes an oath in the Land will swear by the Elohim of trustworthiness, because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from My eyes.
Former troubles… hideen from My eyes: After YHWH fulfilled His promise to multiply Israel’s punishment seven times (Lev. 26:18), He could put it all behind His back and accept our repentance as a people in a way He could not, though as individuals we turned back to Him for mercy through Y’shua. (Hoshea 1) For the Northern Kingdom this takes place sometime between 1996 and 2008 (having begun c. 736-722 B.C.; compare with Yehezqel 4:5), so if we will accept it, we are well on our way to being a nation again and reuniting with Yehudah.
17. “because here I am, creating fresh heavens and a fresh earth, and the previous ones will not be remembered, nor will [they] be brought to mind.
Be brought to mind: literally, ascend upon the heart.
18. “Instead, show your gladness and tremble with joy into perpetuity [over] what I am creating, because here I am, fashioning Yerushalayim into [a circle of] rejoicing and [making] her people a [reason for] gladness.
19. “Then I will tremble with joy in Yerushalayim and display joy among My people, and there will no longer be heard in her a sound of weeping or a cry of distress.
20. “There will come to no longer be a nursing infant [who lives but a few] days or an old man who will not thoroughly complete his days, because [any] youth who dies [will be] a hundred years old, but the hundred-year-old sinner will be counted as insignificant.
Counted as insignificant: or treated lightly, cursed. I.e., there will be different laws in effect for the righteous and sinners, probably because the latter will still be living according to the old ways of the present age, while the former will live by YHWH’s instruction and be constantly rejuvenated.
21. “And they will build houses and inhabit [them]; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22. “They will not build [what] another will live in, nor plant [what] someone else will eat, because the days of My people will be like the days of the tree, and they will use to the fullest what their hands have made.
The tree: in particular, the tree of life, from which they will again eat. Use to the fullest: use up, use until worn out, or enjoy for a very long time.
23. “They will not work hard for nothing, nor bear children unto sudden alarm, because they are the seed of those who are blessed by YHWH, and their offspring with them,
24. “and it will come about that before they call, I will respond, and while they are still speaking, I will listen.
Before they call: In the Garden of Eden, Adam chose to become an independent moral agent, having the ability in himself to determine right from wrong rather than continuing to go to YHWH with his questions. What if YHWH did not show up one evening? He thought he had to have some security. But men then found it necessary to construct counterfeit “walled gardens” (v. 4). But beginning to call on Him again is a reversal of this self-imposed curse. And if anyone lacks wisdom, he is invited to simply ask. (Yaaqov/James 1:5)
25. “The wolf and the lamb alike will feed on grass, and the lion will eat straw like the bull, but the serpent’s food will be dust. They will not cause injury or ruin on any of My holy mountain”, says YHWH.
Dust: The curse will be lifted from mankind, but not from the serpent. This is one reason he envies us so deeply.
CHAPTER 66
1. This is what YHWH says: “The heavens are My throne, and the earth is My footstool; where [then] is this House that you will build for Me, and where is My resting place?
Where? A rhetorical question, but Gen. 28:22 answers the question in a different way.
2. “My own hand has made all these things; that [is how] all these things have come into existence!” declares YHWH. But this is the one to whom I will pay attention: the humble and afflicted of spirit, who even trembles when I speak.
I.e., I do not need anything you can give Me, but if you are going to call this holy mountain (65:25) My house, then obey My rules! Trembles when I speak: like Moshe at the burning bush, in awe and healthy respect for YHWH, who learns from whatever situation he finds YHWH has put him in. In contrast, He will not pay attention to someone who makes a lot of noise questioning His wisdom or His motives—or even one who brings lavish offerings (compare Mikhah 6:6-8):
3. “The one who slaughters an ox [is like one who] strikes down a man; whoever sacrifices a flock animal [as one who] breaks a dog’s neck. The one who brings up a tribute offering [is like him who offers] swine’s blood, and whoever [brings] a memorial [offering] of frankincense [is the same to Me as the one who] kneels to a wicked [thing]. They have also chosen their own paths, and their soul takes pleasure in their detestable things.
He is not so much saying that they are murderers because they have slaughtered these animals in an unkosher manner. Rather, they think there is intrinsic value in the actions themselves, when they are meant to reflect particular attitudes (as seen in v. 2). But if they are not listening when YHWH calls (v. 4), they might as well be be bringing the wrong animals, worshipping idols, or eating pigs, because it is no longer about Him but about themselves—whether their actions agree with Torah or not.
4. “I, too, will respond [according] to their childish ways, and bring them what they dread, since I called but no one answered; I spoke, but they did not listen, but did what was evil in My eyes and opted for that in which I did not take pleasure.”
What they dread: or what they have stored up through their actions. (v. 6) YHWH does not punish until a certain threshold is reached.
5. Listen to the word of YHWH, O you who tremble at His word: “Your relatives who hate you, who make you outcasts for My Name’s sake, have said, ‘May YHWH be honored!’ But He will make Himself seen in your joy, and they will be put to shame.
Relatives: Other Israelites who on the surface are honoring YHWH, or asking Him to reveal His weightiness in a sensational manner, but have fundamental misconceptions about Him, as seen in verses 2-3. YHWH’s comfort to those who do bother to do the right thing and call the bluff of those who do not, but then are ousted from the sanctuary for doing so, is that they should not worry if their critics appear to be in a better position than they, because the time will come when they will receive their due:
6. “An uproarious noise from the City—a sound coming from the Temple: the voice of YHWH completely repaying those who are hostile to Him as they deserve.
7. “Before she writhed [in labor], she brought forth a child; before the birthpangs came, she delivered a male [child].
Since the fall of Adam, YHWH has been in the business of restoring the true image of Elohim which Adam lost. She delivered a male child: Aramaic, her king will be revealed. On one level this may apply to Y’shua, who was born long before the time known as “the Birthpangs of the Messiah”, which usher in his physical Kingdom, which did not belong to the age in which he was condemned to die. (Yoch. 18:36) But there is another aspect of this birth that relates to the Land, the City, and the Temple (v. 6):
8. “Who has heard [anything] like this? Who has seen [things] like these? Can the Land be made to give birth in one day? Can a nation be born in one step? For as soon as Tzion travailed, she bore her children!
Step: or stroke, beat, one occurrence out of a series. We actually see two steps here. (See below.) Bore her children: Aramaic, is about to be filled with the people of her exiles. So this "child" is also a nation whose "mother" is Tzion. The Messiah Y’shua is born in a “daughter of Tzion” (Micah 4:8). With hhis birth, the exiled House of Israel could begin to return. (Micha 5:3) He is the Head of that restored image. In Hebrew, “head” is related to “first”, because the head is the part of the body born first. With Y’shua’s resurrection on the feast of Firstfruits, YHWH made a down-payment guaranteeing that the rest of the “new Adam” would indeed be born. The “body” of this new man must “hold fast to the head” (Col. 2:19) in order to finish rebuilding the lost image of Elohim. Paul calls the Galatians “my little children, of whom I labor in childbirth again until Messiah is formed in you...” (4:19) Another allegory was lived out by Rakhel, the ancestress of the Northern Kingdom: “Now they pulled up from Beyth-El, and while there was still a considerable stretch of land to go before they came to Efrath, Rachel went into labor, and had great difficulty in the delivery of her baby... When her labor became most difficult, the midwife told her, “Don’t be afraid, because this child is also a son for you!” (Gen. 35:16-17) Efrath means “fruitfulness”. So the labor begins while Israel’s fruitfulness is still a long way off. The Messiah was the man-child brought forth long ago. But the birthpangs are also yet to come. The apostles were already working to reunite the northern and southern kingdoms. But Constantine seduced the church into resuscitating the pagan empire by “granting” Gentile believers a separate legitimacy, and the Kingdom was divided once again. When the rest of the body is born, then Yehudah will be reconciled to Israel, being Y’shua’s brothers. (Mikha 5:3) The first step (v. 7) before the birthpangs, and the second here, as soon as the birthpangs have begun. There are two harvests on the Biblical calendar from which firstfruits are brought to the Temple. Just before the rabbinic declaration in the year 2000 that the Birthpangs had begun, the restoration of the Northern Kingdom began. Its unleavened firstfruits (the barley harvest) are his Bride. The rest of Y’shua’s flock is still blind to who they are. If they remain resistant to the Torah when YHWH calls in the barley harvest, they can only be part of the second harvest, that of the wheat, whose firstfruits are only waved before YHWH at Shavuot because they are leavened and cannot be brought up onto His altar built of stones unshaped by men’s hands. They can become the Temple, built of stones that will need to be shaped by those of the first harvest. They correlate with the five virgins who miss the wedding feast, not being ready, but still can be part of the Kingdom, though with lower positions. (Mat. 5:19)
9. “Shall I bring to the point of breaking forth, but not bring about the birth?”, says YHWH. “Will I beget a child yet hold it back [from being born]?”, says your Elohim.
As the time draws near for the two houses of Israel to reunite into “one new man” (Ephesians 2:15), the counterfeit is keeping pace. The Gospel was co-opted by Babylon. The Holy Roman Empire was one of the many attempts to rebuild Babel. Many who no longer know Scripture well enough to see any reason for the continued rift are now heeding Rome’s invitation to take advantage of her amnesty and rejoin the “mother church”. (Compare Daniel 2:40 and 7:7.) Its true colors show up when YHWH starts to apply pressure. (Rev. 17:16) Then it will so hem in the true Man that it appears that it has all been in vain: “The children have been brought to birth, but there is no strength to deliver!” (Yesh. 37:3) This is the stage in a woman’s labor where she feels like it is impossible to go on. By this verse we are called to walk by faith, though everything visible seems to say that the restoration of Israel, the "new Adam", is just a pipe dream. Revelation 12:1 depicts a woman with a crown of 12 stars (=Jacob's 12 sons per Genesis 37:9-10). So this woman is reunited Israel. After her birthpangs, the dragon tries to destroy her child, which verse 17 says is those who “keep the commandments of Elohim and have the testimony of Y’shua the Messiah.” It is at this time, when Israel is back in the wilderness as one united people, that the throne will be established. (16:4-5) Both Houses of Israel together will have one shepherd, David (possibly through one of his descendants, Ezek. 34:23; 37:24) The new man will have been born! But since this verse is written in the form of a metaphor, it can also be applied to our daily lives: If YHWH would not hold back from us what He has prepared, should we hold back from one another the help that is within our power to provide? (Compare Deut. 15:7-8; Proverbs 3:27.)
10. Be joyful with Yerushalayim, and be glad in her, all you who love her! Rejoice with her through demonstrations of joy, all of you who lament over her [within yourselves],
We already see Yerushalayim becoming a “cup of trembling to all nations” (Zech. 12:2), and undoubtedly we will be saddened by many of the events that must take place during the birthpangs. But, as Y’shua said, “A woman in birthpangs has sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being is born into the world.” (Yochn. 16:21)
11. in order that you may suckle and drink your fill from the breasts of her consolations —so that you may milk [to the fullest] and be pampered by the abundance of her honor.
Milk: or drain out. Honor: or reputation, importance, weightiness, glory.
12. Because this is what YHWH says: “Here I am, holding out to her the offer of total well-being like a river, and the honor of the nations like an overflowing torrent. And you will nurse, you will be carried on the hip, and you will be cuddled upon the knees.
River: the targum specifies the Ferath (Euphrates). Honor of the nations: or the most important from among the nations, i.e., the seed He had once scattered there through dispersing Israel among them and the fruit it has borne.
13. Like a man whom his mother comforts, in the same way I will comfort you, and in Yerushalayim you will be comforted!
14. You will indeed see [it], and your [collective] heart will rejoice, and your bones will flourish like the green vegetation! Then YHWH’s hand will be made known to His servants, but His indignation to those hostile to Him,
Bones: or various members of one and the same body. Flourish: or sprout forth, i.e., gain new strength and durability.
15. because YHWH will indeed come with fire, with His chariots like a storm-wind, to bring back His wrath with vehemence, and His rebuke with flashes of fire,
His chariots like a storm-wind: an allusion to Eliyahu (2 Kings 2:11), who will come (at least in spirit) before the Great and Terrifying Day of YHWH. (Mal. 4:5)
16. because with fire and with His sword YHWH will judge all flesh, and those mortally pierced by YHWH will be many:
17. “Those who dedicate themselves [to] and make themselves ceremonially clean for the gardens, following after one in the midst, who eat the flesh of swine, the detestable thing, and the mouse, will [all] be brought to an end just the same,” declares YHWH.
Gardens: as seen in 65:3-4. One in the midst: in the context of a garden, this could refer to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, by which human beings began to be drunk with the thought that they could make new rules when YHWH had already declared what they were to do. Mouse: Heb., akbar, which is pronounced like what Muslims so often say Allah is!
18. “For I Myself [know] their works and their plans; it comes to gather all the nations and the tongues, and they will come and recognize My authority.
Compare Rev. 2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15.
19. “And I have set a sign among them, and have sent those of them who have survived to the nations of Tarshish, Pul, and Lud; those who draw back the bow [to] Thuval and Yawan, the faraway coastlands who have not heard reports about Me or perceived My authority, and they will inform those among the nations of My authority.
Survived: or escaped as fugitives or refugees. This may be those of the first harvest. Inform: publish, declare, announce, make known the accomplished fact of YHWH’s Kingdom to those who are now its subjects and vassals.
20. “Then they will bring all of your brothers out of all the nations [as] a tribute to YHWH—on the horses and in the chariot or in covered wagons or on mules or on dromedaries [up] onto My holy mountain, Yerushalayim,” says YHWH, “just as the sons of Israel bring the grain offering to the House of YHWH in a ritually pure vessel.
They: the fore-runners who go back and bring others, or those among the nations who have been ordered to do so. Tribute: the same word as grain offering later in the verse. They will all become “one loaf of bread” (1 Cor. 10:17), being brothers, and therefore all descendants of the House of Israel. On dromedaries: or, with whirling dances, since they are likened to pure vessels, but dromedaries (a type of camel) are not clean beasts; the Aramaic substitutes “songs” for dromedaries. “Horses” actually means, at root, swift things (which could include modern vehicles), and “mules”, separated or divided things, as in a caravan. Wagons: Aramaic, ewes.
21. “And I will even select some of them to be priests and as Levites,” says YHWH,
Levites were once substituted for the firstborn of other families of Israel, so if the firstborn are better qualified to serve, having studied more intently and demonstrated their love for YHWH, they may be restored to that right. This probably correlates with the 144,000 (12,000 from each tribe of Israel, except that Dan is replaced by the double-portion of Yosef, in Rev. 7).
22. “because just as the fresh heavens and fresh earth that I am making will remain established in My presence,” declares YHWH, “in the same way your seed and your name will remain established.
20.“Then what will come to take place [is that] as often as new moon [follows] new moon, and as often as Sabbath [follows] Sabbath, all flesh will come to bow down before Me,” says YHWH,
“Then what will come to take place [is that] as often as new moon [follows] new moon, and as often as Sabbath [follows] Sabbath, all flesh will come to bow down before Me,” says YHWH,Other than with a passing comment, the new moon is rarely celebrated even by Jews, except the most Orthodox. But a rabbinical tradition says it will be restored by the House of Yosef, and indeed this is taking place in our own day.
24. “and they will go out and stare at the corpses of the people who have rebelled against Me, because their [scarlet] worm will not die, nor will their fire be extinguished, and they will be repulsive to all flesh.
Since Y’shua echoes this statement (Mark 9:48), this will probably take place in the deep Valley of Hinnom, south and west of the city of Yerushalayim, during the pilgrimages up to the Temple. (cf. Zech. 14:16-19) The Aramaic targum upholds this interpretation. Worm: Recall that those who did not obey the order regarding the manna found worms in it the next day, but those who anticipated the fact that this would not be the case on the Sabbath were upheld by YHWH (Ex. 16:20ff), and at that point He gave the first actual command in regard to keeping the Sabbath, which is at issue here. (But also compare 11:9.)
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
Yeshayahu
(Isaiah)
Introduction:
Yeshayahu means "YHWH is salvation"--the same meaning as Yehoshua, but with the phrasing in the reverse order. Yeshayahu was probably from the tribe of Yehudah. A contemporary of Micha and Hoshea, he prophesied more than 200 years after the division of Israel, beginning c. 740 B.C.E. (Just prior to King Uzziyahu's death in 739), or about 18 years prior to the fall of the Northern Kingdom. But he mainly addresses the southern kingdom of Yehudah, which was now in decline as well, following the same pattern of apostasy that Israel had taken. Since he records the death of Sennakheriv, it is estimated that he continued to prophesy for some 60 years, until about 680B.C.E., when by tradition he was executed by being sawn in two. As with all the prophets, his main theme is, "Come back to the Torah!"
PART 7: Chapters 61-66
