Isaiah of Babylon was among the first to speak of the imminent end of Babylonia and the return of the Jewish people to the land of their ancestors. When he began preaching, this seemed utterly incredible: nothing pointed to changes coming soon. And yet...
Isaiah of Babylon was among the first to speak of the imminent end of Babylonia and the return of the Jewish people to the land of their ancestors. When he began preaching, this seemed utterly incredible: nothing pointed to changes coming soon. And yet they came, swiftly and, for most people, unexpectedly: the Persian army under Cyrus the Great took Babylon by storm and brought that empire to an end. For the Jews, this meant the possibility of returning to the land of their ancestors: shortly after the war ended, in 517 BCE, Cyrus issued a decree for the exiles to return.
Who, then, was Isaiah: a foreteller of the future? A seer who saw everything that was destined to happen? Probably not, after all. It is quite possible that the prophet was not even thinking about political events when he foretold the imminent end of captivity. Something else had been revealed to him: he understood that the spiritual condition of the people had changed and that the period of repentance was over. Of course, this cannot be understood by the human mind alone, however perceptive: one must see into the depths of the human heart—and not just one heart, but many. Only God can do that. But God can reveal His vision to whomever He wishes. And then the good news rings out over the mountains: the time of the people's redemption has come—and with it, the time of the Messiah's coming.
Indeed, the good news was above all news of the coming of the Messiah, who was expected immediately after the end of captivity and the people's return to the Promised Land. Of course, the city and the Temple, of which only the foundation remained, still had to be rebuilt, but this task seemed easily achievable to those preparing to return. What mattered most was that the time of the Kingdom of God had finally come, the time when God Himself would rule His people. In essence, most faithful worshippers of Yahweh understood the messianic Kingdom as the Kingdom of God: they saw the Messiah primarily as a Ruler sent by God, who was to restore an independent Jewish state and establish laws in it that accorded with the Torah.
This was important: none of those waiting for the chance to return to the land of their ancestors wanted to lose it again through breaking the commandments given by God. The Kingdom of God was to be the Kingdom of God Himself, where He rules according to His own laws through the Messiah whom He has sent and placed at the head of the people. Of course, this picture of an ideal society and state was somewhat schematic, and hopes for its immediate realization were somewhat naive. And the coming of the Messiah was still several centuries away.
And yet it truly was a very different people that was returning from captivity. A people for whom apostasy was worse than death, a people for whom following the Torah was so self-evident that it did not even need to be mentioned, a people that no longer wanted a return to the past, but wanted to move forward—into the Kingdom of the Messiah, which they still imagined in very earthly terms, but which they sincerely awaited. A new stage in the history of God's people was beginning, one that was to end at the threshold of the New Testament.
52 The church redeemed and called upon to rejoice therein, Isa 52:1-6.
The universal preaching of the gospel glorious, Isa 52:7-10.
A call to free ourselves from bondage, Isa 52:11-12.
Christ's kingdom shall be exalted, Isa 52:13-15.
52:1 Awake - This is a prediction and promise what she should do, that she should awake or arise out of her low estate, and be strong and courageous. Beautiful garments - Thy sorrows shall be ended, and thou shalt be advanced into a glorious condition. O Zion - O my church.Come - Either to molest thee, or defile thee.The uncircumcised - Heathens or infidels.Unclean - Nor any others, who are unholy.
52:2 The dust - In which thou hast sat as a mourner. The bands - The yoke of thy captivity shall be taken off from thee.
52:3 Sold yourselves - By your sins, without any valuable consideration paid by them either to you, or to your Lord and owner.Without money - Without paying any ransom.
52:4 Egypt - Where they had protection and sustenance, and therefore owed subjection to the king of Egypt. And yet when he oppressed them, I punished him severely, and delivered them out of his hands.The Assyrian - The king of Babylon, who is called the king of Assyria, Ki2 23:29, as also the Persian emperor is called, Ezr 6:22, because it was one and the same empire which was possessed, first by the Assyrians, then by the Babylonians, and afterwards by the Persians.Without cause - Without any such ground or colour, by mere force invading their land, and carrying them away into captivity.
52:5 What have I - Why do I sit still here, and not go to Babylon to punish the Babylonians, and to deliver my people? For nought - Without any provocation, or pretence of right. Howl - By their unmerciful usage.Blasphemed - The Babylonians blasphemed me as if I wanted either power or good will to save my people out of their hands.
52:6 Shall know - They shall experience my power and goodness in fighting for them. In that day - When I shall redeem my people: which work was begun by the return of the Jews from Babylon, and perfected by the coming of the Messiah. Behold - That all these promises are the words of the omnipotent, unchangeable God.
52:7 The mountains - Of Judea, to which these glad tidings were brought, and from which they were spread abroad into other countries.Of him - Or, of them; the singular number being put for the plural.Returneth - In the days of the Messiah, God did discover and exercise his dominion over the world far more eminently than ever he had done from the beginning of the world until that time.
52:8 Thy watchmen - Thy ministers, who descry the approach of this heavenly king. Lift up thy voice - To give notice to all people of these glad tidings; and by way of exultation, to sing forth the praises of God for this glorious day. Eye - Distinctly and familiarly, their eyes beholding the eyes of this king of glory. They shall be eye and ear - witnesses of the words and works of Christ, and therefore their testimony shall be more certain and valuable. Bring again - When God shall complete the work of bringing his church out of captivity.
52:11 Depart - Out of Babylon. Touch - Carry not along with you any of their superstitions or idolatries. Ye - And especially your priests and Levites, who minister in holy things, and carry the holy vessels of the temple, keep yourselves from all pollution.
52:12 Not by flight - But securely, and in triumph, being conducted by your great captain the Lord of hosts. Rereward - So that none shall be able either to oppose you in your march, or to fall upon you in the rear.
52:13 Behold - This is the beginning of a new prophecy, which is continued from hence to the end of the next chapter. My servant - That it is Christ who is here spoken of, is so evident, that the Chaldee paraphrast, and other ancient, and some later Hebrew doctors, understand it directly of him, and that divers Jews have been convinced and converted to the Christian faith, by the evidence of this prophecy.Prosper - This is fitly put in the first place to prevent those scandals which otherwise might arise from the succeeding passages, which describe his state of humiliation. Very high - Here are three words signifying the same thing to express the height and glory of his exaltation.
52:14 Astonished - At his humiliation. Thee - At thee, O my servant.His form - Christ, in respect of his birth, breeding, and manner of life, was most obscure and contemptible. His countenance also was so marred with frequent watchings, and fastings, and troubles, that he was thought to be near fifty years old when he was but about thirty, Joh 8:57, and was farther spoiled with buffetings, and crowning with thorns, and other cruel and despiteful usages.
52:15 So - His exaltation shall be answerable to his humiliation.Sprinkle - With his word or doctrine; which being often compared to rain or water, may be said to be sprinkled, as it is said to be dropped, Deu 32:2 Isa 52, Eze 20:46, .Kings - Shall be silent before him out of profound humility, reverence, and admiration of his wisdom. For - They shall hear from his mouth many excellent doctrines, which will be new and strange to them. And particularly that comfortable doctrine of the salvation of the Gentiles, which was not only new to them, but strange and incredible to the Jews themselves.