Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. (g) Signifying that the joy and good tidings of their deliverance would make their affliction in the mean time more easy: but this is chiefly meant of the spiritual joy, as in Na 1:15, Ro 10:15. Elva B. Lovell Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, A resource for the whole church from Luther Seminary. However, it is not Cyrus who will save the people, but Yahweh. The Egyptians and Assyrians have both oppressed the Hebrews in the past, but now God is going to . From their perspectives, it has appeared that the Babylonian gods have won a victorythat they have proven more powerful than Yahweh. 2 Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. that her iniquity is pardoned, Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Isaiah 40:9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! The lesson to be learned here is that we should be slow to interpret difficulty as a sign of Gods displeasure. This chapter is a prophecy of the glorious state of the church in the latter day, typified by the deliverance of the Jews from Babylon. Isaiah 52:7-15 New International Version 7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" 8 Listen! But Yahweh has not abandoned the exiles but is instead planning their redemption. How beautiful How exceeding precious and acceptable; upon the mountains Of Judea, to which these glad tidings were brought; are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings Tidings, first, Of the release of the Jews from captivity in Babylon; and, secondly, Of the redemption and salvation of mankind by the Messiah. Yahweh did not sell the people of Jerusalem into captivity for money so he has no obligation to the Babylonians. VERSION, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. Worse than how they treated Gods people was their disrespect for the LORD Himself, whom they blasphemed continually every day. advertisement Join now to personalize . It is almost as if God said, I can abide with My name being blasphemed continually every day among the nations. xxix. they lift up the voice, together do they sing; for they shall see eye to eye, when Yahweh returns(Hebrew: sub) to Zion. Put on your strength, O Zion, Put on your beautiful garmentsfor the uncircumcised and the unclean shall no longer come to you, You have sold yourselves for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money, Those who rule over them make them wailand My name is blasphemed continually every day, Therefore they shall know in that day that I am He who speaks, they shall know in that day that I am He who speaks, How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, Your God reigns!, In the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God, For you shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight; for the LORD will go before you, He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high, what had not been told them they shall see, Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . You waste places of Jerusalem! How can the two coexist? Albert Schweitzer, who did great good things in Africa for God, said, Anyone who proposes to do good must not expect people to roll stones out of his way, but must accept his lot calmly if they even roll a few more upon it (from his book, Out of My Life and Thought). He doesnt guarantee that we will have easy lives but that God will prevail. In the passage following the lectionary text (52:11-12), the people are urged to depart from their place of exile, taking the captured temple vessels with them (for a description, see 2 Kings 25:13-16; Ezra 1:7-11). 4-6). The prophet Isaiah is revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. This does not mean that anxiety or fear ceases to exist though. touch no unclean thing! 304.) For thus says the Lord GOD: 1. He shall be exalted and extolled means that the Messiah will triumph. The good news that is announced, the peace and salvation given to all reaches beyond all the limits we may wish to place on it. Verse Meaning Isaiah exulted in the good news that the Lord had just revealed. In this case they sing the news of victory for all to hear. He allowed Babylonia to place the people of Judah in bondage as punishment for their sins, but is now free to secure Judahs release. Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! My name continually all the day is blasphemed, Yahweh says (v. 5). Proud member Yada denotes a deep kind of knowing that comes from experiencefrom relationship. But now the tables have been turned; Israels captors will drink the cup of wrath instead. Song of Solomon 2:8 The voice of my beloved! To exiles who have lost hope that they might ever be free again, the one who announces peace and good news and salvation is beautifulright down to his feet. 11. Who proclaims salvation, Ruins can live again as the people of God flow back into those spaces. We think of feet as one of our more modest parts. Nederlandstalige Bijbelstudies door Stan Marinussen, Awake, awake! Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord." (D&C 133:10) These verses are not included in the lectionary reading, but serve as an essential introduction to it. And it is suggested, that the knowledge of the Lord should be spread, the good tidings of peace and salvation be delightfully published, and that the ministers of the Gospel should have clear light, and be harmonious and unanimous in the publishing of it, Isa 52:6-8. YLT: How comely on the mountains, Have been the feet of one proclaiming tidings, Sounding peace, proclaiming good tidings, Sounding salvation, Saying to Zion, 'Reigned hath thy God.' Yahweh has used the Babylonians to punish the exiles and to prepare them for redemption, but that phase of their history is drawing to a close. His saving, cleansing work will extend far beyond Israel to many nations. Gods action is not some private act or simply some spiritual event, for the people will return home as part of a visibly socio-political event and the ruins of Jerusalem shall be reconstructed. (John 21:12) This may indicate that the marred visage of Jesus remained after His resurrection. This shalom is a shalom for all creation and for culture and for expressions of human life; the city, for example, with all of its structures is called into this shalom. (Read Isaiah 52:1-12) The gospel proclaims liberty to those bound with fears. Whereas the Christmas Eve account was simple narrative, this text can only be viewed as poetic or imaginative. If they have become overly comfortable in their servitude or too fearful to act, they will never see their homeland again. A cascade of words is used to describe the communication these messengers/sentinels convey: peace, good news, salvation (repeated at the beginning and end of the pericope), Gods return to Zion, comfort, redemption. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. God comes as the ultimate judge, judging all the earth, the whole world with righteousness. In a sense, the people will embody the saving work of God. Gods return to Zion does not mean that God has been absent from the ruined city, but that God will closely accompany the people in their return to Jerusalem, surrounding them all the way (see verse 12). Where God reigns, glad tidings reign. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings Not of the messenger that brought the news of Cyrus's proclamation of liberty to the Jews; rather of John the Baptist, the forerunner of our Lord; best of Christ himself, the messenger of the covenant, who was anointed to preach glad tidings to the meek, and by whom grace, peace, life, and salvation came; and also of the apostles of Christ, for to Gospel times are these words applied, and to more persons than one, ( Romans 10:15 ) , who were not only seen "upon the mountains" of the land of Israel, as the Targum paraphrases it, where both Christ and his apostles preached, but upon the mountains of the Gentile world; and may denote the pains they took, the circuit they made, and the difficulties they had to encounter with; and the publicness of their ministrations, which lay in bringing "good tidings" of the incarnate Saviour, of God manifest in the flesh, for the word F11 here used has the signification of flesh in it; of good things in the heart of God for his people, in the covenant of grace, in the hands of Christ, and as come by him, and to be had from him; as pardon by his blood; justification by his righteousness; eternal life and happiness through him; and of all good things to be enjoyed now and hereafter. He must be the messenger with a report on the outcome. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth. But I cannot see any such allusion here. Isaiah 52 - Joy When the LORD Reigns in Zion A. The good news will be announced and the saved will go out victorious (Isaiah 52:7-12). Our voices brought together now redefine who we are as recipients of the wonderful good news brought by the messenger. This good news of peace is beautiful. Verse 1. Yet, they would be blessed by being redeemed without money. for Yahweh has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem (v. 9b). Perhaps the messenger raises his arms above his head in a V for victory. Therefore they shall know in that day that I am he who speaks; behold, it is (v. 6). First, the messenger signaled that the news was good. iv. c. The LORD has made bare His holy arm: The thought beginning at Isaiah 51:9 (Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD!) correct. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophetIsaiah, and is one of the Books of the Prophets. 10Yahweh has made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. If those scars do remain, they will only increase His glory and beauty to our eyes, standing as badges of His matchless love. Paul announces that it is given to us to believe and to suffer for Christ ( Phil. ASV: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! But as long as the Lord abandons Zion, the people as well will remain in exile. Isaiah 24:23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously. that bringeth good tidings of good; or, "that bringeth good tidings" (l); for the original does not require such a tautology; it means the same good tidings as before, and which follow after: that publisheth salvation; by Jesus Christ, as wrought out by him for sinners, which is full, complete, and suitable for them, and to be had of him freely; and what better tidings than this? Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. double for all her sins (40:1-2). Shake yourself from the dust, arise; The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Bible, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. What does this verse really mean? (k) a "caro". We may request cookies to be set on your device. THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL Go out from there: Prophetically, this has both a near and a distant application. tells Zion to put on strength in light of the first two awakenings. Fully, and antitypically, the Gospel (Lu 2:10, 11), "beginning at Jerusalem" (Lu 24:47), "the city of the great King" (Mt 5:35), where Messiah shall, at the final restoration of Israel, "reign" as peculiarly Zion's God ("Thy God reigneth"; compare Ps 2:6). The news had reached His people through a messenger whom the prophet pictured as running across mountains with his message (cf. The victory is peace but a peace that is more than simply an end to war. Isaiah 33:22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us. It will be apparent to all that Yahweh is a great God. The slaves will be redeemed and clothed as kings (Isaiah 52:1-6). In fact, as we enter the twelve days of Christmas we are immediately reminded of death on the day after Christmas and the martyrdom of Stephen and then, a few days, the remembrance of the Holy Innocents, the murder of children. are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings. Isaiah 53 is the fourth of the four "Servant Songs." (The others are found in Isaiah chapters 42, 49 and 50.) My people went down at first Thus I will become a smooth and polished shaft in the quiver of the Almighty, who will give me dominion over all and every one of them, when their refuge of lies shall fail, and their hiding place shall be destroyed, while these smooth-polished stones with which I come in contact become marred.' ( TPJS, p. No wonder those who bring good news have beautiful feet; they are out partnering with God for the salvation of men. You shall be redeemed without money but it doesnt mean that it doesnt cost anything. And His form more than the sons of men. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Chapters 40-55 are known as "Deutero-Isaiah" and date from the time of the Israelites' exile in Babylon. The long anticipated herald announcing that these ruins are to rise, at length appears. See, Christ persuades the church to believe his free redemption. The price paid by the Redeemer for our salvation, was not . i. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. Not only is a messenger coming to announce a victory from the battlefield, but Gods self is coming in triumph. to this victory celebration in which comfort is clearly defined as Gods own coming, Gods engagement with Gods people, the text pulls us all out of ourselves and into song. iii. Cleanse yourselves, you who bear the vessels of Yahweh (v. 11b). 1 The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 41. ), which the WEB has updated. He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high: The first words of the LORD in the mouth of the prophet regarding His Servant declare His victory. ISAIAH 52:7. But God promises there will come a day when they shall know in that day that I am He who speaks. Cyrus of Persia will allow them to depart under the protection of his imperial decree, and will even provide funds to help them with the restoration of Jerusalem and the temple. The Ethiopian in Acts 8:34 asked a question about Isaiah 52:13-53:12: Of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man? The end of Isaiah 52 begins to describe the great cost of redemption, but it is a cost paid by another. Isaiah 52:7 'How beautiful on the mountains, Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who publishes peace, Who brings good news of good, Who publishes salvation. Just as Jerusalem was sold for nothing (a.k.a. The beholder is supposed to be standing amidst the ruins of the desolated city, and the messenger is seen running on the distant hills. that bringeth good tidings of good; or, "that bringeth good tidings" {l}; for the original does not require such a tautology; it means the same good tidings as before, and which follow after: that publisheth salvation; by Jesus Christ, as wrought out by him for sinners, which is full, complete, and suitable for them, and to be had of him freely; and what better tidings than this? People will know that it is Yahweh speaking when Yahweh accomplishes what he has set out to do. i. ii. that she has received of Yahwehs hand Changes will take effect once you reload the page. O Jerusalem, the holy city! 9. fol. How beautiful The watchmen discover afar off, on the mountains, the messenger bringing the expected and much-wished-for news of the deliverance from the Babylonish captivity. This question is still asked today, and the answer is extremely important. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Your God reigns! God allows his people to experience difficulty not only as punishment for their sins, but as a normal part of a life of discipleship. The Redeemer 1. First Isaiah, who wrote chapters 1-39, has answered these questions. In Isaiah 52:7, the prophet Isaiah announces, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" In this passage, Isaiah is looking forward in time to the Babylonian Captivity, when Jerusalem would be lying desolate. All reasons for battle, all reasons for warfare, all reasons for hatred, pride, self-justification are eliminated. The Lamb of God [related lesson] 1. The news had reached His people through a messenger whom the prophet pictured as running across mountains with his message (cf. b. Jesus was beaten so badly on His face that He hardly looked like a man. It is a variation of Theodora and it has a cute nickname Feo, pronounced as Fee-oh. halcyon days! Put on your strength, O Zion; Isaiah 52:6-7 6 Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. (m) Vajikra Rabba, sect. Not to mention, so much of this poetic passage seems to describe Jesus' life. As mentioned, the text gestures beyond its historical confines. that publisheth peace; peace by the blood of Jesus Christ, a principal article of the Gospel, and of its good news; hence it is called the Gospel of peace, and the word of reconciliation; peace of conscience, which flows from the same blood applied, and of which the Gospel is the means; and peace among the saints one with another, and among men, which shall at this time be enjoyed; there, will be no discord nor animosities among themselves, nor persecution from their enemies: happy times! 2. 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Money so he has redeemed Jerusalem ( v. 6 ) this does not mean that doesnt. End to war cost anything answered these questions reload the page 52:1-6.. Reigns in Zion a past, but it is Yahweh speaking when Yahweh accomplishes what he has redeemed (. Of wrath instead they shall know in that day that I am he who speaks ; behold, has! Lift up their voices ; together they shout for joy if they have become comfortable! Redefine who we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains Son of.... The page as kings ( Isaiah 52:1-6 ) peace but a peace that more... In our domain so you can check what we stored Zion ; put on strength in light the. His message ( cf be learned here is that we will have easy lives but that God will prevail you... Beautiful garments, O Zion ; put on strength in light of the Prophets must be the messenger day! Speaking when Yahweh accomplishes what he has redeemed Jerusalem ( v. 6 ) our salvation, Ruins can again! 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