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Isaiah, Chapter 27
[5] Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me. [6] He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit. [7] Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him? or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him? [8] In measure, when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it: he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind. [9] By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up. [10] Yet the defenced city shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and left like a wilderness: there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof. [11] When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour. [12] And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel. [13] And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem. |
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What is being said in verse 5?
It’s saying that when Israel takes hold of Christ, then they will enjoy peace with God (and be part of the peaceful reign or Zion). What is being prophesied in verse 6?
Those of Israel who look to Christ (which will include Gentiles who are grafted in) will form the kingdom of God on earth, which will blossom and affect the entire world. This corresponds to the stone that struck the image in Daniel 2 – the stone represents the kingdom of God, and it fills the whole earth. “A stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. The stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” (Daniel 2:34-35) What is being said in verses 7-9?
These describe how God would have treated Israel over the years leading up to Zion (from the perspective of being said at the time of Zion). Verse 7 mentions that although Israel was punished, they were not punished as severely as those who were the enemies of Israel. Verse 8 is unclear, but it has to mean that Israel was punished in a chastening way since verse 9 begins by saying, “by this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged. ” What specific sin of Israel is called out in verse 9?
At the end of verse 9, it refers to idol worship as a sin that had to be purged from Israel. The stones of the altar, the groves, and the images are all things used in idol worship. The stones will be broken up, and the other things shall no longer stand up. What city is being described in verses 10-11?
It’s unclear whether these verses are describing a specific city (and which city it would be), but it’s clearly describing a city (perhaps in general) that is an enemy to God. (Verse 11 refers to people of no understanding who God will not have mercy on.) Referring to the place as a “defensed” city makes it sound like it’s a place that is trying to defend itself under its own power. The result is that it is now desolate and overrun by animals. It’s possible that this description could represent a city that had to be destroyed prior to Zion. What is happening in verses 12-13?
These verses describe the gathering of Israel (for Zion). Verse 12 refers to the tribes of Israel being gathered one by one. Verse 13 refers to the great trumpet sounding, and the tribes making their way from lands of sin (represented by Assyria and Egypt) and eventually worshipping the Lord on His holy mountain in the New Jerusalem. This series of articles on the Book of Isaiah is an outgrowth of a series of lessons presented at a branch level and is being offered as a study tool for all readers. The interpretations offered are not intended to represent an official position of The Church of Jesus Christ, however they have been reviewed by members of the ministry and can be considered a reliable supplement to any reader’s study of the Book of Isaiah.
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