In Chapter 27, Isaiah completes his three-chapter series on the millennium. Of course, there many are other places in the book of Isaiah that speak of the millennium, but this has been his focus for Chapters 25-27 in particular.
Father, thank You for the glorious future You have promised us through faith in your Son. Give us understanding as we read Isaiah’s prophecy, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Isaiah 27
1 In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
When Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus resisted him by quoting Scripture. Jesus then spoke the word that He would rise from the dead on the third day in fulfillment of the Scriptures, and He did. (Jn 10:18; Rev 1:18) Jesus’ sword is the word of God (Eph 6:17), his sore and great and strong sword. The word of God is not only the weapon of Jesus but also of the Christian. To be a strong Christian you need to become an expert swordsman. Besides the word of God, we also have prayer (Eph 6:18), the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony, and the power of not loving our lives but being willing to die for Jesus: And they overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (Rev 12:11)
Once Satan is soundly defeated, Jesus will usher in the millennium:
2 In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine.
We have another psalm in this chapter. (Cf Isa 5:1; Matt 21:33)
3 I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.
4 Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.
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.
Like so many other things that will happen in the day of the LORD, God is already foreshadowing the fulfillment of Isaiah 27:6. According to Wikipedia, modern Israel has become “a major exporter of fresh produce and a world-leader in agricultural technologies.”
7 Hath he [God] smitten him [Israel], as he [God] smote those that smote him [Israel]? or is he [Israel] slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him [God]?
Israel is going to be hit hard during the great tribulation period, but those Jews who turn to their Messiah will be miraculously carried through the storm.
8 In measure, when it shooteth forth [cf Matt 24:32], thou wilt debate with it: he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind.
God is ‘debating’ with Israel so to speak. God is holding back his wrath (staying his rough wind) and striving for the heart of the nation through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
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.
Verse 9 seems to speak of the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. When I was on the wrestling team in High School, I noticed that the coach only yelled at the better wrestlers. Those who did not win did not get yelled at. I came to realize that it was a badge of honor to have the coach yell at me. There is an old saying among Christians, God does not spank the devil’s kids. Amos 3:2 basically says that Israel was given much and God therefore has to discipline them much. If you feel like God has been hard on you it is proof that He loves you. He has a purpose in it. The Bible says he who does not discipline his child hates his child. (Pr 13:24) In the tribulation period, God will no longer stay his rough wind. In that day, God is going to ‘purge’ or cleanse Jacob (lit Supplanter) of her iniquity, so when the millennium is ushered in, she will be worthy of the name Israel (lit Soldier of God).
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.
Isaiah 27
The last verse in Chapter 27 contains a reference to the rapture, which precedes the great tribulation period, which ushers in the millennium. Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Feast of Trumpets, is what Paul referred to when he wrote about the last trump (1 Cor 15:52). The last trumpet of the feast is called the Tekiah Gedolah.
It seems to me that we have been given ample warning concerning the judgment to come. Things that Christians had to accept by faith in generations past because they made no sense are now fully explained. For example, the Bible says they will make an image of the one world leader, the beast, that will be lifelike and able to speak (Rev 13:15). Presidential candidate Andrew Yang says he is going to use a 3-D hologram to stump at political rallies as he runs for office. It is plain to see now how there may be a talking image of a political leader. It can and indeed will happen just as the Bible says. The Bible says people all over the world will see the two witnesses lie dead in Jerusalem for three days, and then watch as they are resurrected (Rev 11). Now that almost everyone has a smartphone, even in the most remote locations, it is easy to see how news items can be observed by people all over the planet in real time.
Isaiah ends the chapter with the world worshiping the LORD in Jerusalem. Assyria and Egypt are mentioned. These are literal places. It says the children of Israel will be gathered. That is pretty clear and straight forward. Some try to spiritualize passages like these but make no mistake, Jesus is coming. (Jn 14:3) Make no mistake, God is not done with Israel. (Jer 33:25,26) Make no mistake, Jesus will rule from the throne of David in Jerusalem.
Father, thank You for the way of escape You have prepared for us. Thank You for making the way so clear and for offering it as a free gift through faith in Messiah. Thank You in Jesus’ name. Amen.
