Devotional Commentary on Isaiah 52
Isaiah focuses in this chapter on the Resurrection event. At
the Resurrection and Second Coming the Lord calls for all faithful to “Awake”
because death is a sleep (v. 1a). He by His creative act clothes them with
strength and with a beautiful garment of perfection (v. 1b-c).
Ellen White had the same idea but she saw the sleeping as
the Laodicea attitude of members at the time of the end and that they need to
prepare by putting on new garments to meet the Lord. The concept is similar
although she focused on the living while my own focus is on the dead. See Ellen
White, Testimonies Vol. 6 page 434. “There will be no idler, no slothful
one, found inside the kingdom of heaven. 0 that God would set this matter in
all its importance before the sleeping churches! O that Zion would arise and
put on her beautiful garments. 0 that she would shine!” Cited by M. L.
Andreasen in his 1928 Sabbath School Quarterly on Isaiah page 32.
Delitzsch in Vol. II 1890 page 271 said about verse 1 that
it means “Jerusalem which is here represented as a woman sleeping.”
It will be the faithful remnant called Zion and Jerusalem,
“the holy city” because it is the New Jerusalem or Heavenly Jerusalem and
Heavenly Zion. It is eternity starting for the verse says that the “unclean
will no more come into you” (v. 1e-f). There is no case in history where this
happened.
At the Resurrection Christ asks the remnant to “shake
yourself from the dust, rise up” (v. 2a). The remnant is called “captive
Jerusalem” and “captive daughter of Zion” because the remnant in death is
captivated by Satan and Resurrection sets them free. Satan is involved since
the remnant were “sold for nothing” since Adam and Eve’s Fall and they “will be
redeemed without money” by the blood of the Lamb (v. 3).
M. L. Andreasen did not see in 1928 page 32 the Resurrection
in verse 2 but merely salvation transformation process: “’Shake thyself from the
dust.’ Get rid of all sin.” J. Mortyer in 1993 page 416 did the same as
Andreasen here. He sees it as a metaphor in reverse of putting off the old and
putting on the new as in Colosians 3:9-10.
On verse 3 Ellen White explained the role of Satan: “The enemy
is buying souls to-day very cheap. ‘Ye have sold
yourselves for a thing of naught,’ is the language of
Scripture. One is selling his soul for the world's applause, another for money;
one to gratify base passions, another for worldly amusements. Such bargains are
made daily. Satan is bidding for the purchase of Christ's blood, and buying
them cheap, notwithstanding the infinite price which has been paid to ransom
them.“— Ellen
White, Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 133. Cited by M. L. Andreasen 1928 page 32.
Spiritual Israel went down to Egypt to reside there since 1950
BCE when Jacob came to Egypt and told Pharaoh that he is 130 years old. Joseph became
prime minister in 1958 BCE and died in 1878 BCE. Thirty years later started the
oppression period for 400 years slavery until the time of Moses and the Exodus
under Thutmosis III in his death year March 1450 BCE (K. van Wyk, IJRSSH 2017
Vol. 7/1 January-March 2017: 111-112). That is why one text reads 430 and
another reads 400 years long-distance counting.
Also the Assyrians oppressed them since 723 BCE when Israel
was taken into exile (v. 4).
M. L. Andreasen mentioned in 1928 page 32 the Egyptian
exile, the Assyrian exile and also the Babylonian exile. Delitzsch said the
same in Vol. II 1890 page 273 namely that Egypt and Assyria is just mentioned
in bypassing since Babylon is mentioned. He called it the “present oppression in
Babylon” but that cannot be and is a typical preteristic statement who denies
Isaiah’s ability to see future. Preterists wants the prophet to live the time
he predicts!
At the end-time spiritual Israel will “be taken away without
cause” (v. 5).
However, after the Time of Trouble the remnant “My people
shall know My name” (v. 6). It is at that time “that day” the Lord will say “Here
I am” because the Lord arrived from the sky, from Heaven with all His angels.
Ellen White in Prophet and Kings page 371 and 372 applied
this saying to those who are in exile and had a role of evangelism among the heathen
to fulfill: “To the prophet [Isaiah] was given a revelation of the beneficent
design of God in scattering impenitent Judah among the nations of earth. ‘My people
shall know My name,’ the Lord declared; ‘they shall know in that day that I am He that doth speak.’ And not only were they themselves to learn the lesson of obedience
and trust; in their places of exile they were also to impart to others a
knowledge of the living God”
At Christ’s Coming it can be said “how lovely on the
mountains are the feet of him who brings good news who announces peace and
brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation” (v. 7).
M. L. Andreasen wished to continue a preteristic model for
verse 7 but did not cite Ellen White here in 1928 page 32 of his Sabbath School
Quarterly on Isaiah. He felt it was the good news to Israel that they are free
to leave Babylon.
Delitzsch who is a preterist got out of his preteristic
model here, where Andreasen entered and stayed in this verse, and contrary to
his own model advocated that “…the prophet saw the close of the exile in
combination with the final and general redemption.” Thanks Delitzsch. You saw
it.
Christ announces salvation from the graves and says to Zion “your
God reigns” meaning God the King reign then. He received His kingship at
closing of the Door of Mercy.
Delitzsch again in Vol. II 1890 page 275 related this kingship
to the same of the Psalm 93 and Revelation 19:6 and 11:7. It is the eschaton in
Revelation.
The Alert Adventists or watchmen of the faithful remnant “lift
up voices, they shout joyfully together for they will see with their own eyes
when the Lord restores Zion” (v. 8). The living spiritual remnant at the Second
Coming witness the Resurrection first-hand and shout with wonder.
Ellen White interpreted verse 8 as eschatological and so M.
L. Andreasen presented her in 1928 page 32: “And that it
is the purpose of God to restore the unity of the church in the last days, is
abundantly evident from the prophecies. We are assured that the watchmen shall
see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. Also, that in the time of
the end the wise shall understand. When this is fulfilled there will be unity
of faith with all whom God accounts wise; for those that do in reality
understand aright, must necessarily understand alike. What is to effect this
unity but the gifts that are given for this very purpose?“— Ellen White, Early
Writings, p. 140. Misunderstanding of Woman-ordination is also included by
alike here. Is circumcision and woman ordination not just a cultural fad that
pass away by time? No. Circumcision’s necessity is dealt with in the New
Testament exhaustively but woman ordination never. Since no woman was ordained
in Paul or John’s day, this would also have been an Acts 15 agenda if it was
instated then as something new? There would have also been a controversy over
it. The same with the Sunday institution. If Sunday was to be the new day,
Jewish Christians would have had it on Acts 15 agenda. Ellen White says: “understand
aright, must necessarily understand alike.”
Delitzsch says in Vol. II 1890 page 276 that watchers had a
prophetic role. “They who beheld the redemption afar off and comforted the
Church therewith.”
The waste places of Jerusalem is asked to also “shout
joyfully together” (v. 9a-b). Spiritual people were sometimes buried at these
waste places. That is where they will be resurrected and shout for joy.
The Resurrection is an event where the Lord “has comforted
His people” and “He has redeemed Jerusalem” (v. 9c-d). The Holy arm of the Lord
will be working at the Resurrection and “all the ends of the earth may see the
salvation of our God” (v. 10).
At a certain point in history shortly before the Second
Coming the Lord will ask the remnant to come out of Babylon “depart, depart, go
out from there touch nothing unclean” (v. 11a-b). They need to go out from the
midst of Babylon and “purify yourselves” (v. 11c).
Ellen White emphasized the cleanliness ministers must have
to lead the flock: "The church will rarely take a higher stand than
is taken by her ministers. We need a converted ministry and a converted people.
Shepherds who watch for souls as they that must give account will lead the
flock on in paths of peace and holiness. Their success in this work will be in
proportion to their own growth in grace and knowledge of the truth.“ Ellen
White, Testimonies Vol. 5 page 227.
C. W. E. Nägelsbach indicated in his 1878 commentary on page 566 that
verse 11 is used by Roman Catholics as prooftext for the practice of celibacy
by priests. Augustine rejected this connection in his Confes. August. Art. XI.
De conjugio sacerdotum, page 458 edited by Hase. Also 241, 27 and 244, 41.
They will not go out in haste (v. 12a). They will have the
Lord before them and behind them at the same time (v. 12c-d).
M. L. Andreasen interpreted in 1928 page 34 verse 11 with a
double application: one first and one secondary. The first one is
preteristically in the days of Ezra, according to him, and the second one is at
the end of time: “The final triumph of His people at Christ's coming
shall likewise be a complete victory in full sight of the nations.” God does not work with double applications. He does
not have a forked tongue. This is an inroad of Reformistic interpretation which
is a softcore of preterism that wants to accommodate both preterists and
historicist by saying that something happened then but will happen later again.
Sometimes our Adventist scholars have graduated from outside universities and
as students they were not paying attention to the sources of influence over
their epistemology and built into the brains they walked away also with the Trojan
Horse of liberalism without even realizing it and in like manner start
describing and transforming Adventism into preterism and Reformed Theology. Revelation
13 from California is a case in point.
Delitzsch in Vol.
II 1890 page 277 interpreted verse 11 in a preteristic manner applied to the
time of Cyrus and Ezra.
Calvin was one of
the first people to divide 52:13ff and connect it with chapter 53. This is what
R. Gane did in his 2004 Isaiah Sabbath School Quarterly page 82 and also
Delitzsch in Vol. II 1890 page 278. J. Mortyer in 1993 page 422 also follows
Calvin here.
Christ the Messiah is “My Servant” (v. 13a) and He will
prosper (v. 13a); will be high and lifted up (v. 13b) like Moses lifted up the
snake in the wilderness on the staff when they had to experience faith; He will
be “greatly exalted” (v. 13b) for He received Kingship at the end of the
Investigative Judgment when the Door of
Mercy closes and the Time of Trouble
started.
People were astonished by the suffering of the remnant
through the ages (v. 14a) “just as many were astonished at you” [the remnant].
Christ appearance was marred more than any man and His form more than other
humans (v. 14b-c). “Though He had no taint of sin upon His character, yet He condescended
to connect our fallen human nature with His divinity” (RH [May 26, 1896]: 13).
As the King of Kings at the Second Coming, Christ will shut
the mouth of kings “on account of Him” and “what had not been told them they
will see and what they had not heard they will understand” (v. 15c-d). The word
“sprinkle” is used here and some wanted to verify the cultic act of sprinkling
in churches by this reference. Christ “shall sprinkle…many nations” and His
work is priestly (see J. Mortyer 1993 page 426 citing H. Blocher 1975 page 61).
Vitringa also said that it is Christ and that it is priestly but gave to Christ
the titles given to the papacy: Magni Pontifici domus Dei (Nägelsbach 1878
page 570). Blocher said: “The burden of proof…rests with those who reject ‘sprinkle’”.
Mortyer concurs. It is a purificatory rite that they want to establish through
this verse (see Mortyer 426 footnote 1). Mortyer 1993 page 425 said that in the
22 times that sprinkle occurs in the Old Testament it always appears with the
direct object which is the liquid sprinkled. (Same in Nägelsbach 1878
page 570). Here in this verse is the only time that the thing on which sprinkling
occurs is the direct object. He said the word is not free of difficulty. Sprinkling
babies for baptism as mode of substitution of John’s manner of baptism is
common among Calvinists. It is an adoption of an anti-biblical practice from
Catholicism. In a decree in 1570 at the Council of Trent it was declared that Calvinist is not wrong in the form of the baptism and
therefore do not need to be rebaptized when coming back (Mirbt 1911 no. 407.3).
Nägelsbach 1878
page 570 said that the word is not sprinkle but spout and that is why the Targum
Jonathan to the Prophets on Isaiah as well as the Middle Age rabbis Saadia Gaon
and Ibn Ezra used the word that can be translated in Latin as disperget = spout/spurted
out. The concept that infant baptism can be squeezed out of this verse is not
possible.
Dear
God
The
Resurrection is a joyful experience for your remnant when they all see their
loved ones rise from the grave. It will be a glorious reunion that no one wants
to miss. Also us, O Lord. Amen