To these chapters one might add chapter lx. as completing this series. It is the opening of the last section of the prophecy. (Chap. 58-66) The Spirit had closed both His counts against God's ancient people, their idolatry, and their rejection of the Messiah, with the consequences and the certainty of judgment, and not peace for the wicked on either side. We have now a sort of appendix, consisting of moral argument and appeal to the people, with a positive revelation of Jehovah's intervention and their establishment in glory and blessing. For no prophecy of scripture is of isolated interpretation, but links itself with the kingdom of the Lord in the last days, however it may apply to lesser and passing circumstances in the prophetic days, or the times that succeeded. Prophetic scripture does not interpret itself apart from that grand system; though verified from day to day, it looks onward to the final scenes connecting what wrought in the past with the state of things which will necessitate the Lord's appearance on the scene to introduce His own day.
The notion of some that Protestantism is in question is as unfounded as the unbelief of an older day which turned aside the prophecy from Israel because no part of the blessing has as yet been accomplished in them as a nation. The quotation of the prophecy, as employed by the apostle in Rom. 11, appears to me to refute, both by giving us as the divine key, the future salvation of that Israel which is now for the most blinded and has stumbled at the stumbling stone. The time too is rendered certain; it is unquestionably not present any more than past, but future. For, as the Spirit there interprets the prophecy, we are not to look for its fulfillment in the salvation of all Israel (chap. 59:12), till after the fullness of the Gentiles is come in, whereas this is only going on now and not therefore complete. Hence the moment is not arrived even for commencing to apply to Israel.
For the Lord's hand was not short, nor His ear heavy: it was their iniquities and sins which caused the breach. (Chap. 59: 1, 2.) And what a picture follows in verse 3-15! Hands and fingers, lips and tongues, all polluted and perverse; justice not called for, truth unpleaded; vanities and lies, mischief and iniquities; subtlety of evil and ever-increasing virulence; active but vain corruption and violence. What sanguinary feet! what iniquitous thoughts! What wasting and destruction in the crooked paths where peace is unknown! Hence without judgment, they walk in darkness, grope like the blind, and are in desolate places as dead men, whether raging as bears or mourning as doves, salvation is far off, because of multiplied transgressions and departure from God, with truth fallen in the street and equity unable to enter, and the godly a prey, so that the Lord was displeased that there was no judgment.
But such utter moral chaos, hopeless for man, was the call for Jehovah. “And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands be will repay recompence.” (Ver. 16-18.) It is the picture of the mighty intervention of God for His people in the last days, though not at all resembling what He will do for the heavenly saints. These He will remove from the scene of their pilgrimage to heaven; His people He will deliver from their enemies by judgment. “According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.” Thereby He will teach the nations wisdom, or at least the beginning of it. “So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” It is not, on the one hand, a mere outward interference, but the power of the Spirit will accompany it. On the other hand, it is not the action of the Spirit in the absence of the Lord, as now in Christianity; for “the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord.” The apostle (Rom. 11:2626And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: (Romans 11:26)) cites it, with the Seventy, as His coming out of Zion. Doubtless both are true and each appropriate in its place. He must come to that mountain of royalty in the Holy Land in order to come out thence; and He will come to the righteous remnant, the Israel of God, even to such as turn from transgression in Jacob, as He will also turn away ungodliness from Jacob. There will be conversion of heart before the Lord appears in the extremity of their distress and to the destruction of their foes; but that appearing will deepen all their feelings toward Himself and bring them into peace and blessing fully and forever. “As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and forever.” (Ver. 21.)