The Christian has the privilege of knowing beforehand the things that are coming on the earth, although they do not concern him directly. His hope is a heavenly one where judgments cannot come. Those judgments happen preparatory to the establishment of the millennial kingdom. The Christian awaits the coming of the "Morning Star," before the darkness which now shrouds the world is dispelled by the rising of the "Sun of Righteousness," which fills the world with blessing—he will then shine forth as the sun with Christ in the Father's kingdom.
Isa. 18, in just 7 verses, gives us a complete history of the events which take place at the time the Jews return to their land in a state of apostasy. The Lord does not interfere, but allows things to go on apparently prospering, and Israel even having the appearance of fruit-bearing in the land of their fathers. The nations who had favored this return then recommence the old hostility to the Jews who become their prey. The Lord then interferes with His mighty arm, and brings a remnant of them as a present to Himself to the place of His name—the Mount Zion which He loved.
Verses 1-3: The prophet pronounces "woe" upon some great unnamed nation which lies outside the rivers of Ethiopia, or Cush (the descendants of Cush, we are told, made a settlement on both these rivers), the Euphrates and the Nile. We read in Genesis 15:18, "Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates." First, he pronounces woe upon this nation, which is evidently a great maritime power, and which is engaged in favoring and helping the return of the people of Israel, "scattered and peeled," wonderful from their beginning hitherto. Then he calls all the inhabitants of the world and dwellers upon the earth to see and to hear.
Verse 4: The Lord then tells the prophet that He will take His rest, and consider in His dwelling place all that goes on—yet He does not interfere. He allows man to run on to the height of his madness and folly, that He may show him his powerlessness.
Verses 5, 6: Before the harvest: this is a figure of separating and gathering for the vintage of judgment (both figures are used in many places of Scripture, e.g. Rev. 14:14-20), when the returned Jews seem to be spreading out as a vine in the land. There will even be the appearance of fruit-bearing putting itself forth, "the sour grape is ripening in the flower." The vine is an old figure of the nation (Isa. 5; Psa. 80:8-16, etc.). All is then destroyed. The old hatred of the nations is turned against Israel. They are cut down and destroyed.
The emissaries of Satan shall summer upon them, and the nations shall winter upon them. All that appeared so promising is dashed to the ground. The time of the "great tribulation" has come, but a remnant shall be saved out of it. In the language of Deut. 28:26, "Thy carcass shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away." Or, as the Lord Jesus talking of this time of trouble says, "For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together." (See Matt. 24:28-44.)
Verse 7: "In that time"—in such a state of things as will then be—"shall the present be brought unto the Lord of hosts." They are a remnant of the people scattered and peeled, a people terrible, or wonderful, from their beginning hitherto. The Lord brings to Himself a present—spared remnant of the residue of His people to the place of the Lord of hosts, the Mount Zion, which He loved. That little spot is His rest forever! "For the Lord hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for His habitation. This is My rest forever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it." Psa. 132:13, 14. Having refused nationally to receive the gospel of God's grace, they are saved through the judgments of the Lord which introduce the kingdom.
As to the Christian's hope, it is but one: the coming of the Lord Jesus to take His people out of the world before these judgments take place. He has promised this. He has said to them, "Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." Rev. 3:10.
The hour of temptation is detailed in Isa. 24, and takes place before the Lord of hosts reigns gloriously in Mount Zion and before His ancients. Isa. 25 tells us of the deliverance of the remnant of the Jews who say, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." Isa. 26 gives us the song of the delivered remnant and some details. Chapter 27 gives the completing of the work and the gathering of the 10 tribes to worship, with their brethren of Judah, the Lord of hosts at Jerusalem in the glorious days of the millennial age.
The Lord's coming is the hope of the Church. His appearing in glory with her after this tribulation, which happens between these events, is the deliverance of the Jews, and the introduction of the kingdom.
F. G. Patterson