It is the Christian’s privilege to know beforehand the things that are coming on the earth, although they do not immediately concern him, because his hopes are heavenly, where judgment—judgments which happen before the establishment of the millennial kingdom—cannot come.
The Christian awaits the coming of the “Morning Star” (Rev. 22:16; 1 Thess. 4:16-17). This blessed event takes place before the darkness which now shrouds the world is dispelled by the rising of the “Sun of righteousness” (Mal. 4:2) which fills the world with blessing. And it is the Christian who will “shine forth as the sun” with Christ in the Father’s kingdom (Matt. 13:43).
In Isaiah 18 we have in seven verses, a complete history of the events which take place at the time the Jews return to their land in a condition of apostasy. The Lord does not interfere, but allows things to go on apparently prospering. Israel has even the appearance of fruit-bearing in the land of the fathers. However, those nations who had favored their return recommence the old hostility to the Jews, who then become their prey. The Lord then interferes with His might, bringing a remnant of them as a present to Himself—to the place of His name, Mount Zion, which He loves.
13. The prophet pronounces woe upon some great, unnamed nation which lies outside the Euphrates and Nile rivers—the two great boundaries of the land of Israel. This nation, evidently a great maritime power, had engaged in favoring and helping the return of the people of Israel. He then calls all the inhabitants of the world—dwellers upon the earth—to see and hear.
4. The Lord tells the prophet that He will take His rest, not interfering with all that goes on. Man is allowed to run on to the height of his folly, that God may show to him his powerlessness.
5-6. “Afore the harvest” is a figure of separating and gathering the vintage of judgment when the returned Jews seem to be spreading out as a vine in the land, and even appearing to bear fruit—“the sour grape is ripening in the flower.” The vine is an old figure of the nation (Isa. 5; Psa. 80:8-16).
Then the old hatred of the nations is turned against Israel and all is 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. This is the time of “Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7).
7. In that time (in this state of things) then “shall the present be brought unto the Lord of hosts.” This speaks of a remnant of Israel—“scattered and peeled . . . from a people terrible [wonderful] from their beginning hitherto.” The Lord Himself brings to Himself of the residue a present, the spared remnant of His people, to Mount Zion—the place of His rest forever (Psa. 132:13-14). The nation, having refused nationally the gospel of God’s grace, is saved through the judgments of the Lord, which introduce the kingdom.
The Christian’s hope 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, saying, “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).
This hour of temptation is detailed in Isaiah 24. It takes place before the Lord of hosts reigns in Mount Zion. Then in Isaiah 25 the remnant of the Jews are delivered, saying, “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.” Isaiah 26 gives us the song of the delivered remnant, while Isaiah 27 gives us the completing of the work and the gathering of the ten tribes to worship, with their brethren of Judah, the Lord of hosts at Jerusalem in the glory of the millennium.
The Lord’s coming is the hope of the church; His appearing in glory with her after the tribulation, which happens between these events, is the deliverance of the Jews and the introduction of the kingdom.
F. G. Patterson