Isaiah 52)
1 Awake, awake; put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city ("the city of the Sanctuary". See Ex.3:5): for henceforth there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean.
2 Shake yourself from the dust (see 33:9); arise, and sit down (i.e. as a queen. Cp. Rev. 18:7, for usage), O Jerusalem: loose yourself from the bands of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
3 For thus says the Lord, "You all have sold yourselves for nothing; and you all shall be redeemed not with silver."
4 For thus says the Lord GOD, "My People went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there (see Gen. 46:6); and the Assyrian (this was "another king" [Acts 7:18], the first of a new dynasty, the "new king" of Ex.1:8, who of course "knew not Joseph") oppressed them (this refers to Ex. 1, and has nothing to do with the later Assyrian carrying away) for nothing (groundlessly. This is a Divine comment. See John 15:25. See 5:8).
5 Now therefore, what do I here," (what He did in the circumstances of v.4 we know. What He will do in the new circumstances we are about to be told) says the Lord, "that My People has been taken away for nothing? they that rule over them make them to howl," says the Lord; "and My name continually every day is blasphemed. (quoted in Rom. 2:24)
6 Therefore My People shall know My name: therefore they shall know in that day that I Am (Yah, i.e. Yehovah, I am that I am) He That does speak: behold, It is I."
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings (fig., put for the whole person of the messenger, that we may not think of him, but of his coming as sent by Yahaveh [cp. Nah. 1:15]. Fulfilled partially in John and Christ, both of whom were rejected and slain. There will be other messengers of the future coming, even Elijah and others [Mal. 4:5]), that publishes peace; that brings good tidings of good, (quoted in Rom.10:15) that publishes salvation; that says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"
8 Your watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they shout: (warn of the false one, antichrist who is Satan) for they shall see face to face (and will be face to face with the coming heralds of the King, yes, with the King Himself. This often misapplied expression has nothing whatever to do with agreement in opinion), when the Lord shall bring again Zion. (This is the prophecy concerning the retaking of Zion. There will be no unbelievers there. That is why you don't want to be yoked with them. All will see eye, to eye, face to face.)
9 Break forth into joy, sing together, you all waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord has comforted His People (cp. 40:1), He has redeemed Jerusalem. (There is a time identified in this verse. We are talking about the 2nd advent. God is preparing a people for this time. You may have a destiny.)
10 The Lord has made bare His set apart (holy) arm in the sight of all the nations (fig., put for the wonders worked by it. Also you bear your arm when you are ready for war. Looking toward Armageddon); and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. (When God reveals His strength, our enemies don't have a chance. But His salvation, the only salvation, is available to all on earth.)
11 Depart you all, depart you all (Come out of Confusion = Babylon. Cp. Rev.18:4. Quoted in application for us today in 2 Cor.6:14-18), go you all out from that place, touch no unclean thing; go you all out of the midst of her; (stay out of the traditions of men and false religion) be you all clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord. (Separate yourself from the unclean. Those that bear the vessels of God are those who do His work. Divide yourself from the unclean practices of the heathen.)
12 For you all shall not go out with haste (see Ex. 12:33,39, and Deut. 16:3), nor go by flight: (you are not going to fly away, no "rapture") for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rear-guard. (cp. 58:8. See Ex. 14:19. With God protecting your front and back, what could we possibly fear? The Lord has you covered.)
F Q 52:13-15. GENESIS. The Divine counsels concerning Messiah, summarizing Ch.53 as a whole.
The counsel, "Let Us make" (Gen.1:26), answering to the counsel here, Let Us redeem.
R 5:1-3. EXODUS. Messiah taking His place with the nation.
S 53:4-6. LEVITICUS. Messiah's relation to Yehovah. His personal work of atonement,
the basis of the whole. Yehovah's dealings with Him in the Sanctuary.
R 53:7-10-. NUMBERS. Messiah's relation to the earth: finding a grave in it.
Q 53:-10-12. DEUTERONOMY. The outcome, fulfilling the Divine counsels according to the Word.
The first member (Genesis), is shown to be a summary or epitome of the whole by the following arrangement:-
F T¹ u 52:13. Messiah's presentation.
v 52:14. His sufferings.
w 52:15. His reward.
T² u 53:1-3. Messiah's reception.
v 53:4-10-. His sufferings.
w 53:-10-12. His reward.
13 Behold, My Servant (The Messiah. See 37:35) shall prosper, He shall rise and is lifted up, and becomes very high. (Cp. Phil. 2:9-11. His Servant, Jesus Christ, will be the King of kings, and Lord of lords. It doesn't get any higher. That is Who you want to be yoked with.)14 According as (this corresponds with the "so" of v.15 [not with "so" in the next clause which is parenthetic]) many were astonished at You (They were shocked. Corresponding with the word rendered "sprinkle" in v.15. From Old French estonner. 9 times so spelt, from Wycliff and Geneva Bible. Chauser spells it "astoned"; Spenser, "astownd"); { His visage was so marred (pointing to the depth of humiliation, as set forth in detail 53:4-10-. Cp. Matt.26:67,68; 27:27-30) more than any man (cp. Ps. 22:6, "I am a worm, and no man"), and His form more than the sons of mankind:} (Jesus took the stripes, and we receive the healing.)
15 So shall He shall cause to leap for joy many nations (Heb. nãzãh. When used of liquids it means to spurt out, as in 63:3, the only other occ. in Isaiah, and that in judgment [cp. 2 Kings 9:33]. The usual word for ceremonial sprinkling is zãrak, not nãzãh. The astonishment and the joy of many nations is set in contrast with the astonishment of the many people of v.14. The Sept. reads, "shall admire". Moreover, the verb is in the Hiphil conjunction, and we can say "cause to leap up for joy", but not "cause to sprinkle". With this, Gesenius, Fuerst, Lowth, Parkhurt, and others agree); the kings shall shut their mouths at Him (i.e. be dumb with astonishment): for they to whom it had been told shall see; and they which had not heard shall consider. (quoted in Rom.15:21. On the 1st day of the millennium every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.)